NGTC Announces Top Four 2020 GOAL Student Nominees

Clarkesville, GA — North Georgia Technical College recently announced the top four students nominated to become the college’s 2020 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) recipient.

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.

A total of 28 students from all three of the NGTC campuses of Blairsville, Currahee and Clarkesville were nominated for the honor by their instructors and participated in a series of competitive interviews and speeches detailing why they chose technical education.

The top four students who will compete in January for the college GOAL student are Grace Jeffers, an engineering technology student from Baldwin; Kassidy Wood, a business technology student from Mt. Airy; Deitra Gray, an early childhood education student from Toccoa; and Angel Gaddis, a criminal justice student from Baldwin.

Other students nominated for the 2020 NGTC GOAL award were: Kathleen Courtney, a practical nursing student from Blue Ridge; Christopher Green, a nursing student from Elijay; Rhona Hendrix, a medical assisting student from Murphy, NC; Kara Hollowell, a nursing student from Blairsville; Alicia Jarrett, a nursing student from Blue Ridge; Cynthia Jones, a medical assisting student from Blairsville; Deana Kellermier, a medical assisting student from Blairsville; Rose Mason, a medical assisting student from Blairsville; Cassie Petty, a nursing student from Blue Ridge; Nicole Reed, a medical assisting student from Blue Ridge; Michelle Rodgers, a medical assisting student from Blairsville; Holly Sawyer, a medical assisting student from Blueridge; Ashley Stephens, a business technology student from Blairsville; Heather Wells, a business technology student from Copperhill, Tenn.; Annette Balderas-Nunez, a photography student from Mountain City; Amy Belk, an interdisciplinary studies student from Clarkesville; Devonnear Byrd, a business management student from Athens; Casey Hall, a nursing student from Murrayville; Jason Henderson, a business management student from Morganton; Hannah Jones, a photography student from Rockmart; Kristen Ledford, an environmental technology student from Blairsville; Dora Whitelock, a business management student from Marietta; and Laura Wiley, a photography student from Cornelia.

The list narrowed to 12 students before the top four were announced during the competition, and these semi-finalists included Belk, Gaddis, Gray, Green, Henderson, Hollowell, Jeffers, Kellermier, Petty, Stephens, Wells and Woods.

“We are so proud of all these students for not only their hard work in the classroom, but for going above and beyond and participating in these GOAL competitions,” says Amy Hulsey, vice president of college and community relations at NGTC. “This competition process gives our students a chance to experience real-life situations that will be an addition to their resume and give them confidence as they interview for future jobs.”