GOAL and RPA Winners Announced at Habersham Rotary
Clarkesville, GA – Stacy Snyder of Murrayville, Ga., was named North Georgia Technical College’s 2025 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) winner at the Habersham Rotary meeting yesterday. Nominated by her instructor, Stacie Perry, Snyder is a registered nursing student at the Clarkesville campus.
GOAL, a statewide program of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), started in 1971 and continues to honor excellence in academics and leadership among the state’s technical college students. GOAL candidates are nominated by an instructor and must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher and demonstrate strong work ethics and leadership skills. Local GOAL winners are selected at each of the state’s 22 technical colleges.
Students representing various programs across North Georgia Technical College’s campuses were nominated as candidates to represent NGTC in the state competition. The top four finalists selected for the 2025 GOAL award included Tiana Drake, registered nursing student of Lavonia, Ga., nominated by instructor Bethany Elrod; Yuliya Havrylesku, culinary arts student of Winder, Ga., nominated by instructor Alexander Bladowski; Sierra Phillips, welding student of Toccoa, Ga., nominated by instructor Ronnie Ayers; and Snyder.
The Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction (RPA) was also presented at the Habersham Rotary meeting to practical nursing instructor, Sharon McFarland of Blue Ridge, Ga. McFarland has been employed with the college since 2011.
The Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction honors technical education’s most outstanding instructors by recognizing instructors who make significant contributions to technical education through innovation and leadership in their fields. One instructor is chosen each year from the 22 colleges in the Technical College System of Georgia.
McFarland holds a Master of Science in Nursing from Western Governor’s University in Utah, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Ga., an Associate of Science in Nursing, an Associate of Arts, and a Practical Nursing diploma. She is a licensed registered nurse (RN) in the state of Georgia and provides classroom instruction and hands-on training in the skills necessary for providing direct nursing care in a variety of settings. McFarland also serves as an academic advisor to practical nursing students and is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Blue Ridge.
“I am proud to recognize these outstanding students and faculty for their commitment to technical education in our community and our state,” said NGTC President John Wilkinson. “I commend each of them for their hard work and perseverance not only in their chosen fields, but also in competing for these distinguished awards. It is a tremendous achievement to make it this far, and we look forward to supporting Stacy and Sharon as they move on to represent NGTC at the next level.”
NGTC is grateful to the following organizations for sponsoring the GOAL and Rick Perkins Award for Excellence with monetary awards: NGTC Foundation, Habersham Rotary, Habersham County Chamber of Commerce, Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce, Blairsville-Union County Chamber of Commerce, and Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Habersham.
Both the GOAL and Rick Perkins Award winners will now advance to represent NGTC at the regional competition, which will be held March 18, 2025.
For more information regarding North Georgia Technical College programs or admission, visit northgatech.edu or call 706-754-7700.
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