Victoria Moushon of Harris County may be only 19 years old but she already has a long life of learning experiences behind her.  The 2019 GOAL (Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership) student for Columbus Technical College is working toward her General Studies and Health Sciences degrees in hopes of one day entering the College’s rigorous registered nursing program.  When she was young, Moushon suffered from medical issues that forced to her miss months’ worth of school but once she enrolled in the Dual Enrollment program at Columbus Technical College, she began to thrive and excel in her studies.  So much so that she is boasting a 3.9 GPA today.  Victoria says she wants to enter the healthcare field after being by her father’s hospital bed as he suffered from serious health scares.

“My dad was in really bad shape and I would go to class and then come to the hospital and sit by his bedside,” she remembers. “The nurses were amazing. How they cared for my dad and made sure he was taken care of inspired me to do the same thing one day.”

Crystal Dozier of Columbus has been named Columbus Technical College’s EAGLE (Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education) winner for 2019.  Dozier came from humble beginnings and saw how much her mother sacrificed as a single mom but Crystal ended up following the same path.  As a teen mom herself, she had to drop out of high school to care for her child.  After several years of only being able to find minimum wage work and knowing she had to do more to inspire her children, Crystal decided to enroll in GED classes.  After earning her GED, she plans to attend Columbus Technical College and earn her degree in Business Management.

“I have to walk the walk if I’m going to tell my children they need to work hard and get their education,” Dozier said. “Once I get my GED and my Business Management degree, I hope to open a youth outreach center so I can give back to my community.”

Vernita Harris is Columbus Technical College’s program director for Business Administration Technology as well as the instructional designer for the College’s distance learning (online) program.  She has been named the school’s Rick Perkins/Tim Justice Instructor of the Year for 2019.  Harris has been part of the Columbus Technical College family for a decade now and calls teaching her true passion.

“When you explain a concept and then see that proverbial light bulb go off…there’s just nothing like it!” Harris said.  “I absolutely love doing my part to see my students succeed.”

All three winners will compete at higher levels in the coming months.  Moushon and Harris have their regional competition in February with a state competition in April while Dozier’s competition is at the state level in March. Congratulations to them all!