|
WGTC president gets fond farewell
By Joel Martin,
Senior writer - LaGrange Daily News
Posted: August 29, 2008
 Nearly 200 people
showed up at a reception
Thursday to honor Daryl
Gilley, who retires this
month after six years as
president of West Georgia
Technical College in LaGrange.
An interim president was
to be announced today.“
LaGrange is a remarkable
community,” an emotional
Gilley told the audience.
“
It’s the most wonderful
place I’ve ever lived
and worked, and it’s the
people who make it special.
It’s been a phenomenal
journey for me.”
Gilley and wife Louise
will return to the home he
built 25 years ago in northwest
Georgia’s Walker
County. Their most immediate
concern is daughter
Erin’s wedding in October
and after that, “we hope to
do some traveling,” Gilley
said, and he may do some
consulting work with the
technical college system.
Susan Belcher, his
administrative assistant for
all six years, said Gilley had“ a quiet and humble
demeanor, yet he was very
strong. He was the epitome
of a gentleman at all times.
... It’s really astounding all
he was able to do in those
six years.”
Gilley, who spent 38
years as an educator, considers
the new 81-acre West
Campus on Orchard Hill
Road, along with the 2007
accreditation by the Southern
Association of Colleges
and Schools, as his most
significant chievements.
Board of directors Chairman
Jerry Fulks added a
few more to the list:
• The creation of a video
production services department
in 2003;
• A partnership with
Columbus Technical College
in 2007 to offer an
associate degree in registered
nursing on the campus
of West Georgia Tech,
the first such program in
Georgia;
• Agreements with five
senior colleges and universities
to guarantee transfer
of credits,
• And establishing West
Georgia Tech as the preeminent
accredited program
in fire science, serving
fire department training
needs throughout Georgia
and the Southeast.“
His absence will leave a
void,” Fulks said. “... He
connected with the community
in a unique way.” Joel Martin can be
reached at jmartin@
lagrangenews.com or at
(706) 884-7311, Ext. 235.
Photo by Matt Jones, LaGrange
Daily News - Pictured: Daryl
Gilley, standing, greets Milton Edelson, left, and William
W. Price, president
of
the West
Georgia Technical
College Foundation during a reception Thursday marking Gilley’s
retirement.
Return to Top
WGTC dedicates West Campus - President
lauds local
fundraising
By Joel Martin,
Senior writer - LaGrange Daily News
Posted: August 15, 2008
 West Georgia Technical
College on Thursday dedicated
its new West Campus
at the former Hughes Georgia
and Raytheon Systems
property on Orchard Hill
Road in LaGrange.
It was financed through a
local campaign led by Ginger
Booton that raised $1.2
million in six weeks to match
$6 million from the state government.“
That doesn’t happen in
many communities, but it
happened here,” said college
President Daryl Gilley, who
retires at the end of this
month after six years at the
helm.
A “donor wall” to honor
benefactors was unveiled
Thursday in the main lobby.
Gilley considers the 81-
acre West Campus, along
with accreditation by the
Southern Association of Colleges
and Schools, as his
most significant achievements.
He said then-state Rep.
Jeff Brown of LaGrange“
almost single-handedly” got
state funding for the new
campus into the fiscal 2006
budget.
“
I’ve long felt that one of
the best investments for us
to make as taxpayers is for
our technical colleges,” Brown said at Thursday’s
dedication. “This campus
will change the lives of the
thousands of students who
are here today and who will
be here in the future.”
 The school started moving
into the 240,000-square-foot
building in January, and the
relocation will be complete
by Monday.
The old campus on
Whitesville Road still has the
Callaway Center for International
Business Development,
the Center for Integrated
Manufacturing, and
the welding and commercial
truck driving programs.
Gov. Sonny Perdue, who
also spoke at the dedication,
first had been hesitant to
back the project, but then
saw what he called “the passion
and vision” of the local
community.
At the time, nobody knew
that Kia Motors would
announce plans to build a $1
billion auto assembly plant
in West Point. Today, Kia and
some of its suppliers have
temporary offices on the new
campus.
Diverse Power President
and CEO Wayne Livingston,
who serves on the board of
West Georgia Tech, came up
with the idea to acquire the
Raytheon building four years
ago after a conversation with
Diverse Power board member
Harrell Landreth.“
It always looked like a
college campus,” said Landreth,
who used to work at
Hughes Georgia and Raytheon.
LaGrange Development
Authority Chairman
Diethard Lindner, who was
president of Hughes Georgia/
Raytheon, said, “It’s the
best use of this building that
we could have as a community.”
Major benefactors
in the local fundraising campaign
were:
• ($25,000 or more) The
Callaway Foundation, city of
LaGrange, Troup County,
Clark-Holder Clinic, La-
Grange Development
Authority, Diverse Power,
InterfaceFLOR, Milliken& Co. and the Student eadership
Council.
• ($15,000 to $24,999)
Commercial Bank and Trust,
Community Bank and Trust,
and SunTrust Bank; and
• ($10,000 to $14,999)
Georgia Power Foundation,
Daryl Gilley, LaGrange Daily
News, Mountville Mills,
Pamela Harris Parmer and
RBC Centura Bank. Joel Martin can be reached
at jmartin@lagrangenews.
com or (706) 884-7311, Ext.
235.
Photos by Matt Jones, LaGrange
Daily News - top:West Georgia Technical College business
instructor Bob
Kotz looks
at the
donor wall
that
was unveiled
Thursday
morning
in the main lobby of the school’s new West Campus; bottom:
Gov. Sonny Perdue., right, gets a tour of the West Campus
from West Georgia Technical College President Daryl
Gilley.
Return to Top
GED Students Learn About Iraq by First Hand Experiences
Posted: August 11, 2008
 While many experiences are outside the realm of those shared by
GED students, at least one instructor is working to widen the students’ scope.
In July GED students at West Georgia Technical College were able
to learn directly from a group of soldiers what serving in the
military and serving in Baghdad, Iraq are really like.
A packed classroom listened intently as PFC Jackie Johnson Boudreaux
(Squadron Leader-Legal Division), SPC Dustin Boudreaux (Chaplain’s
Assistant/Gate Guard), and PVT Ben Johnson (Graphic Designer-currently
stationed in North Carolina) spoke candidly with the students about
their experiences dealing with the citizens of Iraq and with the
worn-torn city where they are stationed (the Boudreauxes are on
a three week leave). Although the country is very poor with limited
medical facilities, very little food, and an inadequate water supply,
the soldiers talked about the graciousness of the Iraqi citizens.
The “local nationals,” as they are called, were always
polite to the soldiers and some earned extra money by working for
military personnel.
The discussion made apparent the differences of opinion held by
both soldiers and civilians about the need for the U.S. forces
in Iraq and what is being accomplished in the country through U.S.
military interaction. According to the instructor, Jewell Albright,
understanding differences like those are critical to education.
Students need learn to both comprehend and analyze unfamiliar situations
and cultures when preparing for some parts of the GED exam.
When asked the question, “What have you learned since being
in the military?” SPC Boudreaux replied, “To appreciate
what you have. These people don’t have the resources we have
in the states. They are very poor here.” Many students were
surprised at the vast differences between life in Baghdad and their
own. Students were also impressed with the feeling of pride the
soldiers reflected when they spoke of their involvement with the
Iraqi people and the difference they feel they are making in other
parts of the world.
Mrs. Albright’s students may spend their class time with
books and computers, but they are gaining a great deal of insight
through the experiences of others. Instructors frequently invite
quests into the classroom to share relevant information and personal
experiences that will broaden the horizon of those striving to
improve their own way of life.
Return to Top
Perdue to attend WGTC
West Campus ceremonies
Posted: August 7, 2008 - LaGrange Daily News
Gov. Sonny Perdue will
join a host of public officials
from state and local government,
representatives from
the Technical College System
of Georgia and community
leaders as West Georgia
Technical College holds an
open house and ribbon-cutting
ceremony at its West
Campus at 10 a.m. Aug. 14. The new West Campus in
the LaGrange Industrial
Park was once known as the
Raytheon building and has
undergone extensive renovation
to create a modern
educational facility. Renovations
and new construction
was made possible by the
support of the state, and
financial contributions from
local government, area businesses,
national companies,
faculty, staff and residents.
Guided tours offered after
the ribbon cutting will highlight
academic facilities
unique to the college, including
a TV/recording studio
and a fitness center.
Return to Top
Lifelong
learning -
Nursing home pioneers GED program
By Brittney Williford,
Staff writer - LaGrange Daily News
Posted: August 1, 2008
Ten students filed into a
classroom for their first day
back to school. With new
pens, pencils and paper on
the tables in front of them,
they spent their first day
studying geometry, reading
and origami.
But these students aren’t
returning from their summer
break. Many haven’t been in
school for more than half a
century.
 The class is made up of
residents of Twin Fountains
Home, a West Georgia
Health System facility on
Hogansville Road. The “lifelong
learners” are returning
to school to earn their GED
certificates.
“
I just have a 10th-grade
education, but I want to learn
more,” Ora Long, 69, said. “
More or less now, you have
to have a high school education
to shovel out the barn.”
Laughter and supportive
nods are the reaction from
the crowd lining the walls
and spilling outside of the
home’s small kitchen turned
classroom.
Several are from West
Georgia Technical College’s
adult education program that
is heading up the effort.
Also among the group is
Dr. Ed Smith, Troup County
superintendent of schools.
He said the class is the first
of its kind in the state.
“
We always talk about lifelong
learning, and they are
doing it,” he said. “They are
setting a bigger example
than they realize, and I
applaud them.”
Jewel Albright, along with
Susie Prestridge, will be
teaching the two-hour class
each Tuesday and Thursday
afternoon. She told the students
never to let problems
interfere with the learning in
their lives.
Diagnosed in 2002 with
Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a form
of cancer, Albright, 70,
knows all about problems.“
I told the doctors, ‘If you
think I’m going to go home
and die, you’re crazy. I’m
going as long as I can go,’“ she said.
And go she did – she
fought off the cancer, and
encouraged the students to
have the same confidence. “
You don’t want to sit in a
nursing home every day feeling
like you’re dying,” Albright told the students. “
When you begin to learn,
you’ll feel younger.”
She encouraged them
to read regularly. The college
plans to start a library for
residents of the home, complete
with books on all reading
levels.
Surrounded by posters
declaring, “Studying for our
GED” and “School days are
here again,” the students are
eager to get started. With
ability levels ranging from
second grade to 11th, some
are more confident than others.
“
I don’t think it will be very
hard,” Long said. “I was
always good with numbers.”
Another resident,
Sara Jones, 82, who dropped out
of school in the seventh
grade said she is better at
reading.
“
I was never good at arithmetic–
back then it was
arithmetic, not math,” she
said. “Whoever’s going to
teach it is going to have a
time.”
Albright didn’t hesitate to
begin quizzing her pupils
about 90-degree angles and
fractions.
“
If we’ve not been in
school for a long time, we
haven’t heard the word ‘
denominator’ in a long
time,” she said.
But raising their hands and
answering questions, the
class caught on fast.
David Lipscomb, 81, a student
in the front row, established himself as class clown
with his remarks about the “
mighty beautiful ladies” in
the room.
And Albright encourages
the laughter. “ I believe people need to
have fun learning,” she said.
The program took shape
after Twin Fountains social
worker Angeline Brooks met
Prestridge and the two discussed
the idea of such a
class. Brooks also went back to
school, earning a degree
from LaGrange College after
25 years out of school, with
the help of some tutoring
from her classmates.
She told the students Tuesday
she believes it is never
too late to learn, a phrase
that could serve as the theme
for the classes.
As Albright told the class, “
Always plan on going some
more.”
Pictured:Instructor Jewel Albright, left, West Georgia
Tech adult education executive director Mary
Edmonson, Twin Fountains Home social worker Angeline Brooks and
Twin Fountains Home
residents David Lipscomb and Ora Long talk about the importance
of learning. Brittney Williford can be
reached at (706)-884-7311,
Ext. 230.
Return to Top
New Artwork
displayed in the
West Campus Student Center
Posted: July 2008
West Georgia Tech turned to Signe and Genna Grushovenko
of Artists in Residence in LaGrange for some commissioned artwork.
The five 4’ x 6’ pieces, using a “watercolor
wash” technique, depict different programs of study offered
at WGTC.
The works are on display in the Student Center on the new West
Campus.
Signe and Genna have their artwork displayed in galleries both
domestically and internationally.
Return to Top
 WGTC's Associate of the Year: Dorothy Cantor
Posted: July 2008
Dorothy Cantor, WGTC's Financial Aid Director, was
recently voted WGTC’s 2008 Associate of the Year by her peers.
The winner of this award demonstrates great customer service and
is helpful beyond the call of duty to the public and to her peers.
She received a $100.00 check and a personal parking space of her
choosing for a full year.
Pictured is Mrs. Cantor receiving her award plaque from WGTC President,
Dr. Daryl Gilley.
Return to Top
Graduate Success: WGTC Graduate, Joni Scholtes
opens computer business in Hogansville, GA
Posted: July 2008 
Shown cutting the ribbon on her new business, A+
Custom Computers, Repair and Support, is Joni Scholtes, a CIS graduate
from West Georgia Tech.
Joni is both CompTIA A+ and Network Certified.
Formerly a Sr. System Technician with a large corporation in
Newnan, Joni decided to open her own business in Hogansville.
Her
grand
opening was held on July 7th and was attended by a large crowd
of local business owners and city council members.
If your
computer is in need of repairs, upgrading, or you simply have
computer questions or concerns, Joni invites you to her business
located
on Main Street
in downtown Hogansville.
Return to Top
Rick Perkins Award Winner
Posted: July 2008
 The Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in technical
instruction honors technical instructors across Georgia each year.
This is an award that has been in existence since 1991 and recognizes
those instructors who make noteworthy contributions to technical
education and who exhibit leadership in their fields. The event
culminates in the selection of an Instructor of the Year in technical
education for Georgia.
West Georgia Technical College’s nominee is Ray Benefield,
Director of the CDL program. “Ray produces graduates who
consistently meet our college’s and the state’s high
standards for commercial truck drivers. He takes satisfaction from
developing his students into men and women who have a sense of
self-worth, traditional work ethics, and exhibit the highest levels
of integrity and professionalism,” said Dr. Darryl Gilley,
President.
During his tenure at West Georgia Technical College, Ray has been
actively involved in campus activities as well as community events.
He has developed course enrichment materials for his students,
provided opportunities for experiences in computerized learning,
and spearheaded an effort to have two instructors certified to
deliver the State licensing exam at WGTC as a convenience for his
students.
 Ray is involved in volunteer community efforts in every county
in our service delivery area and constantly recruits new job opportunities
for his students locally and nationally. He is a past Rick Perkins
award winner, received the college’s Presidential Leadership
Award in 2001, and routinely graduates over 200 students yearly
with a placement rate over 98%. Ray was instrumental in developing
an exclusive training partnership between WGTC and Southeastern
Freight Lines.
Ray brings a varied and eclectic background to his position. He
is an Army veteran, has managed a financial organization with branches
in five states, and has an extensive background in transportation
and logistics.
Ray takes pride in everything he does. He represents our college
with enthusiasm and dedication. WGTC is proud to have Ray Benefield
as our 2008 Rick Perkins winner and delegate to the West Georgia
consortia in August. After this competition, a representative will
be selected to move to the state level in September.
Return to Top
NTHS Induction Ceremony Held
Posted: July 2008
West Georgia Technical College inducted 22 students
into the National Technical Honor Society on Tuesday, June 3rd.
NTHS has a long history of recognizing outstanding career and technical
students. The society was founded in 1984 and continues today to
carry out its mission to lift up and publicly acknowledge students
committed to excellence, values, courage, and achievement. Students inducted into NTHS are recognized as honest and responsible
student-citizens who have made a personal commitment to excellence
through academic, leadership and service achievements and contributions.
 NTHS Officers: Nicole Freeman, (Program Participant), Annie Poole,
(Program Participant), Jennifer Hillyer, (Vice President), Vinyetta
Crawford, (President), and Cheronna Reynolds (Secretary).
Inductees pictured left to right front row:Cheronna Reynolds,Teresa
Cannon,Jennifer Hillyer,Keleigh Holle,Golda Brown,Lisa Noojin,
and Dilpreet Sahni.
2nd row left to right:Cassidy Waldrop,Courtney Aaron,Nicole Freeman,Alvin
McCormick, Nevelyn Pittman, Jodi Carper, Vinyetta Crawford, and
Charles Smith.
Inductees not pictured: James Fleming, Sherie Joiner, Merritt
Kearns, Matthew Pferrer, William Shaw, Michael Sparks, and Donna
Treadwell.
Return to Top
Heard County Celebrates GED Graduates
Posted: June 25, 2008
 Heard County GED site held a graduation reception for its recent
GED graduates. The Franklin site has seen much success since
January 2008, graduating 13 GED students.
The reception was
attended by Mary Israel, GED instructor; Mary Edmondson,
Adult Education
Executive Director; Kathy Knowles, Executive Director Heard
County Community Partnership; June Jackson, Heard County
Commission Chair; several graduates; and other community leaders.
Return to Top
Debra Lyons is GED Commencement Speaker
Posted: June 25, 2008  Debra
Lyons, Workforce Investment Board Director for the governor’s
office, was the commencement speaker for the June 13th GED graduation.
The Adult Education department graduated 123 students, with 46
attending the ceremony at the Callaway Conference Center on Fort
Drive.
Work Ready pins were awarded to the GED graduates who had successfully
completed the Work Keys assessment and had been awarded a Work
Ready Certificate.
Return to Top
Road Trip final episode filmed
Posted: June 20, 2008 - LaGrange Daily News
 The final episode of Georgia Public Broadcasting’s ‘Road
Trip’ series was filmed Thursday
in LaGrange.
From left, Kelly Coggins, Jeffrey McNair, Julian
Gluck and Laura
Lopez prepare for a scene with instruction from sound engineer
Don Dunn, director
Charles Josey and camera operator/producer David Arnold. The filming
was done by
West Georgia Technical College’s video production department,
which was selected
in 2006 to produce the TV series.
The 12th and final 28-minute
episode of the series,
which supports the Stay-in-School Initiative and is geared toward
middle and high
school students, was filmed at Western Heghts Baptist Church. Local
students appear
in the series, helping to drive home the ‘Stay in School’ message.
The program follows
several high school students and two counselors as they explore
career opportunities
available in Georgia’s two-year technical college system.
The series features all
34 technical colleges and three Board of Regents’ colleges
in Georgia. The series
will be distributed on DVD to all Georgia high schools and middle
schools and select
Georgia colleges for educational use.
Return to Top
Department of Technical and Adult Education
officially changes name to the Technical
College System of Georgia
Posted: June 18, 2008
 It used to be said that Georgia’s system
of 33 technical colleges, the exciting programs they offer, and
the great career opportunities that they create was one of the
state’s “best-kept secrets.”
But not any more.
With a stroke of his pen, Governor Sonny Perdue has signed into
law legislation that changes the state technical college system’s
official name from the old Department of Technical and Adult Education
to the new Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG).
Though he officially signed the TCSG legislation on May 13, the
Governor made a special trip on Thursday night to the system’s
technical college student of the year award at the Westin Peachtree
Plaza Hotel in Atlanta for a ceremonial signing of the bill. He
made his comments before an enthusiastic crowd of system officials,
college administrators, students and guests.
"Georgia's technical colleges play a vital role not only
in educating our citizens, but also in recruiting new industries
through our top-ranked Quick Start training program," said
Perdue. "Through significant investments in our communities
across the state, Georgia has developed a technical college system
that is the envy of the nation."
TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson told the audience that the renaming
of the system could not have come at a better time. “There’s
an exciting transformation going on right now where more and
more students are seeing technical college as their first choice
for the kind of education that leads to great jobs and fantastic
careers,” said Jackson.
Jackson noted that business and industry must stay competitive
in today’s global economy, and they’re looking to the
technical colleges for the skilled employees they need.
“Demand is growing for the kind of graduates that technical
colleges produce in critically important fields like healthcare,
aerospace and life sciences, and the same is true for jobs ranging
from culinary arts to electronics,” said Jackson. “We’re
redefining technical education for the 21st Century, and Technical
College System of Georgia speaks of the strengths and tremendous
opportunities available within our family of colleges.”
West Georgia Technical College is very involved in this redefinition
process, according to Dr. Daryl Gilley, President of the College. “Staff
at WGTC have recently been involved in a collaborative effort
with local leaders, Georgia Tech and Southern Polytechnic State
University to re-envision the nature of its industrial training
programs to better meet the needs of the rapidly changing industrial
landscape in West Georgia. The result of this collaborative effort
is the Center for Integrated Manufacturing, a fully functional
scaled-down manufacturing plant that immerses students in a real-world
manufacturing environment using industry standard equipment and
21st century manufacturing processes. As an added resource the
Center hopes to include a technical problem solving arm staffed
by partners from the areas regional universities”, said
Gilley.
Last year, more than 145,000 students enrolled in Georgia’s
33 technical colleges, including West Georgia Technical College.
Those students took advantage of the colleges’ affordable
tuition, small classes, hands-on experience and highly focused
instruction in more than 600 certificate, diploma and degree programs.
Many TCSG students have jobs waiting for them even before they
graduate. In fact, of the 27,000 TCSG graduates in 2007, almost
98% are today either employed or continuing their education.
The TCSG oversees two additional programs that are important to
the Georgia’s future prosperity: the internationally acclaimed
Quick Start program and the state’s adult education and GED
programs.
Last year, Quick Start provided customized training free-of-charge
to almost 46,000 employees of new, expanding and existing businesses
in Georgia. Quick Start has enabled Georgia to
rank number one in work force training programs in Expansion Management
magazine’s annual survey of business and industry site
selection professionals.
The TCSG’s Office of Adult Education provides education
services for thousands of Georgians and has enabled 132,000 men
and women to earn their GEDs since 2000. It also sponsors the state’s
English as a Second Language program.
Return to Top
WGTC Instructor, Jim Biagi to refurbish 100 year
old Reaper
Posted: June 3, 2008
 The 100+ year old McCormick Reaper was donated by
Ann Hutchinson Beason of Lagrange and was used on the
property where she now lives.
Although the machine once featured wooden “paddle” blades
and a wide canvas carrying belt, they have long ago deteriorated.
However nearly
every piece of the metal superstructure remains and is very presentable - if
not actually operable.
Plans are to clean up the main structure, fabricate some support
display stands and perhaps apply a coat of protective primer paint.
The ultimate goal would be to devise a very low-geared drive mechanism that
would ever-so -slowly turn the main shaft and its attendant subsystems.
The Troup County Archives is trying to best decide exactly where
to place the reaper - or at least some of its parts - where they
will best be
placed in historical context within their upcoming display layout.
Pictured (l-r): David Curry, WGTC student and Jim Biagi, WGTC
Instructor
Return to Top
RBC Bank Makes Donation
to WGTC
Posted: May 27, 2008
RBC Bank in LaGrange recently made a donation to
the Capital Campaign of West Georgia Technical College Foundation,
Inc.
Pictured
(l-r): Chris Bell, Business Banker for RBC Bank and Sam Morgart,
Regional Manager for RBC Bank
present a check to Dr. Daryl
Gilley, WGTC President.
Return to Top
WGTC’s Articulation
Agreements Expand Education Opportunities
Posted: May 9, 2008
In January of 2007, WGTC received full accreditation with the
Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges
and Schools (SACS). WGTC was already accredited by the Council
on Occupation Education, a national accrediting agency; however,
the regional accreditation with SACS has opened the door for expanded
educational opportunities for area residents. A number of new articulation
agreements provide opportunities for students to pursue advanced
educational awards after completing a two-year degree at West Georgia
Technical College.
An agreement with Grand Canyon University, one of the finest online
colleges in the county, offers graduates of the Fire Science program
an opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree in a totally
online format. Other programs will soon be added to the list of
articulated programs with Grand Canyon.
Western Kentucky University and WGTC have articulated a four year
degree in information technology. Students complete the two year
Networking Specialist program at WGTC and complete their bachelor’s
degree through WKU. This program also is available online with
no out-of-state fees and is fully accredited.
The most recent articulation agreement was signed with Brewton
Parker College. This agreement allows a student to complete virtually
any degree at West Georgia Technical College and then transfer
to Brewton Parker to complete a Bachelor of Business Administration
with a Technical Management major.
Two other articulation agreements will soon be completed with Southern
Polytechnic State University and Troy University. SPSU is working
with WGTC to offer a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Manufacturing
Technology. A draft of the agreement is nearing completion and
will allow a student to complete two years at WGTC and finish the
last two-years at SPSU. A significant portion of the final two
years at SPSU will be completed online or with some course work
offered by SPSU on the WGTC campus. An agreement with Troy University
will allow a student to complete a program in Sports and Fitness
Management and other areas are also under consideration. In both
cases, students who complete the bachelor’s degree are eligible
for admission to master’s degree program at their respective
institutions.
An articulation agreement with Mercer University provides additional
educational options for graduates of both the Criminal Justice
and the Early Childhood Care and Education programs at WGTC. Graduates
of both of these programs may apply credits earned in their degree
programs towards pursuit of a bachelors degree at Mercer University.
Finally,
West Georgia Technical College and LaGrange College are exploring
the opportunity for an articulation agreement that would
allow students to pursue degrees in the Human Development and
Business Administration programs at LaGrange College. This agreement
would
allow local residents to complete a quality degree program without
having to leave LaGrange. It’s your life – make it count. Call West Georgia Technical
College today at 706-845-4323 to explore these and other available
educational opportunities.
Return to Top
WGTC Offers Summer Mini-mesters
Posted: May 9, 2008
WGTC is offering a summer package of “mini-mesters” for
high school graduates that want to get an early start on their
college careers. Mini-mesters are accelerated class formats that
allow a student to complete courses in a shorter timeframe than
is normally required. The class covers the same competencies and
requirements only in a reduced time period.
This summer, WGTC will offer U.S. History I and
U.S. History II in a mini-mester format and ENG 191 Composition
and
Rhetoric
and PSY 191 Introduction to Psychology in a mini-mester format.
Students taking both “mini-mesters” would earn 20 credit
hours of college level general education which could be applied
toward graduation requirements at area colleges and universities.
At only $36 per credit hour, this is a substantial savings over
taking these same classes elsewhere.
Additional mini-mester options will be offered each quarter. Some
of these will be in online formats as well. Online mini-mester
offerings will allow students the convenience of taking college
level classes from any computer with internet access. As with their
more traditional classroom counterparts, the same competencies
and requirements are covered only in a reduced time period.
Please see the “Summer Mini-mester” section of this
publication for class times and formats.
Whether you attend in-person or online, summer mini-mesters allow
you to get a jump start on a college education at a reduced cost.
Demand for these class offerings is expected to be heavy. To assure
your spot in one of the mini-mester formats, call 706-845-4323
to speak to a career planner at WGTC today. One call is the first
step to a new future.
Return to Top
WGTC Expands General Education Curriculum
Posted: May 9, 2008 West Georgia Technical College is pleased to announce that it is
expanding the list of current college level general education
course offerings. While the college has long offered courses
in math, English, biology, psychology, sociology, and the sciences,
a entirely new set of college level general education courses
are available for students seeking to complete that part of the
college curriculum closer to home.
Last year, the college expanded course work in the humanities
by adding courses such as ART 191 Art Appreciation and MUS 191
Music
Appreciation. Beginning summer quarter, WGTC will begin offering
two history courses – HIS 2111 U.S. History I and HIS
2112 U.S. History II. U.S. History I will cover US history
from colonization through 1877. U.S. History II review US history
from the Reconstruction period through the modern age.
Additional college level general education courses will soon be
available at WGTC including courses in world history, political
science, literature, and art and cinema. The expanded general education
course offerings allows a student to take a number of college level
courses before they leave for a 4-year college.
“
These new offerings provide an opportunity for students to complete
college level course work at a fraction of the traditional cost, “ stated
Dr. Darryl Harrison, vice president for academic affairs. “With
the expanding list of general education courses available and the
number of articulation agreements the college has already forged
with area 4-year colleges, area residents now have additional opportunities
to complete their college education.”
Some of the new courses are offered in a “mini-mester” format
which allows a rhigh school graduate to complete up to 20 hours
of college level coursework in the time between high school graduation
and the start of the fall semester at most state 4-year colleges.
Call West Georgia
Technical College today at 706-845-4323 to get a jump start on
your college career!
Return to Top
“BRAG”ing
Rights: Instructor, Eddie Rhodes to ride his bike across Georgia
Posted: May 9, 2008  The official logo and slogan for Bicycle Ride Across Georgia is
exactly what Eddie Rhodes, Health Sciences/Sports and Fitness
instructor at WGTC has on his mind. BRAG stands for “Bike
Ride Across Georgia” with the letters used in the logo
to form the structure of a bicycle. This particular bike ride
does indeed stretch across the state of Georgia covering a total
of 433 miles from Oxford to St. Simons Island. Riders participating
in the event pedal between 60 and 70 miles a day.
Rhodes, 53, has been training for this ride since last July when
he got the inspiration to participate. His training has included
a couple of 104 mile rides as well as several 50, 60 and 70 mile
tours." I use a heart rate monitor to train my aerobic capacity
and lactate threshold ",said Rhodes.
When he mounts his 2007 Trek 7.5 FX Hybrid bicycle to begin the
ride, Rhodes will have two goals in mind. First, he wants to make
people aware of the growing number of career option in the sports
and fitness field, one of the fastest growing career fields in
the country. Second, he hopes to increase awareness of the Sports
and Fitness Management degree program at West Georgia Technical
College. “The Sports and Fitness Management degree program
is a great way to prepare for a career in this growing field”,
stated Rhodes.
While instructional commitments at the college will not permit
him to complete the entire course, Rhodes plans to join the ride
in Dublin and continue on to the finish line. Rhodes hopes his
ride will inspire others, regardless of their ages, to become
more fit and participate in life rather than being simply a
sports spectator.
Sound interesting? Want to be a part of a new and growing career
field? There is a new class entering the Sports and Fitness
Management program beginning July 7th at West Georgia Technical
College.
Call 706-845-4323 today to reserve your place in this new and
exciting
program.
Return to Top
PBL Chapter wins awards
Posted: April 30th
West Georgia Technical College’s Phi Beta Lambda
(PBL) Chapter attended the Annual PBL Banquet
in Atlanta, Georgia on April 11-13.
Our chapter won 2nd place in the Annual Business
Report competition, 2nd place for March of Dimes donations, and
2nd place for Georgia PBL Foundation donations.
WGTC students Shawn Coleman won 1st place in Digital
Video Production and
Natasha Hicks won 3rd place in Hospitality Management.
Pictured (l-r): 1st row
- Starr Trammell, Natasha Hicks, Maria Ware, Adrienne Woodyard,
and Chrissie White. Second row -
Shawn Coleman, Charlie Davidson, Jasper Patterson, and Karen Carpenter,
Adviser.
Return to Top
SkillsUSA Chapter students win at State
Competition
Posted: April 23, 2008
Members of West Georgia Technical College’s SkillsUSA chapter
competed at the 2008 Georgia SkillsUSA Conference and Competition
in Dublin, Georgia on April 19th. These students were competing
for
state
recognition
and for the chance to go on
to
national competition.
Competitions
were held in a variety of technical categories including mechanical
maintenance, welding, job interview skills, and automotive.
Tara Davis won a gold metal in Job Interview and Melanie Ellerbee
won a gold medal in Electronics Technology. Both of these students
will be going to National competitions in Kansas City,
Missouri in June.
Nina Aaron also won a bonze medal in Technical Drafting. Other students
representing the College included Tan Ngo,
Michael Manning, Major McLaughlin,
Johnathan Fincher, and
Donald Autry.
Also attending were officers Charles Smith and Chad Veal who served
as delegate for State officer elections along with SkillsUSA advisors
Jim Biagi and Pam Parmer. SkillsUSA is an organization which provides its members with an
opportunity to showcase their talents and interests in relation
to their chosen program of study at West Georgia Technical College.
In addition, SkillsUSA provides opportunities for its members to
not only demonstrate technical knowledge of the subjects in their
field, but to also develop skills that will help them to become
successful leaders in today’s industrial environment.
Pictured (l-r): Tara Davis, Nina Aaron and
Melanie Ellerbee. Return to Top
Nursing Program Pinning Ceremony Held
Posted: April 23, 2008
West Georgia Technical College's Practical
Nursing Program held its Bi-Annual pinning ceremony on Thursday,
April
10th in the Callaway Conference Center.
At
each ceremony, Academic and Clinical excellence awards are
awarded to deserving students.
Awards were given for Academic Achievement to Tiffany Thompson
and Terrance Thomas. Clinical Excellence awards were awarded
to Brandy Darden and Amanda Chatman.
Pictured (l-r): Tiffany Thompson, Brandy Darden,
Amanda Chatman, and Terrance Thomas. Return to Top
Susan Austin is chosen
as West Georgia Technical College’s GOAL Winner
Posted: April 9, 2008
 Susan
Austin, a Management and Supervisory Development student at West
Georgia Technical College, has been named as the
college’s winner of the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership
(GOAL).
The announcement was made at the college’s GOAL recognition
luncheon on Tuesday, April 08, 2008.
Austin was chosen by a panel of local leaders over three other
nominees for the award. The runners-up were Tonya Carpenter- Practical
Nursing, James Hale- Radiologic Technology and Terrance Thomas-Practical
Nursing.
GOAL, a statewide program of the Technical College System of Georgia,
honors excellence in academics and leadership among the state’s
technical college students. Local GOAL winners are selected at
each of the state’s 33 technical colleges as well as the
four Board of Regents colleges with technical education divisions.
The announcement of Austin as the WGTC GOAL winner was made by
Ms. Jane Fryer, President, LaGrange/Troup County Chamber of Commerce.
Austin will receive an all-expense paid trip to Atlanta in May
where, for three days, she will compete with GOAL winners from
the other state technical college campuses. A panel of leaders
from the business, industry and government sectors will interview
them and choose one to be the state’s 2008 GOAL winner and
the recipient of the GOAL medallion.
The grand prize also includes a new car, courtesy of Chevrolet,
the statewide corporate sponsor of the GOAL program.
Austin chose to attend West Georgia Tech to earn her degree and
to advance her career as a supervisor.
Pictured left to right are the four
GOAL finalists with their nominating instructors: Mr. Creighton
Kelly (nominating
instructor), Susan Austin- Management and Supervisory Program (GOAL
winner),runners-up Elizabeth Stargell (nominating instructor),
Tonya Carpenter-Practical Nursing, Wanda Barbee (nominating instructor),
James Hale-Radiologic Technology, Sandra Burke (nominating instructor),
and Terrance Thomas- Practical Nursing. Return to Top
West Georgia Tech
president to retire
Posted:
March 14, 2008
By Trey Wood,
Staff writer - LaGrange Daily News
 In the past five years, Darryl
Gilley, president of West Georgia
Technical College, has given
his students a new campus,
SACS accreditation and more
class choices. In August, after
all of his students finish moving
into the new campus, he’ll
step down.
Gilley will leave his presidential
post, effective Aug. 31,“
and that’s subject to change,” he said. “We’re
going to have everybody (at the west campus)
by the middle of July at the
worst. I won’t leave until it’s finished.”
During his tenure, the school
has received grants for new
equipment and has seen the
biggest rise in student population,
more than 2,000 students,
in the technical college’s 42-
year history. But he’s looking
forward to enjoying some free
time.
“
Next August, I’ll almost be
62, and I’ve been (educating)
for 38 years,” Gilley said. “... I
don’t have any plans to look for
another job.”
He may look into state project
work, but only on a project
basis. After working since 1990
in the Georgia technical school
system and the Tennessee system
for eight years before that,
he’s not in the market for fultime employment.
With a bachelor’s degree
from the University of Tennessee
at Knoxville, a master’s
from Pasadena City
College in California and a
doctorate from the University
of Tennessee, Gilley has
dealt with education as a student
and professional nearly
his entire life. And he
brought that experience to
West Georgia Tech, said the
technical college’s board
chairman, Jerry Fulks.
“
Dr. Gilley brought a level
of energy to West Georgia
Technical College ... that
enabled us to make tremendous
advances,” Fulks said.“
It’s a lasting legacy as far
as I’m concerned. He’s a
great guy, a wonderful academic.”
Gilley considers
his greatest accomplishment to be
the purchase of the Raytheon
Systems Building in
2005 for the college’s west
campus and the Southern
Association of Colleges and
Schools accreditation in
2007. Darryl Harrison, vice
president of academic affairs
for West Georgia Tech,
worked previously with
Gilley at Northwestern Technical
College in Rock Spring.
And he saw Gilley build
West Georgia Tech into a
work-ready graduate producing
machine.
“
He has been a visionary
leader for this school,” Harrison
said. “A lot of his
accomplishments have come
about (because) he saw
what this campus could
become.“ If I had to pick one thing
that has been consistent, he
has really insisted on academic
integrity and rigor in
the classroom, so we produce
a quality graduate
ready for the workforce.”
Arriving at West Georgia
Tech, Gilley had three goals:
to give students state-of-theart
facilities, raise money for
school administration to fall
back on if needed and give
the school comprehensive
community college status.
Through the purchase of the
new campus building, raising
funds and becoming
SACS accredited, Gilley
accomplished his goals, and
leaves his successor a school
to grow with.
“
It’s been a great, wonderful
opportunity – more
than I had every dreamed,” he said. “I
was not prepared.
In my education, nothing
prepared me for what we
had to do here. It’s been very
rewarding.”
Trey Wood can be reached
at twood@lagrangenews.
com or (706) 884-7311, Ext.
230.
Return to Top
Tech credits can shift to Brewton-Parker
Posted: March 11, 2008 in The Times-Herald
By W. WINSTON SKINNER,
winston@newnan.com
Students from area vocational-technical schools will be able to
transfer core courses and several other classes as electives to
Brewton-Parker College if they want to get a bachelor's degree
in technical management.
Presidents of Brewton-Parker and three state technical schools — West
Central Technical College, West Georgia Technical College and Griffin
Technical College — have signed articulation agreements.
Those agreements designate certain courses as equivalents for credit — whether
at the technical school or Brewton-Parker.
"It's certainly a historical moment," said Dr. Robert
Arnold, president of Griffin Tech.
The agreement also allows students to use 24 hours of technical
courses as electives for Brewton-Parker's technical management
degree. Janie Lore, head of the local BPC program, said the articulation
agreements permit eight technical classes as electives.
"We have been in the process of talking about articulation
of classes for quite awhile," Lore said.
Progress on the articulation agreement sped in recent weeks. Dr.
Cindy Skaruppa, Brewton-Parker's vice president of enrollment services,
talked about the proposal during a meeting at Central Educational
Center in February. The articulation agreements were signed prior
to a reception at CEC on Friday afternoon.
Signing the agreements were Dr. David Smith, president of Brewton-Parker;
Dr. Skip Sullivan, president of WCTC; Dr. Daryl Gilley, president
of West Georgia Tech; and Arnold.
Brewton-Parker is a four-year college affiliated with the Georgia
Baptist Convention. The college's main campus is at Mt. Vernon-Ailey
in southeast Georgia. Brewton-Parker has several satellite programs,
including the local one at CEC headed by Lore, a longtime Coweta
educator.
The CEC program is Brewton-Parker's only satellite in metro Atlanta. "We're
happy to be here," Lore said.
Smith said the agreements will allow Brewton-Parker to better
serve the young people who study through its programs as well as "some
not so young people that we serve." Most students in the local
BPC program have been non-traditional students — adults returning
to the classroom after a hiatus.
Smith and Lore noted the late Dr. Starr Miller, a Newnan resident
who twice served as president at Brewton-Parker, was one of the
school's leaders who dreamed of the technical management degree.
Miller's wife, Luine, attended the articulation signing and gave
the invocation to open the ceremonies.
"Dr. Miller was very interested in having our college here," Lore
said.
Skaruppa commented on the quick progress which brought the schools
together to sign the articulation documents. She thanked representatives
of the technical colleges for their help "as we were putting
together these agreements."
She also promised to keep the technical colleges informed about
progress of their students who transfer to Brewton-Parker. "We
will provide you with complete data," she said.
In addition, Skaruppa thanked WCTC, WGTC and Griffin Tech for
allowing Brewton-Parker recruiters to have a presence on their
campuses.
"What we do is all about students," Sullivan said after
the agreements were signed. "If we can help them be successful
through such acts as this, we want to do it."
"It's all about students," Gilley agreed. "That's
why we're all here."
Arnold talked about what can be accomplished when school's leaders
communicate. "Anytime we can sit down face-to-face," he
said, "it's the best thing to do."
"It was truly a collaboration," Skaruppa said.
Luine Miller said the process reflected her husband's philosophy. "Rather
than being competitive, be cooperative," she said.
Dr. Lucy Hayden, head of the Commission on Higher Education, attended
the articulation signing ceremonies. The commission is a local
organization working to expand higher education opportunities in
Coweta County.
Hayden thanked the presidents of the four schools for "that
kind of responsiveness to the needs of the community." She
said the four institutions have become "a role model" as
the commission works to bring other schools to the area.
Lore said the technical management degree will allow more people
to earn a bachelor's degree "in a very timely manner." She
termed the agreements "a good thing," and added, "It's
what employers want."
Return to Top
Technical College System Honors EAGLE Recipients
For Achievements In Adult Education
Posted: February 25, 2008
 The Technical College System of Georgia’s
Office of Adult Education recognized 37 men and women, including
West Georgia Technical College student Courtni Schwiederek, for
their achievements in adult education during a luncheon held Friday
at
Atlanta’s Hyatt
Regency Hotel.
The Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education (EAGLE) program
honored the 37 as delegates to the program’s Leadership Institute
conference held in Atlanta February 13-15.
Nominated by instructors from Georgia’s local adult literacy
programs, the 37 EAGLE delegates are among more than 84,000 adult
learners in the state. Each delegate earned the statewide recognition
based on their hard work to obtain their GED and their excellent
character, positive attitude, superb classroom attendance and outstanding
leadership.
Georgia’s 2008 EAGLE delegates are considered ambassadors
and spokespersons for adult education, according to Ron Jackson,
Commissioner for the Technical College System of Georgia. Jackson
adds, “These outstanding men and women are role models for
others who want to obtain their GED. I take pride in knowing that
each delegate demonstrates leadership qualities wherever they are – their
homes, communities, workplaces and, most assuredly, in their classrooms.”
West Georgia Technical College is among 33 colleges in the Technical
College System of Georgia. In 2007, 140,852 students attended TCSG
colleges,
which
offer small classes, hands-on experience and focused instructor
attention.
Pictured (l-r):Commissioner Ron Jackson, Courtni Schwiederek,
and Assistant Commissioner Josephine Reed-Taylor.
Return to Top
 Student
Leadership Council Wins Award
Posted: February 13, 2008
The SLC officers attended the NTHS/SSLC Winter Conference
in Atlanta, Georgia January 25-27 2008. West Georgia Technical
College was awarded the Bronze Award of Participation at this conference.
The picture includes Charlie Davidson (Vice-President
SLC), Ginger Golden (President SLC and 2008 SSLC State Officer
Elect), and Melanie Ellerbee (Secretary SLC).
Return to Top
Industrial Technologies
Program Gets a New Look at WGTC
Posted: February 12, 2008
 There
is a lot of renovation going on at the West Georgia Technical College
campus and all of it is not on new West Campus site. Inside D Building,
a new concept is being developed that will change the way that
manufacturing and industrial technologies are taught. The interior
of the building is being redesigned to make way for WGTC’s
new Center for Integrated Manufacturing. The Center will house
some familiar programs being brought together in a radical new
way.
WGTC has long been known for offering a wide array
of industrial programs including Machine Tool, Plastics, Drafting,
Industrial Mechanical Systems, Welding, Electronics, and more recently
Automotive Manufacturing. These programs were scattered across
campus and students in any given program had little contact with
any of the other programs. That’s all about to change thanks
to some grant money and a little imagination.
The Center for Integrated Manufacturing being created
in D Building will bring these diverse programs together in one
area. However, rather than being taught in isolation, the programs
will interact with one another so that students will experience
a working manufacturing environment. A functioning production line
will allow students to be involved in all aspects of the manufacturing
process from seeing the idea taking shape (Drafting), to developing
a production model (3D modeling), to creating a mold for a production
line (Machine Tool), to designing the manufacturing control process
(Industrial Mechanical Controls and Electronics), to seeing a finished
product (Plastics and Machine Tool). Students will literally be
involved with the manufacturing process from concept to finished
product.
The functioning production line will be housed in
an open area so that students may view the manufacturing process
from beginning to end without the obstruction of walls. The openness
of the lab also promotes interaction between students and instructors
in all programs. The combining of the lab and classroom into an
integrated system provides students with real world experience
they would not normally get in a traditional classroom setting.
Seeing the value of such a system, ITW DaeLim USA
made a $200,000 grant, payable over five years, to West Georgia
Technical College. This grant is intended to assist the WGTC’s
effort to prepare local students to excel in the plastics manufacturing
industry. To further enhance the Center and the Plastics program
specifically, DaeLim USA has also arranged for Toshiba Equipment
Company to place an 80-ton all-electric plastic molding machine
in the College’s Manufacturing Center. The molding machine
(on loan from Toshiba), will be used in both the academic training
program and for proprietary training for the plastics industry.
In addition, WGTC and Southern Polytechnic State
University in Atlanta are collaborating to develop a new 4-year
degree in manufacturing. Students will take the first two years
of the program at WGTC and complete the final two with SPSU.
Students entering programs in the Industrial Technologies
will be the first to experience this new instructional concept.
Now is a great time to get prepared for a new career in manufacturing
technology. If you have ever thought about a career in this exciting
field, now is the time to get in on the ground floor. Call a WGTC
career planner today to reserve your spot in the next class.
Return to Top
CSI Comes to LaGrange
Posted: February 12, 2008
 Louis
Shepard, Criminal Justice instructor at WGTC, steps over the body
outline taped to the floor of a criminal justice lab designed to
look like a normal living room. The room has been staged to indicate
that there has been a struggle and someone has met with foul play.
Students are scouring the area for evidence and trying to determine
what is really a clue and what may have nothing to do with the
crime scene. Mr. Shepard reminds his students to look carefully
and consider every possible clue at the crime scene. In this scenario,
an overlooked bit of evidence could mean the difference between
a criminal going free or going to jail.
On television, the detectives always seem to solve
the crime in some glitzy way and usually within 30 minutes or an
hour. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way in the
real world. A lot of hard work goes into catching the bad guy.
And the individuals who do that work don’t just walk in off
the street. They have special training in crime scene investigation
and forensics. The Crime Scene Investigation certificate at WGTC
is designed to be a first step in that training process.
The Crime Scene Investigation Technician Certificate
program is designed to train students in the use of technology
in the service of criminal investigation. The program provides
instruction in applying scientific techniques to the detection
and evaluation of criminal evidence. Students learn the principles
of crime scene investigation, interviewing and interrogation techniques,
case preparation and court room testimony, and crime scene photography.
Interested? A new class begins April 7th and applications
are already being accepted. For more information, please contact
Louis Shepard at 706-756-3518 or a WGTC Career Planner at 706-756-4650.
Return to Top
Brain surgery doesn’t
stop fight for GED
By Trey Wood - Staff writer, LaGrange
Daily News
Posted: February 7, 2008
 Chad
Jackson has had headaches since he was in kindergarten. But few
things seem more a headache than quitting high school and trying
to take the General Educational Development exam for seven years.
He had reasons to fight quitting school – possible
problems hearing, paralysis, seizures and vertigo, to name a few.
When he was in high school, Jackson was diagnosed with an arachnoid
cyst in the back of his head, sitting above his spinal column.
An arachnoid cyst is a disorder that causes spinal fluid to pool
in the head and pressure to build under the skull.
“ My spinal cord fluid wasn’t going
down like it was supposed to be,” the 24-yearold said.
He was in the Troup High School class of 2002, but
he didn’t graduate then. He was diagnosed with the cyst in
1999 and had surgery to remove it in 2000.
Part of the brain-protecting bone was removed during
the operation. Along with that, the surgery had lowered his comprehension
skills to that of a kindergarten student. His neurosurgeon at Emory
told him it would be best to quit school because a strike to the
back of his head near the healing part of the skull would have
killed him.
After the surgery, “I had to learn how to
walk back up stairs,” he said.
After a period of recuperation, Jackson began searching
for a job, going from employer to employer, receiving the same
answer–he needed a GED. So in August 2000, he started GED
classes at West Georgia Technical College. And last month, he graduated.
“ Don’t give up,” he said. “I
felt like it, but I had people that wouldn’t let me give
up.”
Jackson looked to his parents, fiancee and teachers
to help him to his goal. Four teachers and five tries at the GED
mathematics exam later, he finally received what he came for.
“ He’s our motivational speaker,” said
writing teacher Susan Prestridge, who started about six years into
Jackson’s GED struggles.“ ... People come in the door
automatically assuming,‘ I’m going to be in class a
month or two, and I’m going to be able to pass and get a
GED,’ and that’s just not necessarily the case.
”With his experience in the adult literacy
program, Jackson knew what it meant to not give up, and he passed
that along to fellow students.
“ When people got sad, he would stand up and
say,‘ Look how long I’ve been here – I’m
not giving up. Why are you?’ ” Prestridge said.
None of his teachers have seen Jackson’s struggles
as much as math teacher Jewell Albright. Math was the last of the
five sections he had to take to pass, and the one that took the
most tries to pass.
“ He helped numerous people in the classroom
... with the math. He really did,”Albright said, “but
that was the toughest test that he had to take, and when he finally
passed it, ... he came up with 10 extra points.
”There were times when Jackson would miss weeks
of school because of surgery or sickness, and Albright would threaten
to go to Jackson’s house and take him to school when he wanted
to quit.
“ We see a lot of people that have lost their
jobs because of plants closing and things, and they come out here
and they really struggle,” she said. “When other people
tell you you can’t do something, you don’t believe
them, and you just go on. ... That’s the lesson I think he
(he teaches).
”So what you see is a young man that, although
all the things he’s gone through– all the difficulties
he’s had– he’s won. He’s a winner.
”He’s working as a shelf stocker for
Piggly Wiggly at 1861 Roanoke Road, but he has his eyes on bigger
things.
It’s been difficult at times, Jackson said,
but there’s good things in his future. Besides finally getting
his degree, Jackson and his fiancee, Amanda Potter, are working
on wedding plans.
But before anything, he had to work for his GED.
“ I got frustrated at times. I said, ‘I’m
going to quit, I’m going to quit,’ and (my supportive
friends, family and teachers) said, ‘No you’re not.
You’ve gotta get it.’
They said, ‘When you get it, you’ll be
proud of yourself.’And I was proud of myself.’’
Pictured From left, West Georgia
Technical College adult literacy teachers Jeanne Dumais, Jewell
Albright, former student Chad Jackson and teacher Susan Prestridge
celebrate with Jackson for receiving his GED after undergoing
brain surgery and spending about seven years in the program.
Trey Wood can be reached at twood@lagrangenews.
com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 230.
Return to Top
Future linemen on the
rise -- WGTC program gets ‘high’ marks
By Trey Wood, Staff writer - LaGrange
Daily News
Posted: January 25, 2008
 About
15 feet above a pile of straw and sawdust, five men on five different
wooden poles lean back against leather belts, listening as electrical
lineman instructor Keith Jenkins gives their next order.
“Everybody to the dirt,” he says.
The hard thunk of metal hooks strapped to boots fills
the air as the men climb down, pieces of wood chipping off the
poles.“
Get six inches from the ground ... stretch those
stomach muscles,” Jenkins tells his students.
They’re practicing climbing up the poles and
becoming more comfortable with turning, tying knots and stretching
while relying on a strap of cowhide and metal spikes to keep them
from falling.
Since October , the first students in West Georgia
Technical College’s new electrical line worker program have
climbed, clamped, stretched and slid up a circle of six poles.
Safety harnesses attached to their backs provide a measure of safety
while they are learning.
At the end of the training, which can last one to
three quarters depending on the student, these men will attempt
to qualify for a job as a lineman through a final exam without
the harnesses, but it won’t be a walk – or climb– in
the park.“
First, you’ve got to learn how to climb,” Jenkins
said.
The veteran lineman has been climbing for 14 years
with Georgia Power Co. A green sticker on the back of his helmet
reads “Accident-free 8 years.”
“We’ve got fall protection, but we didn’t
get enough for all six poles,” he said.
Starting the program from scratch was difficult,
although Diverse Power provided harnesses, equipment, trucks and
poles for the class. On Thursday, they placed harnesses on a fifth
pole, but the sixth pole can be climbed only about 4 feet until
another set arrives.
The students, which number about 10, start out on “green
poles,” the hardest wooden poles made. It takes a lot more
stomping for the men to dig their boots into the wood. And with
the introduction of lifetime-lasting concrete and metal poles with
climbing rungs attached, wooden poles are becoming obsolete.
“ Every lineman needs to learn how to climb
a wood pole,” Jenkins says, because he never knows when the
skill is going to be needed.
On the other side of the work area, instructor Danny
Kirk teaches students how to tighten wires set to the poles. Although
the wooden poles on this side are shorter than those specifically
for climbing, it’s still dangerous. Safety harnesses are
required for the students for climbs beyond a certain point. But
the wooden residential poles are only part of what Jenkins wants
to see for the program.
“(I’d) like to see a little bit of transmission
training out here,” he said.
Josh Bryant, 19, seconds that notion, because that’s
what he wants to do when the class is finished.
Starting pay for a lineman can be $18an hour while
working on the ground. But after two years, that can rise to $28.
Jenkins, for example, told his students how he was paid for 500
hours of overtime for working during storm season, which is equivalent
to almost 63 days of work.
Experienced line workers are allowed to climb the
transmission poles, if they can handle heights of up to 125 feet.
Transmission pole lines carry electricity from electrical substations,
while wooden pole lines carry residential electricity.
" People will pull over on the side of the
road and watch you do your job” on transmission poles, Jenkins
said.
Bryant has no fear of heights, which is one reason
he joined the program. He does have a fear of confined spaces,
though, and that made him finish rookie firefighting school, but
not look back after joining the linemen.
“So far, I like it real good,” he said. “It’s
just a good learning experience.”
Darryl Harrison, vice president of academic affairs
for the college, sees the class as an opportunity to help the shortage
of line workers across Georgia. Schools with linemen programs can
be found in nearly every state, and there are about five schools
in Georgia, Harrison said.
Even with the programs, linemen are in short supply.
About half of Georgia’s certified linemen have reached retirement
age, and shortages across the nation are popping up, also. The
waiting list for West Georgia Tech’s linemen program is proof
enough of it’s popularity.
“There are, I think, five other schools in
the state of Georgia that actually do this, but they’re scattered
around in different parts of the state,” Harrison said. “This
is the first class to go through this program, so people are excited
about what they’re doing – what they’re learning.”
Trey Wood can be reached at twood@lagrangenews.
com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 230.
Return to Top
ITW DaeLim USA Awards
Grant to WGTC
Posted: January 18, 2008
 Officials
at West Georgia Technical College learned Friday that the College
will receive a $200,000 grant from ITW DaeLim USA to support
the College’s Plastics Technology program. “As LaGrange
has invited ITW DaeLIm USA to bring our new operation into its
community, we intend to do our part to support this community,” said
Mike Glynn Vice President and General Manager of ITW DaeLim USA. “To
that end, and in response to a request from ITW DaeLim USA’s
new local management, the ITW Foundation has agreed to make a
$200,000 grant, payable over five years, to West Georgia Technical
College. This grant is intended to assist the College’s
effort to prepare local students to excel in the plastics manufacturing
jobs the State of Georgia, Troup County and the City of LaGrange
have and will continue to attract to this community.”
Staff at West Georgia Tech have been working with
DaeLim USA over the past six months to develop a plastics training
program that meets the needs of plastics manufacturers in West
Georgia and throughout the southeastern United States. DaeLim USA
is currently building a manufacturing facility in Troup County
to support the West Georgia automotive industry.
According to Glynn, the mantra of Illinois Tool
Works Inc. (ITW) and its Foundation is “Living our Culture,
Strengthening our Communities.” For decades, ITW’s
small decentralized operations in Georgia and around the country
have operated successful annual campaigns to support United Way
programs in their communities. Without strong communities, our
manufacturing operations are challenged to grow with the markets
they serve.
According to Daryl Gilley, President of the College,
funds from the grant will be used to create a state-of-the-art
plastics training program in the College’s new Manufacturing
Center, provide training for faculty and purchase equipment and
materials. The program may also include a co-op component that
will allow students the earn while they learn.
To further enhance the Plastics program, DaeLim
USA has also arranged for Toshiba Equipment Company to place an
80-ton all-electric plastic molding machine in the College’s
Manufacturing Center. The molding machine (on loan from Toshiba),
will be used in both the academic training program and for proprietary
training for the plastics industry.
The collaborative partnership with DaeLim USA is
unique in that it is an industry driven training program specifically
designed and delivered through West Georgia Technical College to
serve the plastics manufacturing sector. “Thanks to DaeLim
USA, students in the College’s plastics program will have
an extraordinary learning opportunity that should | 
