Atlanta, GA - South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) Caterpillar Think Big Heavy Equipment Dealer’s Service Technology students Bailey Battle of Summerville, GA, and Emma Foley of Kimberly, AL, took Gold medals in the Occupational Health and Safety category at the 2026 SkillsUSA National Competition in Atlanta recently. Jacob Bellamy of Blountville, TN, another SGTC Caterpillar Think Big Heavy Equipment Dealer’s Service Technology student, captured a Silver Medal in the Diesel competition.
Bailey Battle of Summerville is a Yancey Bros, Inc. Caterpillar student. Emma Foley is with Thompson Tractor, and Jacob Bellamy is a Stowers Caterpillar student. Don Rountree, SGTC Caterpillar Heavy Equipment Dealer’s Service Technology instructor, helped each of them prepare for their competitions.
A total of five SGTC students attended the SkillsUSA National competition in Atlanta after securing Gold Medals in the 2026 Georgia SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta earlier this year. Katie Price of Abbeville, AL, a John Deere Ag Technology student, was supposed to compete with Battle and Foley in the Occupational Health and Safety category but could not attend due to illness.
South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford was on hand at the medal ceremony to congratulate Battle, Foley, and Bellamy on their medal winning accomplishments. “I am so proud of the accomplishments of our students,” said South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford. “This is a national championship for our academic programs. These students and their instructors demonstrated their skills and program knowledge and were rated as the best or among the best in their fields in the nation. I am thrilled for each of them and also very proud of all of our students who competed against the best students from across the United States in their chosen fields.
“SkillsUSA is where the best of the best competes. Everyone competing is already a winner but now Bailey Battle and Emma Foley have captured the national Gold medal for Occupational Health and Safety and Jacob Belamy took the Silver medal in the Diesel Competition. We are extremely proud of each of them and their instructors,” added Dr. Watford.
The SGTC students who won Gold Medals or first place in the state-wide competition that were eligible to compete at the National SkillsUSA contest in Atlanta, June 1 – 5, 2025 included: Daniel Eckler of Americus in Criminal Justice; Jacob Bellamy of Blountville, TN, in Diesel; Ashley Esquivel of Cordele for Nail Care; and the team of Bailey Battle of Summerville, and Emma Foley of Kimberly, AL, for the Occupational Health and Safety category. The advisors for these students and events included instructors: Teresa McCook, Criminal Justice; Don Rountree from Heavy Equipment Dealer’s Service Technology; and Jessakeetha Maddox, Nail Technology.
Bailey and Foley became the third National Skills USA winners in their respective fields in the past three years. Andrew Daniel was the National Gold Medal winner in Aviation Maintenance in 2024. Daniel was the second Aviation Maintenance National Gold Medal winner. Bailey Mills won the first Gold medal for the SGTC Aviation Maintenance Technology program in 2018.
Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs and SGTC SkillsUSA Advisor Brenda Gilliam worked with the students and their instructors to prepare students for the SkillsUSA State and National competition and attended the National competition with the students and instructors.
The SkillsUSA organization serves more than 440,000 career and technical education students and instructors annually and has served 15 million members since 1965. The organization has chapters in middle schools, high schools, and college/postsecondary institutions nationally.
South Georgia Technical College provides students with the “Complete College Experience” and offers students over 200 associate degree, diploma, and technical certificate of credit educational opportunities. SGTC continues to prepare students for high-demand careers through hands-on training, industry partnerships, and leadership development opportunities. For more information about programs or to apply at SGTC visit, www.southgatech.edu.
Jacob Bellamy, a SGTC Caterpillar Heavy Equipment Dealer’s Service Technology student, is shown above with his Silver Medal and certificate for finishing second in the nation in the SkillsUSA Diesel competition.
SGTC President Dr. John Watford is shown above with the SGTC students who competed in the SkillsUSA National Competition. Shown with Dr. Watford are: Ashley Esquivel of Cordele for Nail Care; Daniel Eckler of Americus in Criminal Justice; Emma Foley of Kimberly, AL, and Bailey Battle of Summerville, for Health and Safety Occupations; Aniyah Lyles, Nail Care Model; and Jacob Bellamy of Blountville, TN, in Diesel.