SGTC President speaks to Americus Kiwanis Club

South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford was the guest speaker at the Americus Kiwanis Club meeting recently and he shared with area Kiwanis members how South Georgia Tech is “making it happen” by reinforcing the Kiwanis motto of “Serving the children of the World” and the Kiwanis Georgia District theme of “Back to Basics.”       “South Georgia Technical College has a great legacy,” explained Dr. Watford who added, “but we are not about brick and mortar, we are about people. The impact that we have on the individuals who attend South Georgia Tech impacts that student as well as their families and our communities. We focus on what is good for students and the employers in our state and our area, because our mission is workforce development. We are known for making it happen!”       That workforce development theme dovetails with the Kiwanis efforts of “back to basics” and “serving children.”         “South Georgia Technical College has served over 500 high school students through our ‘Move on When Ready’ program so far this year. Of that 500 students, 347 earned a technical certificate of credit for a specialized skill. These students are learning what it means to be work ready in a specific career area or are earning college credits toward an associate’s degree. And it is at no cost to the students. Move on When Ready is a great opportunity for high school students and their families,” said Dr. Watford.         President Watford also mentioned that SGTC is one of the only colleges in the state that provides access to textbooks at no cost to students. “Thanks to the support that we have received from grants and our foundation partners, we have been able to provide our students with books to use each semester and that has been a tremendous help to our students.”       Dr. Watford also shared that South Georgia Tech students are excelling nationally through academics, athletics, and student activities such as clubs and organizations. “South Georgia Tech Marketing Management student Ashley Rodgers was selected as the 2016 State GOAL (Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership) winner out of 144,000 Technical College students from across Georgia. She received a new 2016 Kia Optima as her prize and will now travel the state speaking about technical education.”       He also shared that enrollment at South Georgia Tech is up for summer semester and for the FY16 year. “We have a proud past and a very promising future at South Georgia Tech,” said Watford. “We plan to begin several new programs this fall with the support of our corporate partners such as Caterpillar. We have a $3.4 million diesel building renovation currently underway, so the future is bright for South Georgia Tech and the students and the communities that serve. We are making great things happen!”