GOAL
The Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) program focuses on excellence in technical education. Outstanding students attending Georgia’s technical colleges and divisions are recognized for academic excellence and personal achievement.
The first phase of GOAL takes place at the college level. College instructors identify their most promising students and nominate them for GOAL based on academic achievement and personal leadership. As nominees move through an interview and screening process, the college’s top student is selected to represent their college and community. Then, all college GOAL winners compete at the regional level. Each regional competition will select three students (there are three regions), so nine semi-finalists will compete at the state level in Atlanta. The state level competition involves another round of interviews as the nine semi-finalists receive individual consideration from a panel of judges. From this outstanding group of students, the judges will select one student, the state GOAL winner, to serve as an ambassador for technical education in Georgia.
Ogeechee Technical College’s 2008, 2011, and 2014 GOAL winners won the prestigious title of state GOAL winner. Along with this title the student won many awards including a brand new car. The state GOAL winner is an ambassador for the Technical College System of Georgia promoting the system throughout the state.