Instructors at Lanier Technical College have nominated twenty six of their students for the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) competition, according to Jennifer Pulliam, 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 twenty-four technical colleges as well as one Board of Regents College with a technical education division.
Chosen for recognition by their instructors are:
Front row left to right in the group photo:
Brittany Hammontree, a Healthcare Assistant student from Cumming; Wanda Garrish, a Cosmetology student from Maysville; Susan Gates, a Radiology Tech student from Buford; Ezequiel Rodriguez, a Radiology Tech student from Dahlonega; Laquita Harrison, a Business Management student from Gainesville; Monica Saraz - McMahon, a Business Management student from Gainesville; Briana Barrett, a Dental Hygiene student from Cleveland; Carrie Kennedy, a Medical Assisting student from Bethlehem; Lizbeth Jiminez, a Medical Assisting student from Winder ; Brigitte Accary, a Criminal Justice student from Flowery Branch; Ashley Brown, a Medical Assisting student from Winder; Kathleen Mendes, a Clinical Laboratory Technology student from Cumming.
Back row left to right in the group photo::
Sherry Crane, a Business Administrative Technology student from Commerce; Kristine Graves, an Accounting student from Gainesville; Andrew Gilmore and Victor Roman both Drafting students from Gainesville; Seth Scott, a Practical Nursing student from Cumming; Yate´ Tripp, a Business Management Technology student from Gainesville; Nathaniel Mauldin, a Machine Tool Technology student from Dacula; John Edwards, an Electrical Utility technology student from Lawrenceville; Nicole Kitchel, a Medical Assisting student from Auburn; Holly Maddox, a Dental Assisting student from Buford; Annamarie Keck, a Business Administration student from Flowery Branch; Mikalah Crymes, a General Studies student from Dawsonville; Celeste Gaines, an Early Childhood Care and Education student from Gainesville and Alexandria Irwin, a Medical Assisting student from Gainesville.
Not shown are James Hammond, a Welding and Joining Technology student from Winder, and Jennifer Boyce, a Practical Nursing student from Dawsonville.
"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 Pulliam.
A screening committee of administrators at Lanier Tech will review each of the instructors’ 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 GOAL winner for 2014.
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. 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 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 Chevrolet, the statewide corporate sponsor of Georgia’s GOAL program.
Lanier Technical College has a 98.6% job placement rate and offers over 40 programs of study in some of the nation's fastest-growing career fields including healthcare, energy, business and industry, and public or private service. More information about Lanier Technical College and the programs of study may be obtained by calling 770-531-6300 or by visiting www.laniertech.edu. Lanier Technical College is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia.