MOULTRIE — Moultrie Technical College announced its 37 student nominees and four finalists for the 2008 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) on Feb. 28, according to Lisa Newton, MTC’s GOAL coordinator.

Moultrie Tech’s finalists are radiologic technology student Cindy Clark, electrical construction and maintenance student Simmie Hall, and practical nursing student Barbara Hayes of the college’s Moultrie campus and industrial systems technology student Jamie Dillard of the Tifton campus.

All 37 of Georgia’s technical colleges statewide, including those with technical divisions in the university system, present these awards. Local winners serve as ambassadors to their communities on behalf of their colleges. Moultrie Tech’s winner will represent the college in its four-county service area of Colquitt, Tift, Turner and Worth.

The objective of the GOAL program, Newton said, is to recognize and reward excellence among the nearly 160,000 students studying full-time at Georgia’s technical colleges. GOAL was the first statewide program in the nation to honor outstanding technical education students.

Members of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce Workforce Development committee will select Moultrie Tech’s winner through a series of interviews and speeches given by the four finalists Thursday, March 6.

“The screening and selection process is fairly involved and time consuming,” added Newton. “But our job is to find the very best candidate to represent Moultrie Tech. When the evaluations are complete, we hope to have found the school’s most outstanding student.”

The announcement will be made at a luncheon scheduled for March 17 in the MTC Conference Center on the Moultrie Veterans Parkway campus. The Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce will present the winner with a cash award of $200 and each runner-up with a $100 prize.

Additional nominees from Moultrie Tech are accounting students Stephanie Pickett (Turner Co.), Charles Reed (Tifton) and Haley Roberts (Moultrie); automotive technology students Jonathan Harvin (Moultrie) and Michael Hill (Moultrie); business office technology students Amanda Dean (Tifton), Toni Jones (Tifton), Lakesha Lundy (Tifton), Brandalyn McKinney (Turner Co.), Tosheiha McLendon (Moultrie), Heather Mueller (Moultrie), Amy Stewart (Moultrie) and Martha Stewart (Moultrie); cosmetology students Jessica Corona (Moultrie), Shanina High (Turner Co.) and Angelica Wooten (Turner Co.); criminal justice student Marea Henry (Moultrie); drafting technology student Stephanie Wilson (Tifton); early childhood care and education student Jasmine Kelley (Moultrie); electronics technology student Cliff Stewart (Moultrie); industrial electrical technology student Ben Roberts (Turner Co.); marketing management students Janice Horton (Moultrie) and Jeffery Ingle (Moultrie); medical assisting students Paula Blount, Wanda Gregory, Tina Harris, Yunat Henderson, Karen Olmstead and Rachel Lollar, all of Moultrie; practical nursing students Stacey Abell (Tifton) and Stephanie Nichols (Moultrie); and surgical technology students Theresa Bryant (Tifton) and Melissa Driskell (Tifton).

A statewide winner will be selected in May and will travel the state for a full year on behalf of Georgia’s Technical College System.