Daniel Hill of Rabun Gap, Ga., recently was named North Georgia Technical College’s 2018 Georgia Occupational Award for Leadership (GOAL) student at a recent Habersham Rotary meeting. Nominated by his instructor Stacie Sulhoff, Hill is an accounting student at the Clarkesville campus.
GOAL candidates are nominated by an instructor and must maintain a least a 3.0 GPA and demonstrate strong work ethics and leadership skills. This statewide award program of the Technical College System of Georgia actually was started at NGTC in the early 1970s and continues to honor excellence in academics and leadership among the state’s technical college students today. Local GOAL winners are selected at each of the state’s 22 technical colleges.
From across all three of North Georgia Technical College’s campuses, students representing various programs were nominated as candidates to represent NGTC in the state competition. The top 12 semi-finalists selected for the 2018 GOAL award included Bethany Arrowood of Lula, criminal justice; McKenzie Cain of Helen, business technology; Mary Lee Cawthon of Baldwin, photography; Pamela Forsyth of Blairsville, practical nursing; Nicole May of Blairsville, business technology; Malik Perry of Toccoa, interdisciplinary studies; Dustin Vandergrift of Clarkesville, photography; and Alexander Wimberly of Sautee Nacoochee, criminal justice.
Through a series of competitive interviews and speeches detailing why they chose technical education, four were selected by NGTC faculty and staff for advanced competition: Jason Nichols of Carnesville, an automotive technology student nominated by instructor Stoney Farmer; Sarah Williams of Lula, a culinary arts student nominated by instructor Alex Bladowski; Gladys Wright of Eastanollee, a photography student nominated by instructor Jim Loring; and 2018 winner Hill.
“This was a really tough job for our judges this year,” says President Dr. Mark Ivester. “I always am inspired by our students’ stories of their journeys and what brought them to NGTC, but I am even more proud of hearing how they overcame any obstacles and challenges to accomplish their goals of earning a technical education to lead them to their dream career. I congratulate each one of these deserving students.”
Each year the Habersham County Chamber of Commerce, White County Chamber of Commerce and Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce show their support with monetary awards to the finalists and their nominating instructors.
Celebrating these accomplishments with the area Chambers of Commerce and Habersham Rotary is a special event for NGTC. “We are very grateful for the partnerships we have with Rotary and the area Chambers who support our celebration of these exceptional students and their instructors,” says Ivester. “Their contributions to the GOAL program make the program even more special to each one of our nominees as well as instructors. We sincerely thank them for their annual support.”
As the NGTC 2018 GOAL winner, Hill will now advance to represent NGTC at the region level.
