Clarkesville, GA – Julie Amara of Blairsville, Ga., was named North Georgia Technical College’s 2026 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) winner at today’s Habersham Rotary meeting. Nominated by her instructor, Jack Smith, Amara is a practical nursing student at the Blairsville campus.
GOAL, a statewide program of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), started in 1971 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.
Students representing various programs across North Georgia Technical College’s campuses were nominated as candidates to represent NGTC in the state competition. The top four finalists selected for the 2026 GOAL award included Amber Adams, practical nursing student of Commerce, Ga., nominated by instructor Sharon McFarland; Ryan Anderson, business technology student of Cleveland, Ga., nominated by instructor Angela Banks; Melissa Klopschinski, registered nursing student of Blairsville, Ga., nominated by instructor Mona Williams; and Amara.
The Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction (RPA) was also presented at the Habersham Rotary meeting to photography program director/instructor, Melissa Henderson of Clarkesville, Ga. Henderson has been employed with the college since 2016.
The Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction honors technical education’s most outstanding instructors by recognizing instructors who make significant contributions to technical education through innovation and leadership in their fields. One instructor is chosen each year from the 22 colleges in the Technical College System of Georgia.
Henderson is a proud NGTC alumna graduating in 2012 with a photography diploma and 2017 with an associate degree in photography. She began her career at NGTC as an adjunct instructor in 2016 and became a full-time instructor in 2018. Henderson also holds numerous licenses and certifications in firefighting and building codes and gives of her time in many ways to the community.
“I am honored to recognize these outstanding students and faculty for their hard work and commitment to technical education,” said NGTC President John Wilkinson. “I commend each of them for their dedication and perseverance not only in their chosen fields, but also in competing for these distinguished awards. On behalf of NGTC, congratulations to each of you on this incredible achievement. I look forward to supporting Julie and Melissa as they represent NGTC at the region and state.”
NGTC is grateful to the following organizations for sponsoring the GOAL and Rick Perkins Award for Excellence with monetary awards: NGTC Foundation, Habersham Rotary, Habersham County Chamber of Commerce, Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce, Blairsville-Union County Chamber of Commerce, and Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Habersham.
Both the GOAL and Rick Perkins Award winners will now advance to represent NGTC at the region competition, which will be held March 2, 2026.
