Winner Selected Among 5 Finalists for the Award for Student of the Year
Warner Robins, Ga. – Anna Walters, a Physical Therapy Assistant student from Houston County at Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC), has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) for the College.
The announcement was made during CGTC’s annual GOAL Awards Ceremony in December, where Walters was honored for her outstanding academic achievements and leadership qualities. In recognition of this distinction, she receives a monetary award from the CGTC Foundation and a reserved parking space on campus for the remainder of her studies.
Walters was chosen from a competitive pool of four finalists after a rigorous selection process. A panel of community leaders reviewed the candidates and selected her as the winner. The other finalists included Sharelle Pangilinan of Radiologic Technology, Larry Howard of General Studies, Kimberly Giddens of Welding and Joining Technology, and Meredith Salmon of Orthopedic Technology.
As the CGTC GOAL winner, Walters will move on to regional judging in March 2026. All local GOAL winners from around the state will travel to Atlanta for an all-expenses-paid trip in April 2026, where nine regional finalists will be named. During this event, a panel of distinguished business, industry, and government leaders will conduct interviews to select one state finalist to become Georgia’s 2026 State GOAL Winner. The winner will also be recognized as the TCSG Student of the Year and will receive the coveted GOAL medallion.
Walters becomes the GOAL Winner in a record year for the College’s enrollment and said she is excited to represent a growing, skillful, and work-ready student body. In Fall 2025, more students than ever before attended CGTC. Enrollment records have become a consistent and recurring trend as CGTC has led the state in enrollment among 2-year institutions over the last four years. CGTC’s enrollment of over 12,700 students grew 10 percent higher than last year’s enrollment.
“I have a passion for people,” Walters said, “Through this time as a winner, I really want to be a voice for those who may have been in situations like myself, or circumstances that made them feel like they failed or didn’t have a future. I want to make them aware of technical education and what it can do for them.”
The GOAL program, managed by the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), celebrates exceptional students who exhibit both academic excellence and leadership. Each of Georgia’s 22 technical colleges selects a GOAL winner, who then competes at the regional and state levels for the chance to be named State GOAL Winner.
The statewide competition offers an exciting grand prize: a brand-new car, generously provided by Kia Motors, the official corporate sponsor of the GOAL program. The winner will also serve as a year-long ambassador for technical education across Georgia.
Walters was nominated for the prestigious award by her instructor, Dr. Mary Walker in the Physical Therapy Assistant program.
About Central Georgia Technical College
As one of the largest two-year colleges in the state, CGTC operates three campuses and five centers throughout central Georgia, serving more than 30,000 individuals annually. CGTC is focused on connecting graduates to careers by offering quality education services, assuring a well -qualified workforce to support a healthy local economy. CGTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. For more information about CGTC, visit www.centralgatech.edu. Like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/centralgatech), X (@CGTC), and Instagram (@centralgatech).