HGTC National Technical Honor Society Inducts New Members
The Heart of Georgia Technical College National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) inducted 18 new members on March 13, 2007. The National Technical Honor Society is an honor organization for outstanding students enrolled in occupational, vocational, or technical programs. The purpose is to promote service, leadership, honesty, career development, and skilled workmanship; to reward student achievement; to encourage and assist students in educational and career goal setting; to promote a stronger linkage between local technical institutions and business and industry; and to promote the image of technical education in America.
Candidates for NTHS membership are students who have demonstrated scholastic achievement, skill development, good character, leadership, honesty, and responsibility. Membership is open to students from all diploma and degree programs. Students may be nominated for membership based on the following criteria: a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or greater, a minimum of 24 credit hours completed in a diploma or degree program, and demonstrated qualities such as dependability, worthy character, good mentality, credible achievement, and a commendable attitude.
Dr. Randall Peters, HGTC president, addressed the group of recipients and congratulated them on their achievement. He also thanked Jo-ne Bourassa and Kim Meeks, club advisors, for their hard work and dedication to the National Technical Honor Society.
The following students were inducted into the NTHS. Front row (l-r): Ateeya Hudson (Laurens), Connie Woodard (Dodge), Amy Pileggi (Laurens), Elizabeth Hickman (Laurens), Teresa Blue (Laurens). Back row (l-r): Robert Mobley (Laurens), Kara Rawls (Laurens), Crystal Lee (Johnson), Joyce Webb (Laurens), Latasha Davis (Bibb), Justina Kunstbeck (Dodge), Tina Mitchell (Laurens), Deborah Boston (Laurens), and Elizabeth Walters (Laurens). Not pictured: Crystal Hattaway, Alisa Stubbs, Caleb Burt, and Brian Owens.
GOAL Program Underway at HGTC; Stephen Allen Chosen as GOAL Winner
Stephen Allen, an automotive technology student at Heart of Georgia Technical College, was named college winner of the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) at the GOAL recognition meeting on Friday, March 9, 2007, at the Dublin Rotary Club. The announcement was made by Beth Crumpton, executive vice-president at Heart of Georgia Technical College. Mr. Allen was chosen from nine students who were nominated for the program.
The GOAL Program, which is sponsored statewide by the Technical College System of Georgia, is coordinated locally by Janet Smith, Customer Care Coordinator at HGTC.
According to Smith, the GOAL program is the first statewide program in the nation to honor excellence among technical college students at the post-secondary level. “The GOAL Program seeks to spotlight the role of technical education in our modern economy and to emphasize the dignity of work,” said Smith.
Mrs. Smith worked in cooperation with officials of the Dublin Rotary Club, Dublin/Laurens County Chamber of Commerce, the HGTC Foundation, Bank of America, and the HGTC Student Council, the local sponsoring organizations, to choose a student from Heart of Georgia Technical College to represent the college in the state GOAL competition in Atlanta during GOAL Week, May 21-25, 2007.
A screening committee comprised of staff from Heart of Georgia Technical College interviewed the following students for the GOAL competition:
Stephen Allen (Bleckley), automotive technology; nominated by Brett Colston
Latasha Davis (Bibb), radiologic technology; nominated by
Rosalyn Johnson
Heather Glover (Washington), health information technology; nominated by Tammy Bayto
Kayla Herron (Laurens), early childhood care/education; nominated by Gail Brooks
Kela Horne (Laurens), health information technology; nominated by Tammy Bayto
Scott Lamb ((Laurens), machine tool technology; nominated by David Hall
Mark Northrup (Laurens), CIS microcomputer specialist; nominated by David Cooke
Brad Williams (Telfair), air conditioning technology; nominated by Kevin Livingston
Donnell Williams (Dodge), pharmacy technology; nominated by Jack Shepherd
HGTC staff who served on the screening committee were: Cecile Miller, Ramona Wooten, George Hollingsworth, Susan Williams, and Amy Harrelson.
Four finalists were named and a selection committee made up of members of the Dublin Rotary Club interviewed the individuals. The four finalists were: Stephen Allen, Latasha Davis, Kayla Herron, and Brad Williams. Dublin Rotary Club members who served on the committee were: Marcia Dixon, Walter McCall, Clyde English, and Joe Hooks.
As the college winner, Mr. Allen will compete with students from 38 other technical colleges in Georgia for the 2007 state GOAL medallion. A new car will be awarded to the state GOAL winner. “Since the grand prize in the state contest is a new car, there is tremendous competition among the colleges,” said Smith. “We make every effort to select our most outstanding student because we want to bring home the state winner.”
Pictured: Stephen Allen and Brett Colston.
Determined to Succeed
LaShana Butts-Taylor has goals. When she became pregnant at age sixteen, some people thought she would not be able to realize her goals, “That just made me determined even more to succeed,” says Taylor.
After graduating from West Laurens High School in 2001, Taylor began attending Heart of Georgia Technical College. She chose to study Early Childhood Education, “I always said I wanted to teach school. Even as a child, I would play school in the clubhouse behind my mother’s house. All my life I’ve been working with kids.”
When Taylor completed her education at HGTC, she began working with Bleckley County Head Start where she has worked for four years. Although it has been a tough road, Taylor is committed to realizing her dream. She has continued her education while working full-time, raising two children and going through a divorce. Taylor is on schedule to earn a Bachelor in Human Services with a Minor in Education from Mercer University this year.
While at HGTC, Taylor was a member of the National Technical Honor Society and was named to the President’s List. She received the Tools for Outstanding Occupational Leadership Students Award for which she was given supplies to help her get started in education.
Taylor recommends HGTC, “I would encourage anyone to go to Heart of Georgia Technical College. I received hands-on experience which helped me decide for sure if I wanted to go into education. The instructors were so willing to help. If I went to them with a problem, they would lead me to a solution.”
Jack Shepherd's chemistry class at Heart of Georgia Technical College recently conducted an outdoor experiment which displayed chemistry gas laws. Shown is HGTC pharmacy technology student, Megan Watson of Dublin, observing the Diet Coke-Mentos eruption.
Sylvia Rozier, practical nursing program chair at Heart of Georgia Technical College, has been appointed to the board of the National Association for Practical Nurse Education and Services, Inc. (NAPNES). NAPNES is the national organization that sets standards for practical/vocational nursing practice. Mrs. Rozier will be representing the Southeastern region of the United States.
Susie Drew, practical nursing instructor at Heart of Georgia Technical College, has been selected by the Georgia Board of Nursing to serve on the review board for the Practical Nursing National Council of License Examinations. In this capacity, Mrs. Drew will be part of the decision-making process for the NCLEX exam.
Tutoring Services Help Students Reach Goals
Heart of Georgia Technical College offers tutoring services to all registered HGTC students. A variety of services are available including online computer tutoring, study groups with or without tutors, and one-on-one tutoring.
The Student Success Center addresses the academic needs of the students, the academically and economically disadvantaged students, and students for whom English is a second language. Equipped with computerized tutorials, the Student Success Center helps students improve skills in math, reading, and English through the Pass Key Learning System.
Additional services offered include websites tied into the curriculum at HGTC in math, writing, and grammar. Basic computer operations and accessing the Internet for research are available. Instructional videos are loaned for individual classes and hand outs specific to the student's needs are used to help students.
Students benefit from tutoring in a number of ways, "In a group setting, often the student will learn from the questions or insight from another student in the group. In both group and one-on-one tutoring the student will hear the information where they may only see it outside of tutoring. Studies show that students who see and hear the information benefit more than those who only see it," says Lydia Barfoot, Special Needs Facilitator.
Beverly Forbes, Instructor for the Student Success Center, tells of a new program available to students, "HGTC has contracted with a program called Smartthinking, for online English and math students. Each student receives seven hours total with a math and/or English tutor."
Although most benefits to students are tangible in their studies, students also benefit from having someone to help them when they are struggling, "If a student has missed days, or gotten behind, they can meet with someone who can listen and will help them make the best use of their study time," says Barfoot.
Technical College Meeting Workforce Needs
For Jim Rhodes, his first involvement with Heart of Georgia Technical College came when he was asked to serve as a Board of Directors’ representative from Bleckley County.
As Manager for Georgia Power Company in Cochran, Rhodes is aware of the needs for a qualified workforce to not only fill positions with existing businesses, but also the attraction a qualified workforce brings for a potential new business, “An educated and trained workforce is key in attracting new industry. The core training plus Quick Start programs make the service area an ideal place for businesses to locate. When existing jobs stay and new ones come in the impact would be that the standard of living continues to rise for everyone.”
An active member of the community, Rhodes serves on the board for the Cochran/Bleckley Chamber of Commerce, IDA, and Bleckley Memorial Hospital. He also is a member of Rotary Club and the Pulaski and Wilcox County Chambers of Commerce. Rhodes sees a bright future for technical education, “I think the future of technical college education will continue to grow. More and more jobs are requiring post secondary education. Technical college is a good fit for a lot of good quality jobs.”
Rhodes also believes the efficiency of HGTC’s programs are the college’s greatest strength because of the ability to produce a well-trained, educated and motivated individual for the work force in a relative short time frame.
For someone considering an education from a technical college Rhodes recommends, “If the job you are seeking fits the curriculum offered it would be hard to make a better choice. HGTC makes people winners!”
Heart of Georgia Technical College receives FMA Foundation Grant
The Heart of Georgia Technical College is one of 20 organizations to receive a Fabricators & Manufacturers Association (FMA) Foundation grant for 2007. The $5,000 grant is to fund a week-long day camp for 14 and 15 year old Wilkinson County High School students.
Heart of Georgia Technical College, the Wilkinson County Board of Education and the Heart of Georgia Tech Prep Consortium partnered to write the grant. The purpose of the FMA Foundation grant is to support programs with positive hands-on experience, so young people will consider manufacturing as a future career option.
The United States is facing a work force shift with the retiring baby boomers. While technology has improved efficiency rates and reduced the amount of unskilled labor needed, there is an ever-increasing demand for highly skilled workers. The Heart of Georgia Technical College day camp, Digital Design Academy, will introduce students to computer aided design software, where they will create an item to be manufactured by a rapid prototype machine, and students will also spend time learning how to weld component pieces into a finished assembly using the latest techniques and equipment. The final day of the camp students will tour a Georgia manufacturing plant that uses both elements of manufacturing that they have learned.
The FMA Foundation has partnered with the Nuts, Bolts, & Thingamajigs Foundation for 2007 to jointly encourage young people. John Ratzenberger is the founder of the Nuts, Bolts, & Thingamajigs Foundation. Ratzenberger is most well known for his role as Cliff Claven on the sitcom, “Cheers”. He has become a champion for manufacturing through his television show called, “John Ratzenberger’s Made in America.” Through his show Ratzenberger honors the men and women in the United States who work with their hands and skillfully make products that are the backbone of the American economy.
Bringing educational opportunities to Wilkinson County is nothing new to Heart of Georgia Technical College and the Heart of Georgia Tech Prep Consortium. The three organizations currently are partners with a Stay in School (SiS) grant. “We are excited to be able to give the Wilkinson County students yet another technical college experience,” said Dr. Randall L. Peters, HGTC president. “Kathy Culpepper and other members of the Wilkinson County Board of Education are supportive of making technical education opportunities available to their students.”
Alissa Jacques, director of the Wilkinson County After School Program, will administer and oversee the grant. Jacques’ knowledge and experience will ensure that the students who participate in the Digital Design Academy are not only exposed to the hands-on careers, but are also excited about their future.
Students enrolled in the Certified Nursing Assistant Program (CNA) at the Heart of Georgia Technical College’s Little Ocmulgee Instructional Center participated in a pinning ceremony on March 20, 2007. The ceremony was hosted by McRae Manor, and the guest speaker was Ms. Lillie Taylor, a certified nursing assistant who is employed at McRae Manor. Pictured is: Sylvia Rozier, nursing program chair, HGTC; Latricia Mackey from Wheeler County; Casey Deen from Telfair County; Lakeisha Brown from Telfair County; Jessica Sims from Jeff Davis County; and Lillie Taylor, speaker.
Students in the Heart of Georgia Technical College Patient Care Assisting class at Bleckley County High School recently began clinicals at Bryant Nursing Center. Pictured are members of the class. Front row (l-r): Janice Jackson, LPN, instructor; Brittany Gallimore, Maria Roland, Amanda Myers, Britney Lopez, Ginger Floyd, Skye Mullis. Back row (l-r): Mala Harvey, Erica Chambers, Tiffany Giddens, Samantha Rycroft, Margret Cochran, Olea Jackson, Lacy Young. Not pictured: India Anderson, Katie Sanders, Kiara Regular.
The New Connections to Work Program at Heart of Georgia Technical College recently held a Single Parent Support Group meeting. The meeting was held at Little Ocmulgee Instructional Center and topics covered included “Stress and the Single Parent” presented by Valaree Dubberly, Telfair County DFCS director.
HGTC students complete A+ Program
The Heart of Georgia Technical College is pleased to announce the following students have successfully completed the A+ Preparation Technical Certificate of Credit program at HGTC and earned A+ Certification from CompTIA .
Tim Vaughn - Laurens County
In addition, 6 students have passed the Hardware Exam and will be sitting for the Second Exam for complete certification at the end of the Spring Quarter:
John Boyd – Laurens County
Billy Brantley – Laurens County
Chase Brown - Laurens County
Willie Handsome – Laurens County
Ross Joiner – Wheeler County
Phyllis Landin – Dodge County
Wesley Landin – Dodge County
Carlos Robinson – Laurens County
The A+ designation was designed by an international consortium of hardware and software manufactures and vendors, including Microsoft, IBM, Hewlett Packard, and Dell as a “vendor neutral” measure of the technician’s ability to configure, troubleshoot, and repair computer systems. In order to receive CompTIA A+ Certification the candidate must pass two certification exams which, according to CompTIA, cover skills as, “installation, configuration, diagnosing, preventive maintenance and basic networking.”
Only Repair centers in which more than 50% of their technicians are A+ certified may designate themselves as a CompTIA A+ Authorized Service Center (ASC).
Heart of Georgia Technical College offers the A+ Preparation Technical Certificate of Credit as a three course program. Students are required to sit for the exams at the end of the second and third courses. Registration is open for the Spring Quarter now. For more information, contact the Admissions office of HGTC at 478.274.7842 or 478.274.7837, admissions@heartofgatech.edu or the A+ Program Chair, Eli Walker at 478-296-7839, ewalker@heartofgatech.edu
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