Instructors at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College have nominated 20 of their students for the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership competition, according to Lydia Hubert, 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 as well as one Board of Regents college with a technical education division.
 
Wiregrass’ 2016 GOAL Nominees are listed with their program areas by county;
 
Clinch- Dakota Knudsen, Auto Collision Repair
 
Coffee- Meghan Brigmond, Computer Information Systems and Courtney Sanders, Business Administrative Technology
 
Irwin- Megan Sandiford, Computer Information Systems
 
Lanier- Ashley Ahlman, Dental Assisting; Scott Centobene, Radiology Technology; and David Wentz, Radiology Technology
 
Lowndes - Robert Baker, Industrial System Technology; Dana Brown, Emergency Medical Services; Michael Clouston, Computer Support Specialist; Chad Diamonte, Network Information Security; Kimesha Felton, Associate Science in Nursing; Mark Fletcher, Associate Science in Nursing; Brianna Kelch, Nursing; Parker Megow, Information Security; Jennifer Miller, Business Technology;  Kenneth Miller, Criminal Justice; and Leah Sigmon, Associate Science in Nursing.
 
Tift- Mara Collender, Surgical Technology and Michael Ricks, Telecommunications and Security
 
"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 Hubert.
 
A screening committee of staff at Wiregrass will review each of the instructors’ nominations then conduct personal interviews with the students in December.  After the nominees have been ranked, four finalists will then be chosen to compete to be the Wiregrass’ GOAL winner for 2016.
 
The four finalists will then take part in another round of interviews and evaluations by a selection committee of representatives from local business and industry in January. 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 in March at Southern Regional Technical College, Tifton campus.  Then 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.