Teresa Burton-Cleveland First Runner-up in GOAL competition
(Clarkesville)– Teresa Burton, a North Georgia Technical College (NGTC) culinary arts student from Cleveland, Ga., was recently named first runner-up in the 2023 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) competition hosted by the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG).
GOAL, a statewide award program of the Technical College System of Georgia, actually began at NGTC in the early 1970s and continues to honor excellence in academics and leadership among the state’s technical college students. GOAL candidates are nominated by an instructor and must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher and demonstrate strong work ethics and leadership skills. Local GOAL winners are selected at each of the state’s 22 technical colleges.
Burton, NGTC’s GOAL winner for the 2022-23 academic year, was nominated for the award by culinary arts instructors, Alex Bladowski and Chris Bladowski. Teresa was one of 25 students nominated for this award at NGTC. She competed on the local, regional, and state level prior to being named first runner-up during TCSG’s 2023 GOAL and Rick Perkins Award Banquet held in Atlanta.
“I was truly honored to compete for the 2023 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership,” said Burton. “Being named first runner-up in the state is one of my greatest personal achievements. It is amazing to see how far I’ve come because of the support I received at North Georgia Technical College. I have felt an overwhelming sense of pride since I was selected to represent the college.”
“On behalf of North Georgia Technical College, we are exceedingly proud of Teresa for being named first runner-up in the state GOAL competition,” said NGTC President John Wilkinson. “She has an incredible story of hard work and perseverance and is an inspiration to all. Teresa did a tremendous job representing our college and community, and I know she will continue to advocate for technical education in all that she does. We congratulate her on this outstanding achievement. It has been a privilege to witness her success.”
For more information regarding North Georgia Technical College programs or admission, visit northgatech.edu or call 706-754-7700.
