Barbara Chestnut Named SGTC 2025 GOAL Winner
Barbara Chestnut, a Criminal Justice student from Mauk, has been selected as South Georgia Technical College’s (SGTC) Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) winner for 2025. Chestnut will represent SGTC in the regional and state-level competitions, competing for the prestigious title of Georgia’s Student of the Year and the opportunity to serve as the statewide ambassador for technical education.
SGTC President Dr. John Watford announced Chestnut’s selection during a luncheon held on the Americus campus. The event honored the 2025 GOAL finalists, including Chestnut, Dakedra Rasberry of Vienna (Practical Nursing) and Tera Parker of Montezuma (Culinary Arts).
For Chestnut, being named the college’s GOAL winner was an emotional and deeply meaningful honor. A great-grandmother with a history of diverse careers—including EMT, commercial truck driver, and instructor—Chestnut overcame tremendous challenges to achieve her academic goals. After suffering a traumatic brain injury that affected her ability to retain new information, Chestnut was encouraged by her daughter to return to school and pursue her dream of studying Criminal Justice.
“My biggest fear was walking through the doors and enrolling,” Chestnut shared. “But the instructors, the staff—everybody—I could not have done it without them, because learning was still a struggle. But I made it. Without the effort of a lot of people, I wouldn’t be here.”
Chestnut’s instructor, Teresa McCook, nominated her for the award, citing her determination and leadership as a non-traditional student. “Not only did she become a great student,” McCook said, “she became involved. She joined the Student Government Association, participated in SkillsUSA, and joined the National Technical Honor Society.”
The selection process began with seven nominees, which were narrowed to three finalists by an internal screening committee composed of SGTC employees Peiare Adderly, Michelle McGowan, Sandhya Muljibhai, Tylen Pepito, and Jennifer Robinson.
An external committee consisting of community leaders then interviewed the finalists to determine who would represent South Georgia Technical College at the regional and state levels. The selection committee members for 2025 were Heidi Goodin (RESA STEM Specialist), Qaijuan Willis (City of Americus Main Street and DDA Director), Tonya Barrett (RESA Educational Technology Coordinator) and Amber Batchelor (CEO & Managing Partner at Batchelor & Bradley Insights Group).
During the luncheon, SGTC Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Josh Curtin presented certificates of recognition to each nominee, and trophies were awarded to the finalists and their nominating instructors. Chestnut received an additional trophy and gifts in celebration of her achievement.
Chestnut will now advance to regional judging later this month. In April, nine regional finalists—three from each of the state’s three regions—will be announced during the Technical College System of Georgia’s state-level competition in Atlanta. A panel of leaders from business, industry, and government will then select the 2025 State GOAL Winner, who will serve as Georgia’s Student of the Year, earning the title of statewide spokesperson for technical education. The winner will also receive the GOAL medallion and a new car from Kia Motors.