Four Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) students have been selected as the college’s semi-finalists for the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL), according to Trish Wiggins, coordinator for the college’s GOAL program.

Listed are students chosen as semi-finalists for the GOAL award showing (from left to right) the student’s name, county of residence, program of study, GNTC campus and nominating instructor:

Christina Bullock, Gordon, Echocardiography, Floyd County Campus, Dawn Irwin

Tatiana Edwards, Floyd, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Floyd County Campus, Graceful Beam

Raul Soto, Whitfield, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Whitfield Murray Campus, Graceful Beam

Stephanie Tarbous, Floyd, Aviation Maintenance Technology, Floyd County Campus (Aviation Training Center), Jon Byrd

“This year’s GOAL nominees were outstanding. Any of these candidates would make a great representative for the Technical College System of Georgia,” said Wiggins. “Choosing four was a difficult task for the screening committee and these final four students embody all of the characteristics of a GOAL student.

GOAL, a statewide program of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), honors excellence in academics and leadership among the state’s technical college students. GOAL winners are selected at each of the state’s 22 technical colleges.

According to Wiggins, a screening committee of administrators at GNTC selected the four semi-finalists from students nominated by their instructors.

The four semi-finalists will advance to a second round of judging at Rome Floyd Chamber. A panel of business, civic and industry leaders from the community will interview and evaluate the students and select one to be the college’s 2020 GOAL winner.

The student judged most outstanding will be announced at the GOAL and Rick Perkins Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at noon at the Coosa County Club in Rome.

The GOAL and Rick Perkins Awards luncheon is sponsored by The Seven Hills Rotary Club, Rome Floyd Chamber and Georgia Northwestern Technical College.

All college GOAL winners will compete in regional judging, which will include students from the other 22 colleges of TCSG. Three finalists from the region will be named and will compete in the state GOAL competition in Atlanta, April 20-23, and vie to be named as the 2020 statewide GOAL winner. The competition will take place at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead.

The state GOAL winner becomes the student ambassador for the Technical College System of Georgia. They will make many public appearances throughout the year, including addresses to the Georgia General Assembly, the Governor and other TCSG functions.

As the grand prize, a new automobile will be awarded to the state GOAL winner.