October 18, 2019
Instructors at Lanier Technical College nominated 24 students for the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) competition, according to Kari Register, coordinator for the College’s GOAL program.
GOAL, a statewide program of the Technical College System of Georgia, honors excellence in academics and leadership among the state’s technical college students. GOAL winners are selected at each of the state’s 22 technical colleges.
Chosen for recognition by their Instructors are Kaci Armstrong, Dental Assisting Program, Lumpkin County; Shana Barge, Medical Assisting Degree, Walton County; Brooke Bedgood, Esthetics, Gwinnett County; Emily Blaze, Dental Hygiene Program, Gwinnett County; Angela Brewer, Esthetics, Gwinnett County; Mary Jane Cagle, Practical Nursing, Dawson County; Jackson Cantrell, Firefighter/EMSP Diploma, Hall County; Gracie Deal, Welding and Joining Program, Hall County; Kristen Freeland, Cosmetology, Forsyth County; Melissa Hart, Dental Assisting, White County; Alton Henry, Motorsports Program, Hall County; Alexis Jackson, Medical Assisting Diploma, Barrow County; Allison Kimura, Dental Assisting, Dawson County; Ruth Laguna, Cosmetology Program, Hall County; Christopher Lambert, Horticulture, Cherokee County; Rachel Lee, Welding and Joining Technology, Barrow County; Tiffany Mayweather, Early Child and Education, Hall County; Chad McKeldin, Practical Nursing, Forsyth County; Mary Patterson, Esthetics, Hall County; Dustin Penner, Firefighter/EMSP Diploma, Forsyth County; Sergio Reyes, Drafting Technology, Hall County; Lawson Rodriguez, Drafting Technology, Habersham County; Amber Shiply, Business Management Degree, Barrow County; Branson Willingham, Firefighter/EMSP Diploma, Forsyth County.
“The purpose of the GOAL program is to spotlight the outstanding achievement by students in Georgia’s technical colleges and to emphasize the importance of technical education in today’s global workforce, “said Register.
A screening committee of administrators at Lanier Technical College will review each of the instructor’s nominations then conduct personal interviews with the students. After the nominees have been ranked, four finalists will then be chosen to compete to be the Lanier Technical College’s GOAL winner for 2020.
The four finalists will then take part in another round of interviews and evaluations by a selection committee of representatives from the local business and industry. That panel will consider the students’ qualities like academic achievement, personal character, leadership abilities and enthusiasm for technical education.
The student judged most outstanding will be designated as the College’s GOAL winner and move on to the regional competition. Then top three from each of the three regions will make up the nine regional finalists, who will be named in April at the state GOAL conference in Atlanta. The nine regional finalists will then move to the state level and compete for the title of state GOAL winner.
The student who earns the state GOAL winner title is also awarded the important responsibility of traveling the state as the ambassador for the entire technical college system. To make that travel easier, the winner also receives a new car, from Kia Motors, the statewide corporate sponsor of Georgia’s GOAL Program.
Lanier Technical College has a 100 percent job placement rate five out seven years in a row. The College offers over 50 programs of study in some of the nation’s fastest-growing career fields including healthcare, energy, business and industry, and public or private service. Lanier Technical College is a Unit of the Technical College System of Georgia. For more information about Lanier Technical College, visit www.laniertech.edu or phone 770-533-7000.
