Bainbridge College (BC) Technical Studies Division student Diana Williams of Bainbridge emerged the winner from a field of 17 nominees for the honor of representing the college in the annual Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL), which is designed to promote awareness of the value of technical education.

Ms. Williams, a student in the Business Office Technology Program who was nominated by Shelia McClendon, will compete in March at regional GOAL competition in Fitzgerald. That winner will compete for the state title and the opportunity it brings to be the spokesperson for technical education in the state.

Local, regional and state competitions include judging students on their leadership, academic excellence and oral communication skills. BC instructors in the Technical Studies Division on the Bainbridge campus and BC Early County Center selected their top students for the competition.

“It is an honor for a student to be nominated,” said David Maxwell, Tech Studies communications instructor who chaired the competition. “Being nominated means these students have shown that they have the leadership, academic excellence and communication skills necessary to serve as the state’s Tech Studies representative.”

In addition to the winner, these students received certificates at the formal presentation Feb. 23 in the Charles H. Kirbo Regional Center on the Bainbridge campus: Tawania Crapp, of Bainbridge and Tara George of Blakely were selected in the Business Office Technology Program; Irena Justice of Attapulgus, Linda Reynolds and Adrienne Epps, both of Blakely, and Yolanda George of Colquitt, Early Childhood Education; Anna Brown and Melody Martin, both of Bainbridge, Veronica Turner of Blakely, Tammy Coleman of Bluffton, Markesha Freeman and Ruth Ann Hicks, both of Colquitt, and Jesse Smith of Donalsonville, Licensed Practical Nursing; Octavia Johnson of Blakely, Yulonda Harvey of Cairo, and Jean Brogdon of Colquitt, Medical Assisting.

BC President Tom Wilkerson, who presented the certificates to each student, welcomed the standing-room only crowd of family members and friends to the event and commented on the value of the Technical Studies Division.

Barbara Stephens, Tech Studies interim chair, spoke briefly about the GOAL program’s history and introduced Maxwell, who presented the nominees to Wilkerson and announced the winner.