Pendley is BC’s GOAL student | Community Spirit

BAINBRIDGE, GA – News release from Bainbridge College

The president of Bainbridge College’s business honor society who recruited almost 100 new students into the society was named BC’s 2012 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership student.

Katherine E. Pendley of Bainbridge was named the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) student on Wednesday, Feb. 1. Pendley is enrolled in the Medical Administrative Technology Associate of Applied Science program at BC, and she is the president of the Alpha Beta Gamma Eta Business Honor Society.

Tatyana G. Pashnyak, an associate professor of business and medical administrative technology, wrote in her nomination letter that Pendley worked tirelessly to coordinate numerous events and recruit almost 100 new students into Alpha Beta Gamma Eta, which was quite a remarkable accomplishment Pashnyak said.

“In a classroom, she is a joy to teach, always striving to exceed the expectations as well as motivate her classmates to do the same,” Pashnyak wrote in her nomination letter. “Katherine’s engaging and caring personality and superb leadership skills have earned her the respect and admiration of Bainbridge College faculty, staff and students.”

Others nominated for the GOAL were the following: Catherine Robinson of Donalsonville was nominated by Assistant Professor of Business Kathleen Ketterer; Barbara McClendon of Blakely and Amber Gardner of Jakin were both nominated by Instructor of Business Office Technology Renee Spence;  Mary Cumbee of Donalsonville was nominated by Instructor of Medical Assisting Sharonda Murphy; Robert Johnson of Cairo  was nominated by Electrical Instructor Owen Elkins, and Cheryl  Murphy of Bainbridge was nominated by Director and Assistant professor of Early Childhood  Care and Education  Valley Rogers.

A statewide program of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), GOAL honors excellence in academics and leadership among the state’s technical college students.

GOAL winners are selected at Georgia’s 25 technical colleges and Bainbridge College, which is in the only University System of Georgia college that has a technical education division.

The GOAL program was established in 1971, making it the first such program in the nation to reward students who excel in learning a gainful skill.

"The purpose of the GOAL program is to spotlight the outstanding achievement by students in Georgia's technical colleges and to emphasize the importance of technical education in today’s global workforce," said Sheila McLendon, the coordinator of the college’s GOAL program.

After each college selects their college winner, competition among the students moves to the regional level.

Selection committees made up of business and industry representing each college, select three winners from each of the TCSG's three regions. Then, these nine finalists will move on to compete at the state level in Atlanta.

The state level competition involves more interviews as the nine finalists receive 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.