Athena Ammar, an Early Childhood Care and Education student at Augusta Technical College, has been named as the college’s 2018 winner of the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership.

Ammar was chosen by a panel of local leaders from The Optimist Club of Augusta and the Augusta Technical College Foundation Board over three other nominees for the award.  The runners-up were:  Mr. Barrett Madison, Business Management; Ms. Shanice Stephens, Associate Degree Nursing; and Ms. Justice Wehmeier, Early Childhood Care and Education.

The announcement of Ammar as the winner was made by President Terry D. Elam and Mr. Jack Patrick at the college’s Faculty and Staff meeting on Thursday, January 18, 2018.  All GOAL nominees will be recognized at a college luncheon on April 18, 2018, which is sponsored by the Optimist Club of Augusta.

GOAL, a statewide program of the Technical College System of Georgia, honors excellence in academics and leadership among the state’s technical college students. Local GOAL winners are selected at each of the state’s 22 technical colleges, as well as one Board of Regents college with a technical education division.

Ammar will now proceed to regional judging.  All technical college winners will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Atlanta in April.  Nine regional finalists, three finalists from each of the three regions, will be announced in Atlanta on April 25, 2018.  A panel of leaders from the business, industry, and government sectors will interview them and choose one to be the 2018 state GOAL winner and the recipient of the GOAL medallion.  The grand prize also includes a new car.

“I was so humbled, honored and excited to be announced as the GOAL winner of 2018,” stated Ammar.  “My journey so far within the technical education system, and specifically with Augusta Technical College, has been enlightening. I have learned so many new and exciting ideas and concepts, and I have gained such wonderful and invaluable hands-on experience working with children while in the ECCE program. I look forward to each new class because I learn so much every semester from my instructors.”

Ammar is the wife of Maximilian Ammar from Evans, GA.  She chose to attend Augusta Technical College to earn her degree and pursue a career as a teacher in Early Childhood Care and Education.