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Successful students
Jenkins, Moss and Bynum use skills to better their lives
In 1992, Donna Jenkins, mother of now
eight-year old Lindsey and six-year old
Drew, enrolled in the drafting program at
MGT.
While still a student, she used the skills
she obtained in mechanical drawing class
at MGT to rebuild the carburetor of a clas
sic ‘62 Chevy II Nova which she has
named “Ruby.”
She is presently working at Mercer Uni
versity as a CADD (computer-aided draft-
VICA members
are a vital force
on MGT campus
The 1993-94 officers elected to
MGT’s VICA (Vocational Industrial
Clubs of America) are: President, Nor
man Calkins (drafting); Vice President,
Jennifer Baker . _ .
(drafting); Secre- ~—lL,
tary, Bobby Emery SEES'
(nursing); Treasur- :r —"
er, Suzi Grady
(electronics); Re
porter, Tim Boze
man (electronics); Proud to t>e partners
and Parliamentary in fhe education and
«, , ■ training of America's
an, Alan Johnson w orid-ctass workforce.
(drafting). In addi
tion, Eric Etheridge (electronics) was ap
pointed as chairman of VICA’s Ways and
Means committee.
VICA activities have been numer
ous. In November, VICA officers at
tended a leadership conference in Sa
vannah. Fundraisers have included a
donut sale and the sale of “Tom Watt”
kit gifts before Christmas.
Civic-minded VICA members also
sponsored an “Angel Tree.”
Staff member Dr. Gerri Sorrell coor
dinated with VICA to identify the
names of children of needy MGT stu
dents. A tree in the MGT lobby was
decorated with paper angels that gave
the sex, age, and gift wish of each
child. Anonymity was maintained. Stu
dents and staff of MGT were moved by
the Christmas spirit to make the wishes
of 136 needy children come true.
This spring, club members will par
ticipate in the VICA Skill Olympics at
the sub-state, state, and national levels,
according to faculty sponsor Bill Harper.
The Wcahonal Industrial Clubs of America
is a student organization with the goal of prepar
ing America’s workforce for tomorrow. ‘To be
a part of VICA while attending MGT, please
see any one of the student officers. They will
gladly share details about the many benefits you
might enjoy as a member,” says Harper.
ing design) operator in the Engineering
Research Center. Hats off to you, Donna!
•••
Jeffrey Moss enrolled in MGT’s Electron
ics program in 1992 because he was unem
ployed and realized that a good education is
needed in today’s market place.
Working hard to excel, Jeff graduated
with a 3.9 grade point average. In July 1993,
he was hired by Unifirst Corporation in Ma
con, where his work ethics and savvy for cor
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Fifth quarter nursing students Edna Gibbs and Susan Harris take a break during
their busy final quarter at MGT. This mother/daughter duo say that this year has been
wonderful for them personally as well as educationally. They now appreciate and un
derstand each other as peers, adults, and family members. With very similar (high!)
GPA’s they eagerly await graduation in March.
New Connections
workshops help many
students through changes
NEW CONNECTIONS is a free work
shop offered by Middle Georgia Technical
Institute. Classes meet for a two-week peri
od from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Monday
through Friday. Registration for the NEW
CONNECTIONS Workshops is ongoing.
Open to people of all ages, many NEW
CONNECTIONS attendees find themselves
at a crisis point or in need of a transition in
their lives. NEW CONNECTIONS is there
to assist them in making changes. Counsel
ing and support are provided on both an in
dividual and a group basis.
Topics covered in the NEW CONNEC
TIONS workshop are: self-esteem and
goal setting, assertiveness training, stress
management, information on all programs
available at Middle Georgia Tech, finan
cial aid, career assessment, admission test
ing, and job search and interview skills.
recting complex problems soon resulted in
promotion to Maintenance Supervisor. Con
gratulations, Jeff!
•••
As a recent graduate of Warner Robins
High School, Velinda Bynum started MGT’s
accounting program during the Spring of
1992.
When Grace Lewis, Manager of Warner
Robins City Credit Union, called MGT’s Job
Placement Office looking for an office work
Open to people of all ages,
many NEW CONNECTIONS at
tendees find themselves at a
crisis point or in need of a tran
sition in their lives. NEW CON
NECTIONS is there to assist
them in making changes.
Some participants become motivated to
complete their GEDs after attending the
workshop. Of the 443 people who partici
pated in NEW CONNECTIONS last year,
287 entered occupational programs at
MGT.
For more information, please contact
Kathy Rissmann at 929-6800 or 1-800-
474-1031.
MGT Winter-Spring Quarter 1994
er, Velinda eagerly volunteered. The volun
teer work evolved into an internship with the
Credit Union.
She is now working for Channel 24 as an
Assistant to Jane Abney, Business Manager,
as a result of her volunteer work and good ref
erences. Attagirl, Velinda!
•••
If you have a student success story for
TECH TALK, we’d like to hear from you at
929-6800.
Carrie Porter
wins Georgia
EAGLE award
Carrie L. Porter, a student of Middle Georgia
Technical Institute’s Adult Literacy Program,
was named the EAGLE (Exceptional Adult
Georgians in Literacy Education) Award winner
in the Basic 111 level of statewide com
petition on Thursday, Carrie
January 20, 1994. Porter
Statewide^^^^^^^^^^
Adult Litera-
V /
and \ /
pic
sented by Hf m
ment of lr EAGLE
and Adult * Winner
Office of Adult Literacy,
was the culmination of several levels of
competition.
Of the seven contestants from Consor
tium IV, three were students of MGT’s lit
eracy program. Pyrong Ricks, Sonya M.
Sparks, and Carrie Porter had each won the
consortium level of competition in their re
spective categories. But'only one, Porter,
was to take home the EAGLE.
Porter, who recently moved from Warner
Robins to Byron, has long been employed at
a day care center in Warner Robins. She
teaches Sunday school at the Church of God
by Faith in Byron and says she loves it.
One of thirteen children, Porter never fin
ished high school, but she did not let that
stop her from learning as much as she could.
“I settled for trying to teach myself,” she
says. “I would read whatever I could get my
hands on. I was determined to better myself.
Learning became very important to me.”
In addition to her recent award, Porter re
ceived a SSOO savings bond from the state.
Her sponsoring instructor Cheryl Osden re
ceived SIOO. Porter’s self-confidence has
never been greater.
“I realize that I can do whatever I set my
mind to do if I want it bad enough,” she
says. “That’s how I feel about education.”
Congratulations to Porter, Osden, and
MGT’s Adult Literacy Director Brenda
Brown!
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