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March 2022

Rochelle White from Oconee Fall Line Technical College Recognized as 2022 State EAGLE Winner

Launched in 1993, the Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education (EAGLE) program celebrates 28 years of recognizing adult learners in pursuit of excellence. The Dinah Culbreath Wayne EAGLE program recognizes and honors students from throughout the state who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in Adult Education classes.

This year's 2022 State EAGLE winner is Rochelle White from Oconee Fall Line Technical College (OFTC). After leaving school in the 8th grade to escape an emotionally abusive household, it was important for Rochelle to go back to school to earn her high school equivalency (HSE) diploma. As a single mother of five children, Rochelle wants to obtain her HSE diploma and enroll in a nursing program. "The OFTC Adult Education program is a positive turning point in my life. It has provided me with skills and tools that I need to become a better contributor to my family and community," says Rochelle.

The 2022 EAGLE Delegate finalists were:

- Natosha Banks-Nolley, Gwinnett Technical College (first runner up)
- Jalisa Santress Marks, Atlanta Technical College
- Barbara Richardson, Coastal Pines Technical College
- Sheha (Shay) Juma Sheha, Georgia Piedmont Technical College
- Ashlee Michelle Adams, Lanier Technical College
- Chrisanctus Igwe, Ogeechee Technical College
- Toby Patten, West Georgia Technical College

To read about all of the 2022 EAGLE delegates, click here.

To see all the photos from the conference, click here.

Devlynn Taylor from Augusta Technical College Recognized as 2022 Outstanding Adult Ed. Teacher of the Year Winner

The Outstanding Teacher of the Year (OTOY) competition is designed to recognize and honor our exceptional Adult Education teachers who make significant contributions to the field through instruction, innovation, and leadership. The OTOY winner receives a cash award of $500, and the Office of Adult Education also awards $2,500 to the program in support of curricula acquisition.

This year, 25 outstanding teacher honorees from our technical college, school system, and community-based organization providers were celebrated on March 14-15 during the Dinah Culbreath Wayne EAGLE program. Teachers had a chance to engage with each other through networking activities, recorded public service announcements that will be used to promote Adult Education services over the next year, and were treated to a professional development, "Time Management for Educators: Creating More Time, Balance, and Peace."

This year's 2022 Outstanding Teacher of the Year is Devlynn Taylor from Augusta Technical College. In her application, Devlynn stated, "I believe my greatest accomplishments are my students' successes, and I look forward to having many, many more."

Click here to view all of the OTOY nominees.

Governor Kemp meets with 2020 and 2021 GOAL, Rick Perkins, and EAGLE Winners

Governor Brian Kemp met with TCSG’s 2020 and 2021 State GOAL, Rick Perkins, and EAGLE winners at the State Capitol on March 16th where he gave a Commendation to all the winners.

The winners are:

- 2021 State GOAL Award winner - Elizabeth Rodriguez, West Georgia Technical College
- 2021 State Rick Perkins Award winner - Casey Corbett, Ogeechee Technical College
- 2020 State GOAL Award winner - Rah’mere Williams, Augusta Technical College
- 2020 State Rick Perkins Award winner - Mike Day, Wiregrass Georgia Technical College
- 2020 State EAGLE Award winner - Hannah Hadley, Wiregrass Georgia Technical College

To see more photos, click here.

Atlanta Area Boy Scouts Tour TCSG Mobile Welding Lab

On Saturday, March 20, Commissioner Greg Dozier and representatives from TCSG and Southern Crescent Technical College attended the 2022 Atlanta Area Boy Scouts’ “Scout Challenge” in Covington with one of the system’s mobile welding labs. The event hosted thousands of Boy Scouts who got the opportunity to tour the mobile welding lab and learn more about TCSG’s colleges and wide variety of programs.

To see more photos from the event, click here.

2022 SkillsUSA Georgia Postsecondary Conference a Success in Atlanta

For the first time since 2019, SkillsUSA Georgia Postsecondary was able to host its first in-person conference in collaboration with SkillsUSA Georgia High School and Construction Ready. Membership in SkillsUSA affords students the opportunity to demonstrate occupational and leadership skills by competing in state and national competitions.

The three chapters with the most state competition medals (gold, silver, and bronze) are:

- Savannah Technical College - 28 medals
- Lanier Technical College - 24 medals
- Wiregrass Georgia Technical College - 19 medals

The chapters with the most state gold medals are:

- Savannah Technical College - 22 gold medals
- Wiregrass Georgia Technical College - 13 gold medals
- Gwinnett Technical College - 10 gold medals
- Lanier Technical College - 10 gold medals

SkillsUSA is a national organization that serves more than 300,000 students and instructors annually. More than 1,000 business, industry, and labor sponsors actively support SkillsUSA at the national level through financial aid, in-kind contributions, and involvement of their people in SkillsUSA activities.

All Gold medal winners will go on to compete at the National Leadership and Skills Conference in June.

To learn more about SkillsUSA Georgia Postsecondary, click here.

U.S. Attorney General, VIPs Honor DeKalb Police Program, Tour Georgia Piedmont Tech

The DeKalb Conference Center at Georgia Piedmont Technical College in Clarkston set the scene for a major nationally-recognized celebration. The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing ceremony was highlighted by remarks from the nation’s top law enforcement official, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. Also on hand were Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Kurt Erskine, local dignitaries, more than a dozen DeKalb police officers, and some 140 onlookers.

Learn more here.

Chattahoochee Tech Celebrates 100 Percent Pass Rate on National Exams for Recent Graduates in Five Health Science Programs

Chattahoochee Technical College students are becoming well prepared for careers in the medical profession, with 100 percent of recent graduates in five of the college’s health science programs achieving first-time pass rates on their national licensure and certification exams.

The Chattahoochee Tech programs of study in which all of the recent graduates earned this achievement included Clinical Laboratory Technology, Paramedicine, Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiography, and Surgical Technology. For the Chattahoochee Tech Radiography program, this marks the 13th consecutive year that 100 percent of the program graduates have passed the national certification test on their first try. For eight consecutive years, 100 percent of the graduates in the Chattahoochee Tech Clinical Laboratory Technology program have passed their national exam.

Learn more here.

77-year-old shows it's never too late; enrolling as first-time college student

77-year-old Bainbridge native Bill Nichols is a college student for the first time in his life. 42 years ago, he studied under a flight instructor to earn his pilot’s license and went on to enjoy a 35-year career as a corporate pilot. Seven years after retirement, he decided to pursue his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) because he heard about the 18,000-person driver shortage on the local news. He reasoned that he could help fill that gap and enrolled in the Commercial Truck Driving program at SRTC-Bainbridge.

Learn more here.

Student Spotlight: Elena Cohn from Southern Crescent Technical College

Elena from Southern Crescent Technical College is pursuing a career in a male-dominated field—industrial systems—and is loving every minute of it.

Here is her story.