Augusta Technical College has recently announced a Design Media and Production Technology student as the winner of the 2024 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL).
GOAL is a statewide program of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) that honors excellence in academics and leadership among the state’s technical college students. Local GOAL winners are selected at each of the state’s 22 technical colleges.
College President Jermaine Whirl announced Rashell Turner as Augusta Tech’s new award recipient via Facebook Live, after being chosen by a panel of leaders over three other nominees.
According to a press release from Augusta Tech, after being selected, Tanner thanked her fellow students for the “amazing” competition, her nominating instructor, Sherrie Rowe, for having faith and seeing the very best in her, Augusta Technical College for being a great institution, and her family for supporting her over the years.
“I am honored to have been selected and I am eager to serve as a representative for my fellow technical college students,” Tanner said. “Technical college has changed my life and I know that with the instruction of my amazing teachers and staff at Augusta Technical College, I am truly on my way to success.”
The runner-up nominees for the GOAL award were business administration student Melvin Fussell, Tommy Ingram from the NCCER Electrical Systems Construction and Maintenance program, and accounting student Tessa Kent.
“Tanner’s story is the epitome of resilience and personal growth. Leading our Student Government Association and being active in a number of clubs and organizations, she truly embodies the definition of a GOAL student,” said Whirl. “The Augusta Tech community congratulates her on all of her successes and wishes her well as she prepares for the TCSG state competition.”
Tanner will go on to represent Augusta Technical College at the regional competition on March 4, 2024, at Central Georgia Technical College in Warner Robins, GA. The nine regional finalists, three finalists from the state’s three regions, will be announced at the GOAL conference at the Grand Hyatt in April 2024.
If selected as a regional finalist, Tanner will participate in the state competition at the conference, where a panel of leaders from the business, industry and government sectors will interview them and choose one to be 2024 State GOAL Winner.
The winner will also be awarded as the TCSG’s Student of the Year and the recipient of the GOAL medallion.
The grand prize for the competition will include a brand-new car courtesy of KIA, the statewide corporate sponsor of the GOAL program.
