Terri DeLong, a Radiologic Technology student, was named Central Georgia Technical College’s Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership winner at the College’s Awards Day ceremony today. DeLong will now move on to the region and state GOAL competitions.
 
“This is truly an honor,” said DeLong. “I will certainly do my best to represent the CGTC student body as it should be.”
 
The GOAL award is the highest honor a student can receive within the Technical College System of Georgia. Each local college selects a winner to compete with others from around the state for the ultimate title of state GOAL winner. The state winner serves as an ambassador for technical education across Georgia for the period of a year. The winner also receives the grand prize of the GOAL medallion and a brand new automobile.
 
In addition to the GOAL award, CGTC’s 2016 GOAL winner was also presented with a scholarship from DeVry University. Carolyn Doyle, Community College program manager for DeVry made the presentation to DeLong.
 
“DeVry has a longstanding partnership with the Technical College System of Georgia and annually provides all college GOAL winners with a $26,500 scholarship to further their education,” said Doyle. “We are pleased to present this award today to CGTC’s GOAL winner.”
 
DeLong is a student at CGTC’s Macon campus. She was nominated for the award by her instructor, Patti Wynne. Students nominated for the award must meet certain criteria, including a 3.0 GPA and a work ethics grade of at least two. In addition, students must show a commitment to technical education and be willing to share their experience with others.
 
“Terri is a true leader among her classmates,” said Wynne. “Her drive and enthusiasm, coupled with her excellent academic work, is what led me to nominate her for the award. She will certainly represent the College well.”
 
DeLong chose to pursue a technical education in Radiologic Technology after dealing with the concurrent cancer diagnoses of both of her parents and her father-in-law. During her time helping her parents through their illness, she found a new passion and worked to fulfill her desire to join the medical field.
As she already holds a bachelors and master’s degree in the field of Engineering, she was no stranger to education. She knew returning to college would require determination and hard work.
 
“My new career in health services has given me job satisfaction like I’ve never experienced before,” said DeLong. Working as a student extern x-ray technologist lets me help people every day. I look going to work school and work to gain the skills I will use in the workforce after graduation.”
 
After an initial interview round to narrow the field of nominees, DeLong was selected for the award from a group of four finalists by a panel of community judges. The three other finalists for the CGTC GOAL award were Marisol Belton, a Radiologic Technology student from Warner Robins; Jill Chapman, a Cosmetology student from Milledgeville; and  Maci Masterson,  a Cardiovascular Technology student from Macon.
 
GOAL, a statewide program of the Technical College System of Georgia, honors excellence in academics and leadership among the state’s technical college students. Local GOAL winners are selected at each of the state’s 23 technical colleges, as well as Bainbridge College, a Board of Regents college with a technical education division.
 
DeLong will now move on to the Central Region competition, which will be held at CGTC’s Warner Robins campus in March.  Following the region competitions, all college GOAL winners will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Atlanta in April at the Grand Hyatt Buckhead in Atlanta where students will have professional development opportunities and compete for the state title.