SRTC Recognizes Top Students and Instructors for 2026

Moultrie, GA (12/03/2025) — On November 12, 2025, Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC) honored its finalists and respective institutional recipients of four superlative prizes for 2026 at the Southwest Georgia Bank Conference Center in Moultrie, GA. The college named two student winners: Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) student Anne Marie Hawkins, a Nursing student from Thomasville, and Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education (EAGLE) delegate Trinity Griffin of Thomasville. As well, the College highlighted the accomplishments of two instructors: Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Education recipient Dr. Saul Ramos, an Anatomy and Physiology instructor from Moultrie, and Adult Education Teacher of the Year Emory Smith, an Adult Education instructor from Bainbridge. The four awards represent excellence in their respective areas of technical and adult education.

"The annual awards luncheon is an opportunity for us to celebrate our college's 'Best of the Best.' We are so proud of these students and faculty for their academic and teaching endeavors as well as their contributions to the college and community. They truly represent what makes our college remarkable," said Jim Glass, SRTC President.

The annual GOAL competition begins during the fall semester when technical college instructors across Georgia identify their most promising students and nominate them for the GOAL competition based on academic achievement and personal leadership. SRTC instructors nominated 16 outstanding students who met with a faculty and staff selection committee. That committee selected four nominees who then interviewed with a panel of local business and industry leaders. That panel selected SRTC's GOAL student from the four nominees.

The Dinah Culbreath Wayne EAGLE Program celebrates adult learners in pursuit of excellence. This singular statewide program recognizes and honors students who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in statewide adult education classes. Selection criteria include student character, attitude, attendance, leadership, and community involvement and activities. Adult Education instructors in public, private, and grantee agencies nominate students at the local program level to participate in the EAGLE recognition program at the state level.

The Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction honors the Technical College System of Georgia's (TCSG) most outstanding instructors. The award has been an ongoing statewide event since 1991 and is designed to recognize technical college instructors who make significant contributions to technical education through innovation and leadership in their respective fields. Formerly known as the Commissioner's Award of Excellence, the award was renamed in honor and memory of Thomas "Rick" Perkins, an instructor at West Central Technical College, who received the Commissioner's Award of Excellence prior to his untimely passing.

The Adult Education Teacher of the Year award recognizes excellence in the Adult Education program at SRTC, which offers Adult Literacy, Career Training, English Language, and GED test preparation classes in Math, Science, Social Studies and English Language Arts. Adult Education services are free and available at various locations in Colquitt, Decatur, Early, Grady, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, Thomas, Tift, Turner, and Worth counties.

Southern Regional Technical College offers over 150 degree, diploma, and certificate programs that are designed to get students quickly into their desired careers, and 38 general education courses that transfer to the University System of Georgia institutions and 19 private colleges and universities in Georgia. SRTC has instructional sites located in eleven counties across Southwest Georgia for the convenience of its students. The College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). SACSCOC is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. For the most up-to-date information on registration, class dates, and program offerings, interested individuals can log on to www.southernregional.edu or call (888) 205-3449.

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