Whitney Roady Named OFTC’s 2025 GOAL Winner

OFTC – Whitney Roady, a Respiratory Care student from Laurens County was announced as Oconee Fall Line Technical College’s (OFTC) 2025 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) winner during the College’s 2024 Awards Luncheon, Wednesday, December 11.  

GOAL is a statewide program within the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) that honors excellence in academics and leadership among the state’s technical college students.  

Eight OFTC students were nominated by instructors for this year’s competition and chosen as finalists; they competed in a series of interviews and evaluations by a selection committee made up of representatives from local businesses and industries, and judged on qualities like academic achievement, personal character, leadership ability and enthusiasm for technical education. 

Roady was nominated by OFTC English Instructor, Michael Faulknor. 

This year’s selection committee consisted of representatives from the Dublin and Sandersville Rotary Clubs. The judges were Katharyn Wilcox, Ron May, Jayson Johnson, Nick Sweat, Sam Williams, and Eugina Powell. 

The other competing finalists were Aaliyah Bright, Radiologic Technology (Johnson); Jaclyn Davis, Welding & Joining Technology (Washington); Natalie Durden, Radiologic Technology (Washington); Richard Ehret, Diesel Equipment Technology (Jefferson); Ashley Jesup, Associate of Science in Nursing (Johnson); Kiyara Lanier, Business Management (Laurens); and Daniella Mendoza, Diagnostic Medical Sonography (Laurens).  

All eight were honored during the awards luncheon where Roady was announced the winner. Other college awards were also announced, including the 2024 Alumni of the Year Award, the college’s 2025 Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction Instructor of the Year, the 2025 Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education winner, and the 2025 Adult Education Teacher of the Year.  

As the college’s 2025 GOAL winner, Roady will compete in regional judging against winners from other TCSG colleges in February and will represent OFTC at the state-level in Atlanta in April when one student will be named the statewide 2025 Goal winner by the TCSG.  

For more info on OFTC’s 130+ programs or the GOAL program, visit the College’s website, OFTC.edu. 

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