West Georgia Technical College has named Ashley Phillips, an accounting and business management student from LaGrange, as its 2019 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership winner and Pharmacy Technology Program Chair Michelle Hill as its 2019 Rick Perkins Award winner.

Winners were named November 29 at a banquet honoring finalists for both awards.

GOAL is a statewide program of the Technical College System of Georgia, which honors excellence in academics and leadership among the state’s technical college students.

The Rick Perkins Award is designed to recognize and honor technical college instructors who make significant contributions to technical education through innovation and leadership in their fields.

Both Phillips and Hill will compete against winners from other Georgia technical colleges in a regional competition in February before participating in the state competition, held in Atlanta in April.

“I am so proud of Ashley and Michelle for their selection as West Georgia Technical College’s representatives in the GOAL and Rick Perkins Award competitions,” West Georgia Technical College President Dr. Scott Rule said. “They represent the very best of West Georgia Tech. All our finalists deserve recognition. We have great educators and students at West Georgia Tech who work hard each day to advance workforce development in our region. On behalf of our students, staff and stakeholders, I offer best wishes for our two winners’ success in the next phase of the competitions.”

Phillips was nominated by LaGrange Campus accounting instructor Dr. Ginger Dennis. “Ashley is an exemplary student with a great attitude,” Dennis said. “Ashley chose WGTC because she feels the technical college system provides a valuable skills-based learning approach. She has a great attitude, works extremely hard, and appreciates the opportunity that WGTC and TCSG has provided her.”

The other three finalists for the WGTC GOAL award were phlebotomy student Roberto Gonzalez, associate accounting student Sayvon Jarrett, and radiologic technology student Kaytlyn Roberts.

Hill was nominated for the Rick Perkins Award by Naquilla Thomas, Dean of the WGTC School of Health Sciences, and Associate Dean Nikki Gilbert. Hill teaches pharmacy technology on the Douglas Campus and also serves as program chair.

 “It’s such a pleasure to have Michelle Hill as faculty,” Thomas said. “Her commitment to student success is evident in her innovative ideas and simply by her daily interactions.”

Hill was selected out of a field which included four other WGTC instructors – medical assisting instructor Robyn Knott, early childhood care and education instructor Wendy Grey, mathematics instructor Kisha Maynard, and electrical systems instructor John Ward.

First launched in 1971, GOAL focuses on student excellence in technical education by focusing on academic excellence and personal achievement. A panel of judges selects one student as the state GOAL winner, which is announced at the state competition in April. The state’s GOAL winner will serve as an ambassador of technical education in Georgia.

The Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction honors technical education’s most outstanding instructors. Formerly known as the Commissioner’s Award of Excellence, the Rick Perkins Award was renamed in memory and honor of Thomas “Rick” Perkins, an instructor of the former West Central Technical College, who received the Commissioner’s Award of Excellence prior to his untimely death.