Atlanta – The Technical College System of Georgia has named nine finalists for its 2011 Student of the Year award.

The award is part of the system’s annual Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) program, which recognizes the best student at each of the state’s 26 technical colleges and one Board of Regents college with a technical division.

The winner will be announced during a dinner at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Atlanta on May 26.

“There were more than 191,000 students who enrolled in the Technical College System of Georgia last year, so it’s quite a remarkable accomplishment to be named a finalist for the Student of the Year award,” said TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson. “These students excel in the classroom and are great role models in their communities, and each worked very hard to earn their place as one of our finalists.”

The nine finalists are:

Beth Crowley, Athens Technical College

Rachel Young, Atlanta Technical College

Trecia Sutton, Columbus Technical College

Sharon Shelton, Gwinnett Technical College

Lydia Mann, Moultrie Technical College

Alvie Coes III, Ogeechee Technical College

Jonathan Baker, Savannah Technical College

Michelle Reed, Southern Crescent Technical College

Dale Bowers, West Georgia Technical College

Judging for the award starts at each college and continues on to the regional level. At the state level, the nine finalists are interviewed by a panel of judges representing business, industry and higher education in Georgia. At each step, the students are rated on their academic accomplishments, leadership qualities, involvement in their local communities, and future aspirations.

The competition for the award is intense, for not only is the winner named Georgia’s technical college student of the year and ambassador for technical education, the state winner also gets the keys to a brand-new Chevrolet Cruze, presented by Chevrolet and the local Chevrolet dealers, long-time sponsors of the GOAL program.

About the TCSG: The Technical College System of Georgia oversees 26 technical colleges throughout the state. Affordable access to quality technical education programs that lead to in-demand jobs is a big reason why enrollment at the TCSG colleges is up by almost one-third over last two years.

TCSG colleges offer small classes, hands-on experience and focused instructor attention in more than 600 programs, including healthcare, manufacturing technologies, aerospace, agribusiness, life sciences, and energy and the environment.

In addition, the TCSG oversees the state’s adult education and GED programs. The system also manages Quick Start, an economic development incentive for attracting new investment to the state and promoting job creation.

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SAVANNAH – Christian Manuel, 20, of Riceboro is the first student to earn his GED at the Savannah Technical College Adult Education Center in Riceboro. Christian left school in the ninth grade but was determined to do more with his life. “I was always getting into trouble in school,” he says.”With this, I just put my mind to it and completed the classwork in less than three months.” The youngest of six children, Christian and his family moved to Riceboro from Louisiana eight years ago. He says he looks forward to a military career.

He plans to participate in the Savannah Technical College graduation ceremony on May 24. “The best thing about earning my GED is proving to myself that I can succeed,” he says. And his teacher agrees. Marilyn Creech-Harris taught his math classes and admired the way he applied himself to his studies. “Mr. Manuel was an excellent student, always focused on his work,” she notes.

In FY 2010, Savannah Tech graduated more than 1000 students achieving the GED; enrolled more than 2300 students in Adult Education and English as a Second Language programs and provided more than 150,000 hours of instruction to GED and ESL students.

The Savannah Technical College Adult Education program began offering classes at the Riceboro Youth Center last September. Classes are taught Monday – Thursday from 9 am – noon and from 6-9 pm. For information, call 912.884.4984.

May 23 12:30 PM at the Effingham Campus

SAVANNAH – Sixteen students in the cosmetology program will be holding a fashion and hair show on Monday, May 23 at 12:30 PM in the outdoor courtyard at the Effingham Campus of Savannah Technical College. The event is free and open to the public.

Most of the students will be graduating this quarter and are preparing for their licensure tests. “This gives our students a chance to show off their creativity,” says Kimberly Cutter-Williams, department head and lead instructor of Cosmetology. There will be live models and manikins used in the show. “With the models, students will be able to show their ability to perform total imaging, including apparel, make-up and hair,” she says. Students will show avant-garde styles, trend color and weaving techniques using Paul Mitchell and Design Essentials products.

There are currently 40 students enrolled in the cosmetology program at the Effingham Campus, about 40 Liberty students and an additional 57 enrolled at the Savannah Campus.

Instructors from Savannah and Effingham campuses will support the fashion and hair show including Cutter-Williams, Vickie Horton, Denean Reynolds, Aretha Ward, Mini Washington and Timothy Wheeless.

SAVANNAH – Donald Lovette of Hinesville, a member of the Savannah Technical College Local Board of Directors who recently earned Board Member Certification from the Technical College System of Georgia, was presented with his certificate at the Board’s May meeting held May 17 in Savannah. College President Kathy Love presented Lovette the certificate at the close of the meeting.

The certification, awarded by the Technical College Directors Association, requires that the member complete 10 activities on behalf of the local technical college including various outreach activities, campus events and Board participation. Lovette also chairs the Liberty Campus Advisory Committee and serves as a County Commissioner. He is shown here with College President Kathy Love.

 

 

SAVANNAH – Melvin J. Everson of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development will deliver the Commencement Address at Savannah Technical College’s spring graduation, May 24 at 6 PM in the Johnny Mercer Theatre, Savannah Civic Center.

In this capacity, Director Everson manages the effort to improve job training and the marketability of Georgia’s workforce to enhance future economic growth in our state.Everson manages the only initiative of its kind to be conducted through a partnership between state government and state chambers of commerce, independent businesses, and the education community ensuring that companies can more reliably match the right people with the right jobs. Georgia Work Ready is based on a skills assessment and certification for job seekers and a job profiling system for businesses. By identifying both the needs of business and the available skills of Georgia’s workforce, the state can more effectively generate the right talent for the right jobs. http://www.savannahtech.edu/cwo/Economic_Development/Georgia_Work_Ready

Everson, a former State Representative, pastor and community volunteer had a distinguished military career, serving in the US Army for 23 years in both active duty and reserve duty. Originally from Abbeville, Ga., he is a graduate of Albany State University. He is a chartered member and past president of the Snellville Optimist Club, is the current President of the Lilburn Cooperative Ministry and a previous member of the Gwinnett School Board Human Relations board. He is the recipient of many community awards including the 2011 Public Service Award from the Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce, the 2011 Frederick Douglass Award from the Morehouse Republican Club, the 2011 History Makers Among us Award from Salem Missionary Baptist Church and the Gwinnett United Ebony Society Pace Setter Award, among others. He and his wife Gerri have one adult son.

Savannah Technical College expects between 250 and 300 students to participate in graduation from among the 1,000 who applied for spring graduation.

Class named in honor of former Pooler Police Chief Butch Chan

SAVANNAH – Fifteen will graduate from the Savannah Technical College Peace Officer Academy at its spring completion ceremony May 16 at 10 AM in the Eckburg Auditorium on the Savannah Campus, 5717 White Bluff Road. Of the fifteen, six are currently affiliated with law enforcement agencies including Savannah Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, Richmond Hill Police Department and Savannah Technical College Police Department.

Each cohort selects a fallen officer for whom the graduating class will be named. This cohort selected Police Chief Clarence E. Butch Chan, who died unexpectedly on August 30, 2010. Chan’s wife Laura and her son will be in attendance to accept challenge coins in honor of Chief Chan.

Pooler Police Chief Mark Revenew will deliver the keynote address.

This is the seventh group of students to complete the program since its inception in 2009. To date, the program has graduated 90 POST-certified officers.

Helps students answer the question ‘What about HOPE and me?’

Atlanta – The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) unveiled a new website today that’s loaded with information about the recent changes to Georgia’s HOPE Grant and Scholarship program.

The website is a great resource for current Georgia technical college students as well as prospective college students, both young and old, to get the latest facts about earning and keeping their HOPE program benefits. A link to the website is also available on the Savannah Technical College home page. www.savannahtech.edu

After lawmakers made the necessary modifications to the HOPE program earlier this year, many students are asking What about HOPE and me? To better answer that question, the new TCSG website has examples of six students with different academic backgrounds and places in their pursuit of a college education. Two are students already in college, two more are graduating high school, another is trying to decide on where to go to college, and the last is a non-traditional student who’s looking to college to help change careers.

Visitors to the website can also access frequently asked questions about the HOPE changes and find additional information about other ways to get financial assistance for college, like the federal Pell Grant. There are links to each of the 26 TCSG college websites and an online form to submit questions about HOPE directly to any of the technical college financial aid offices.

Downloadable videos about the HOPE program requirements will be added to the website in the coming weeks.

“The TCSG created this website to assist Georgians as they find their way through the HOPE program, which even with the recent changes is still one of the very best college financial aid programs in the country,” said TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson. “For someone who’s enrolled at a TCSG college or is interested in attending one, getting and keeping HOPE means great cost savings on top of what’s already one of the most affordable college education values in the entire southeast. It’s important that people understand exactly what’s needed qualify for the HOPE program, what it now pays for, and how to use it to complete their college education. ”

“At Savannah Technical College, we are offering information sessions for all students to help them understand how the upcoming HOPE changes will affect them,” says College President Dr. Kathy Love. “We want to minimize the impact for students. We hope that promoting awareness of these changes and encouraging students to plan ahead will be helpful come fall semester.”

Beginning in the fall, the average tuition for a full semester course load in a standard program at a TCSG college will be about $1,125. Under the recent changes, the HOPE Grant or Scholarship will pay $60.75 per TCSG semester credit hour (which is determined by a percentage the cost of tuition from the previous year), meaning that the average student using HOPE at a TCSG college in the fall will have to pay about $214 in out of pocket tuition cost. Also, students will be responsible for approximately $240 in books and fees that was paid for by HOPE last year, but is no longer covered.

The website also details an important new requirement that students maintain a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) at certain checkpoints in order to keep the HOPE Grant. Previously, TCSG students receiving the grant had to maintain satisfactory academic progress, which was considered to be at least a 2.0 GPA.

Early on, there was some concern that all students would immediately need the higher GPA upon implementation of the new rule if they were to continue their HOPE Grant eligibility. However, the new rule only applies to those HOPE Grant recipients who cross the 30 or 60 semester hour checkpoint during the fall semester 2011 or later.

This means that newer students have additional time to improve their GPA, if necessary. Also, students who crossed a checkpoint with satisfactory academic progress before the upcoming fall semester will keep the HOPE Grant until they either graduate or reach the next GPA requirement at the 60-hour checkpoint.

Last year, three-quarters of the 191,000 students who enrolled at the 26 TCSG colleges relied on the HOPE program to help pay for their college education. That includes almost 138,000 students who qualified for the HOPE Grant to enroll in technical certificate and diploma programs, which usually take less than two years to complete, and another 7,400 TCSG students who used the HOPE Scholarship for two-year associate degree programs.

The Technical College System of Georgia offers more than 600 certificate, diploma and degree programs. Enrollment in the TCSG colleges has grown by almost 33 percent in just two years, with tens of thousands of new students taking advantage of the low tuition, great instructors and easy access to in-demand programs like healthcare, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, aerospace and more. And almost 76,000 TCSG students studied online last year through the system’s Georgia Virtual Technical College.

For more information about the TCSG, go to www.TCSG.edu

SAVANNAH – Savannah Technical College Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) members competed in Atlanta last month against their peers at the PBL State Leadership Conference with one student, Earnest Cutter, an automotive technology major from Savannah, moving on to represent the state of Georgia at the national competition to be held in Orlando in June. He placed second in Telecommunications.

Other competitors and their field of competition included:

Christiana Moore, Client Services (4^th place)

Terrance Moore, Job Interviewing (5^th place)

Reynard Scott, Database Applications and Word Processing (5^th place)

Phi Beta Lambda is the collegiate division of the largest student business organization in the world, preparing students for successful careers. Lou Frazier-Brown and Stephanie Brown Rhett are the group’s advisors.