While it took Amanda Payne years to find her career, when she started taking accounting classes at Oconee Fall Line Technical College (OFTC), she immediately knew it was the field for her.

Payne was no stranger to OFTC. She earned her GED in 2003 and found herself taking classes toward several other programs throughout the years. But in 2017, she started taking accounting classes and hasn’t looked back since.

“I have always loved working with numbers and pursuing my accounting degree at OFTC was the best decision I ever made,” she said.

But it was more than the numbers that kept Payne engaged. “In accounting, you learn how to problem solve and strategize from the small ‘mom and pop’ shops all the way up to the big corporations,” she said. “Accounting is the very backbone to every business, and it excites me to know that I am a small part in the big world of accounting.”

Not only did she love what she was learning, but Payne’s experience with the people at OFTC made it worth it time and time again.

“The people who work at OFTC are the best and are willing to help you in any way possible to help you succeed in your goals,” she shared, recalling how her accounting instructor went out of her way to help when she needed it and how her English instructor helped her get a job on campus that was flexible with her class schedule.

“My experience at OFTC was the best,” Payne said. "And if I ever want to go back to school, I would choose OFTC every time.” Read more here.

Each spring, student leaders are elected to their respective state student organizations by their peers as a slate of state officers. During state officer training, they participate in a variety of leadership development activities and interviews with higher education professionals who help appoint them to specific officer positions. This year, a virtual state officer training was held on June 8-11 for newly-elected state officers. They were appointed to the following positions for their respective student organizations for the 2020-21 school year:

President - Tatiana Edwards, Georgia Northwestern Technical College; Vice President - Kesley Paulk, Southeastern Technical College; Secretary - Jessica Williams, Coastal Pines Technical College; Parliamentarian - Deanna Clay, Southeastern Technical College; Reporter/Historian - Shayna Chadwick, Southeastern Technical College.

President - Ashley Stephens, North Georgia Technical College; Vice President for National Projects - Tamika Williams, Columbus Technical College; Vice President for State Projects - Kenyatta Slaughter, South Georgia Technical College; Vice President for Membership - Caitlin Shelnutt, West Georgia Technical College.

President - Ryan Ham, Augusta Technical College; Vice President - Christopher McIntosh, Augusta Technical College; Secretary - Kenneth Dunaway, Lanier Technical College; Reporter - Jessica Heard, West Georgia Technical College.

Albany Technical College was recently named the third-best online community college in Georgia by Optimal’s Guide to Online Schools. In a news release, the company noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted higher education to an unprecedented extent. College campuses are shut down and there are still many questions about whether they will be able to open in the fall. With the future of higher education and the economy more uncertain than ever, many students are rethinking the traditional model of a brick-and-mortar education and considering the benefits and safety of online degrees. Read more here.

Athens Technical College has opened its library to a limited number of students each day. Following CDC protocols, students must first make an appointment and once allowed in, socially distance from the others within the library. After each appointment period, the College’s custodial staff disinfects setting areas, computers, and keyboards.

On June 24, Atlanta Technical College (ATC) hosted a Veterans Town Hall to inform veteran students of the many opportunities available to them at Atlanta Tech. Panelists included ATC President Dr. Victoria Seals, ATC Veterans Affairs Coordinator Bernita Banks, ATC Director of Career Placement Services Michael Burnside, and ATC Director of Student Activities Dessie Hall. The panelists shared their insights about their respective areas, from admissions information to veterans’ benefits and career services. The Warrior Alliance, a group partnered with Atlanta Tech, provided information on veterans’ services throughout Atlanta, as well as community integration such as employment, benefits, and healthcare. 

Augusta Technical College 2020 GOAL Winner, SkillsUSA Georgia Postsecondary State Officer and State Medalist, and soon-to-be graduate of the Design and Media Production Technology program, Rah’Mere Williams had it all going for him. He was wrapping up an amazing year in college, on the hunt for his second Georgia State SkillsUSA medal. 2020 was going to be his year. Then came COVID-19, and everything Rah’Mere had worked toward came to a crashing halt. Read more here.

Central Georgia Technical College’s Adult Education Division recently took part in a food drive with the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank to provide students and community members with goods in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Event organizers set up drive-thru pickup lines for students and community members to receive food donations while adhering to social distancing guidelines. More than 400 people received food boxes at the drive. Read more here.

The 2020 Summer Semester is underway at Chattahoochee Technical College with a strong enrollment of 4,787 students, which is slightly higher than last year’s summer semester enrollment. “Students are still showing faith in what we have to offer at Chattahoochee Tech,” said Missy Cusack, the college’s vice president of Student Affairs. “We were able to offer a wider range of online options this summer, and the college has done a fantastic job of transitioning to our new reality during the coronavirus pandemic.” Approximately 80 percent of Chattahoochee Tech’s summer semester classes are being offered online using Blackboard Learn, a learning management system that creates a virtual classroom. Read more here.

CPTC Board Chair Ted Buford (12 years of service) and CPTC Board Member Gwen Mungen (9 years of service) attended their last board meeting for Coastal Pines Technical College before rolling off the Board of Directors. Lee Lewis, CPTC Vice Chair, was given the gavel to become the new Board Chair for the CPTC Board of Directors effective July 1. Congratulations to Ted and Gwen for their countless years of service to the College and the communities they serve! Pictured: Lee Lewis (current Board Vice Chair), Gwen Mungen (Board Member), Ted Buford (Board Chair), Dr. Glenn Deibert (President).

Dozens of Columbus Technical College students looking to earn their high school equivalency will now have the technological access to be successful. Paid for through a grant, 100 Chromebooks have been signed out and distributed to 100 students currently enrolled in the GED program at Columbus Tech. The Chromebooks are on loan to the students, who otherwise may not have access to laptops or the Internet. With learning environments moving to a primarily online platform, having these basic tools are essential.

The Lactation Consultant program at Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) gives students clinical and classroom experience in the management of lactation, breastfeeding counseling skills, and general health sciences. The program is taught at GNTC's Gordon County Campus. GNTC produced a promotional video for the program. Watch the video here.

Georgia Piedmont Technical College has developed a new partnership with Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) to make the transition from associate degrees in five areas of study at GPTC to bachelor’s degrees at SNHU seamless and easier. Four-year degrees in accounting, health sciences, general studies, health information management and business administration are now within reach with the convenience of online classes at SNHU. Georgia Piedmont graduates, employees, and family members of employees can also take advantage of a 10 percent tuition discount and an application fee waiver when they enroll at SNHU. Read more here.

Gwinnett Technical College graduates are lending a helping hand. When Cassie Hooper graduated from Gwinnett Tech in 2015, little did she know she would be serving on the front lines during a pandemic in New York. Cassie decided to serve in New York during the pandemic to help with the nursing shortage. Read her story.

Commercial truck drivers are in demand across Georgia. Lanier Technical College is proud of its Commercial Truck Driving program. Lanier Tech offers a low tuition rate, hands-on training, very experienced CDL instructors, and a career placement of 100 percent for the past five years.

North Georgia Technical College was recently featured on the TLC television reality series, "7 Little Johnstons", which describes a day in the life of a family of little people. Daughter Anna Johnston (pictured far left) is a student in the Early Childhood Education program at NGTC, and the television show has visited the Clarkesville campus to film three to four episodes chronicling Anna's journey from touring as a prospective student to becoming a full-fledged college student living in a dorm in the Northeast Georgia mountains. It's been exciting for the campus to see the behind-the-scenes activities of the film crew that could be mistaken for a large Secret Security detail for a VIP! 

After three consecutive semesters of enrollment growth, Oconee Fall Line Technical College (OFTC) is receiving state-wide recognition for the highest percentage enrollment increase amongst the state’s 22 technical colleges three semesters in a row. TCSG recently released their Spring 2020 enrollment report, which lists OFTC’s spring semester growth at 25 percent -- 10 percent higher than the second largest increase. “We are thrilled to have experienced another semester of growth,” shared OFTC’s President, Erica Harden. “We attribute the growth to a number of factors, including the dedicated efforts of OFTC’s faculty and staff members to create a culture of caring amongst our campuses.” 

As a token of gratitude to the heroes on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ogeechee Technical College staff delivered care packages of cookies to hospitals in Bulloch, Evans, and Screven counties. Michelle Davis, Vice President for College Advancement, and Christina Harrell, Resource Development Coordinator, delivered over 600 individually-wrapped cookies, with the custom label “You are one tough cookie!”, to East Georgia Regional Medical Center, Optim Medical Center-Screven, and Evans Memorial Hospital last week.  

Savannah Technical College’s (STC) HERO Faculty and Staff Campaign won first/gold in the U.S. for a fundraising campaign with the 2019 Collegiate Advertising Awards. The College first started its Helping Everyone Realize Opportunity (HERO) campaign in 2015. STC’s marketing team developed the brand, built the campaign around personal interaction, and offered incentives for donors. The College also earned two silver awards for its Career Connections logo design and self-promotion of the Career Services Center. Read more here.

There are a lot of questions and uncertainty about what returning to campus and classes will look like at South Georgia Technical College for the remainder of summer semester and for Fall 2020. South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford released an update for students and the community this week. “Things are evolving but we are working on a plan that is flexible, safe, and effective,” said South Georgia Tech President Dr. John Watford. “Our priority is to help students achieve their educational goals while also abiding by state guidelines and maintaining the safety of students, faculty, and staff. We don’t have all the answers yet, but we are moving forward with a plan to allow students to return to classes on-campus by following the state guidelines for social distancing.” Read more here.

Southeastern Technical College (STC) has been ranked #1 among Georgia’s practical nursing colleges by PRACTICALnursing.org. This review is based on the National Council Licensure Examination for Licensed Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) exam’s first-time pass rates over the past several years. STC’s Practical Nursing program is offered in Vidalia and in Swainsboro, designed to prepare students to write the NCLEX-PN for licensure as practical nurses. The program prepares graduates to give competent nursing care through a selected number of general core and occupational courses providing a variety of techniques and materials. 

Fort Valley State University (FVSU) and Southern Crescent Technical College (SCTC) recently signed an articulation agreement that enhances students’ ability to easily transfer earned hours to pursue a bachelor’s degree at FVSU. The agreement will apply to SCTC students with an Associate of Science in General Studies degree. Fort Valley State University President Paul Jones said, “We are thrilled about creating a longstanding collaborative partnership with Southern Crescent Technical College. This partnership not only forges new pathways for SCTC students to become future Wildcats, it also supports our mission to identify and recruit well-prepared transfer students to FVSU.”

At Southern Regional Technical College, many students depend on the support of the tutors in the Student Success Center. When the pandemic closed campuses, students worried about access to resources at the college, including technology, lab spaces, and the help of tutors. The Student Success team immediately began working to provide an online option that would provide students with the same level of tutor support while following CDC-recommended social distancing guidelines. The clips in this video were all filmed in Blackboard Collaborate Ultra, a familiar software that allows tutors and students to work together in real time. Watch the video here.

The first official architectural renderings of West Georgia Technical College’s (WGTC) new Carroll Campus show two large buildings planned for the Buffalo Creek Technology Park on the Carrollton Bypass. “This campus will certainly bring Carroll County what it deserves in terms of space, technology, and resources,” WGTC President Dr. Scott Rule said. “We are prioritizing classrooms, labs, and student spaces to make sure they can be the very best they can be. It is a campus we can all be proud of.” Read more here.

Wiregrass Technical College is welcoming students for face-to-face classes this Fall semester. “Faculty, staff, and students have done an amazing job providing online classes and services for summer semester and will begin face-to-face classes on August 18,” shared Wiregrass President Dr. Tina K. Anderson. The college will follow CDC guidelines to ensure the safety and health of students. Wiregrass Georgia Technical College is currently open during normal business hours through virtual methods and by appointment.

WTOC-Statesboro featured Ogeechee Technical College’s healthcare programs on June 16.