Four GOAL Finalists Announced

Updated February 29, 2008 - The process to choose a top student for Columbus Technical College for 2008 continues. On February 28, the top four GOAL (Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership) finalists were announced:

Stacie Kimbell / BOT-Legal Office Specialist
Cody Starnes / Associate Degree Nursing
Prisca Walters-Geddes / AD Business-Management Supervision
Tashema Chester / Cosmetology

The finalists will move through an interview process and a screening committee with the eventual naming of a winner who will represent Columbus Technical College as well as the Columbus community.

Left to right: Stacie Kimbell, Tashema Chester, College President Bob Jones, Prisca Walters-Geddes, and Cody Starnes

The state level competition involves another round of interviews as each college winner receives individual consideration from a panel of judges for the state title. The winning GOAL student serves as an ambassador for technical education in Georgia. He or she will make many public appearances throughout the year including addresses to the Georgia General Assembly, the Governor, and the Technical College System of Georgia Leadership Conference to name a few. This is the 37th year for the GOAL competition.

The four finalists were selected from among twenty-five (25) CTC students identified as the “best of the best” by their instructors. The students are chosen based on academic achievement and personal leadership. The twenty-five nominees were (in no particular order):

Jameel Taylor/Radiology Technology
Renee Martinez/Medical Assisting
Kevin Reese/Welding and Joining Technology
Kelvin Aponte/Major Appliance Repair
Dennis Fahnestock/Air Conditioning Technology
Daniel Wetherell/Drafting Technology
Tashema Chester/Cosmetology
Stacie Kimbell/BOT-Legal Office Specialist
Cynthia Culpepper/Practical Nursing
Christopher Rose/Automotive Fundamentals
Claudia Hanies/Practical Nursing
Stefany Johnson/Practical Nursing
Amy Harrell/Practical Nursing
Dawson Mellina/Auto Collision Repair
George Horton/Machine Tool Technology
Prisca Walters-Geddes/AD Business-Management Supervision
Vanessa Adams/AD – Networking Specialist
Rebecca Bishop/Allied Health Assistant
Joseph Osborn/Health Sciences
Robert Andrews/AD – Internet Specialist
Debra Brener/Early Childhood Education
Tonya Garcia/AD – Networking Specialist
Ruth Holmes/Administrative Office Technology
Cody Starnes/Associate Degree Nursing
Wendy Swanson/AD- Radiology Technology

If you have any questions about GOAL, please contact Columbus Technical College’s GOAL Coordinator, Dr. Edith Thompson, at (706) 888-2122 or email: edie@knology.net. You may also visit www.technicalcollegesystemofgeorgia.org.