SAVANNAH – Eight students from the Savannah Technical College Peace Officer Academy celebrated graduating from the program with a completion ceremony in May 2021.

The six men and two women have completed coursework containing the entire Georgia Peace Officer Standards & Training (P.O.S.T.) Basic Law Enforcement Training Course. Their successful completion of the program qualifies them to be state-certified peace officers.

Since 2009, more than 400 P.O.S.T.-certified officers have completed the program. Many candidates are in various stages of the application process with statewide agencies. Six of the eight candidates have been hired by area police departments. STC’s Peace Officer Academy has a 97% placement rate.     

Each cohort selects a fallen officer for whom the graduating class will be named. The cohorts have a tradition of giving the family of the fallen officer a challenge coin dedicated to the officer. A challenge coin is a symbol of an unbreakable bond of dedication and allegiance among military personnel and law enforcement officers. The challenge coin tradition started as a military tradition in World War I and was later adopted by law enforcement.  

This cohort honored Cpl. James J. Wilkinson of Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, who lost his life after battling cancer on May 24, 2019. Cpl. Wilkinson had served with the agency for 13 years and had previously served with the U.S. Navy & US Coast Guard.  He was survived by his wife, four children, grandchildren, siblings, family and friends.

The Basic POST Certification Technical Certificate of Credit provides students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to become competent law enforcement officers. The 11-week cohort program utilizes classroom instruction pertaining to criminal justice theory and the prevailing principles of modern law enforcement, as well as practical application of pertinent enforcement skills. College coursework contains the entire Georgia Peace Officers Standards & Training (P.O.S.T.) Basic Law Enforcement Training Course so that successful completion of the program will qualify the student to be a state-certified peace officer. The next class begins in September 2021.

For more information about the Peace Officer Academy visit www.savannahtech.edu/PeaceOfficerAcademy or contact the office at 912.443.5191 or njones@savannahtech.edu.

 

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#2141 | June 1, 2021
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512
ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College Business Management Instructor Rushe Hudzinski-Sero was selected as the SkillsUSA regional advisor of the year Region 2. Hudzinski-Sero was previously named SkillsUSA advisor of the year for Georgia. Region 2 represents the states of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Hudzinski-Sero is one of the SkillsUSA advisors for the College. She was named the 2020 Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year by Savannah Tech. Hudzinski has been an instructor at Savannah Technical College since 2010 when she began working as an adjunct instructor. She became a full-time instructor in 2016. Leading up to this transition, Hudzinski was Chief Human Resources Consultant for New South Financial Group. Before coming to New South she served as the Director of Human Resources for Effingham County Board of Commissioners and oversaw personnel matters concerning the County Staff, Elected Officials and Constitutional Officers.

Prior, Hudzinski was the Training and Development, Staffing/Faculty Coordinators at the Savannah College of Art and Design. She served as a District Recruiting Specialist for Eddie Bauer, South East Region and held positions in several management capacities in the apparel, home and outlet divisions. Her early positions in management have retail and hospitality influence to include Talbots, Paradise Island Resort and Casino, the Hilton Corporation, and Walt Disney World.

Earlier this year the college was named one of 24 Model of Excellence SkillsUSA chapters nationwide, as long as a Chapter of Excellence Gold designation at the state level. STC students and teams won ten (state-level) virtual competitions: five gold, four silver, and one bronze.

SkillsUSA is a national career and technical student organization/competition that annually serves more than 395,000 high school, college and postsecondary students–and their instructors–in technical, skilled and service-occupation instructional programs.

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#2140 | May 24, 2021
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512
ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH, Ga. –Savannah Technical College has been awarded a patent for the historic marker fabrication process. This is based on a project STC students started in 2017, as a fix for damaged historical markers to preserve the past for the future at a fraction of the cost.

The patent approval process was funded by the STC Foundation, which owns the rights to the royalties. Savannah Technical College is the first technical college in Georgia to be awarded a patent. The College is celebrating the patent now because May is National Preservation Month to celebrate U.S. heritage through historic places.

“The Historic Marker Collar Bracket that we celebrate today, was the result of a collaborative effort among faculty and students in Historic Preservation, Drafting and Precision Machining,” said STC President Dr. Kathy Love. “Working together, they identified a way to solve a real-world problem and pursued the solution beyond the concept all the way to implementation.”

STC students initially used this fix to bring Troup Square’s Jingle Bells historical marker back to life after it was damaged by Hurricane Matthew. Since then, students have created and installed a replacement bracket for the Blue Star Memorial marker on Highway 280 in Pembroke, Ga. They are working on a replacement collar bracket for another marker in Effingham County.

Patent number 10847064 for historical marker repair components and methods was awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office last year. From the patent summary of the invention:

This invention solves the problem of historic marker replacement by providing a process whereby broken markers may be repaired without having to re-cast the entire marker. In the preferred embodiment, the repair component comprises a metal casting with an upper channel dimensioned to receive the lower edge of the original plaque, and a lower collar dimensioned to fit onto the existing post.

The lower edge of the existing plaque may be fastened, welded, glued or otherwise secured within the upper groove of the repair component. In the preferred embodiment, however, the plaque is fastened to the repair component using specialty anti-theft bolts. Alternatively, the upper channel of the repair component may include a moveable member forming a jaw that clamps onto the lower edge of the existing plaque. The collar, likewise, may also be fastened, welded, glued or otherwise secured to the upper end of the pole.

A method of repairing a marker including a plaque with a lower edge that has broken away from an existing collar fitted to a post comprising the steps of measuring the width of the lower edge of the plaque and the cross section of the post; casting a repair component including an upper channel dimensioned to receive the lower edge of the existing plaque, and a lower collar dimensioned to fit onto the existing post; installing and securing the lower edge of the plaque within the channel of the repair component; and installing and securing the lower collar onto the existing post, which may be of metal or wood of varying cross section. The casting of the repair component may be of any suitable metal or alloy, including bronze or aluminum.

STC students designed, engineered and cast the channeled historic marker collar replacement bracket or base that could be adapted to fit different marker designs. The collar may be manufactured in large quantities, taken into the field, and used to replace a damaged collars at a substantially reduced cost. Also, it will allow the text section of the signs to be preserved rather than discarded.

“In many of our Traditional Trades course we push the boundaries of methods, materials, and techniques to develop new ways of addressing old problems,” said STC’s Department Head for Historic Preservation Benjamin Curran. “Our intent with this collar design was to provide an economical solution to a regular issue that arises with historical markers.”

Students from the Historic Preservation and Restoration department worked with students from Drafting, Welding and Machine Tool to create the prototype. A mechanical drafting student worked with the original sketches to create a design and print samples of 3D versions. The drafting student’s 3D print was used to create the form that was used to cast the collar mold. Welding students helped to build the furnace that was used to melt aluminum prior to casting. Machine Tool students assisted with CNC machining.

“As an institution Savannah Technical College strives to provide its students with the knowledge and skills that will make them valued members of our local and regional workforce,” said Curran. “Within the Industrial Technology department, we collectively focus on industry need, regardless of discipline. That has manifest itself in constant push to provide our students with opportunities to view themselves not simply technician, but also as contributors to the advancement of their respective fields. Innovation is the key. The historic marker collar replacement bracket perfectly exemplifies our students’ technical talents and creative capacity to further the advancement of the Historic Preservation field.”

STC Historic Preservation students cast the first replacement bracket under the guidance of Visiting Artisan Gary Knappenberger, who helped STC students with a finial casting for the Smithsonian Institute in 2013. He assisted with the mold making process and helped students build a small furnace large enough to melt down aluminum to pour multiple brackets for the casting process.

As the only public hands-on Historic Preservation program in Georgia and one of seven in the U.S., Savannah Technical College has led the way in preservation education, specializing in training not typically held by construction workers. The program has gained international recognition and has contributed to a number of community-based preservation projects in the surrounding communities. Traditional Building Magazine named Savannah Tech’s Historic Preservation program one of the nation’s Up and Coming programs.

For more information visit:www.savannahtech.edu/CenterTraditionalCraft or contact Curran at bcurran@savannahtech.edu or 912.443.5864.

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#2139 | May 13, 2021
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

 

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College was selected as a Model of Excellence chapter for 2021. This annual recognition honors exceptional integration of personal, workplace and technical skills into SkillsUSA chapter activities. It is the highest honor bestowed on chapters by SkillsUSA, which is among the largest student organizations for career and technical education.

Savannah Technical College is one of 24 Model of Excellence chapters nationwide including both high school and college chapters. These top chapters will be evaluated in June for top honors. A panel of judges will evaluate each of these highest-level schools based on their goals, plan of action, results, evaluation and SkillsUSA Framework integration. Business and industry partners will conduct finalist interviews with students and advisors, and then help select the top three schools to be recognized on June 24 during the National Leadership and Skills Conference Virtual Recognition Session. The top three will receive national recognition and the opportunity to share their stories through SkillsUSA in publications and trainings.

The focus of Models of Excellence is student-led activation. These students learn and practice the skills that every employer seeks, including leadership, initiative, communication, teamwork and problem solving by taking the lead on all SkillsUSA activities. Their SkillsUSA instructors take the education of these students to the next level by guiding them, but never doing the work for them, elevating learning from classroom instruction to successful application of skills.

The Models of Excellence program promotes the intentional learning of personal, workplace and technical skills outlined in the SkillsUSA Framework for student development. Specific characteristics defined within each skill area provide tangible benchmarks for student achievement and chapter programming. Achievement is measured by student efforts in implementing essential workplace skills including personal responsibility, integrity, work ethic and organization in chapter activities. The hands-on approach of this program actualizes the SkillsUSA mission of empowering members to become world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens.

Earlier this spring, STC students and teams won medals in ten (state-level) virtual competitions: five gold, four silver, and one bronze. The College also earned a Chapter of Excellence Level Gold designation.

SkillsUSA is a national career and technical student organization/competition that annually serves more than 395,000 high school, college and postsecondary students–and their instructors–in technical, skilled and service-occupation instructional programs.

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#2138 | May 11, 2021
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512
ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College has selected Debra R. Geiger, Esq. as its Dean for Business & Professional Services division. As dean, she will manage division initiatives, programs, courses and instructional services. She had previously served as STC’s department head for Paralegal Studies since 2012.

Geiger is also the immediate past president of the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE), having served a two-year term as president, and a prior three-year term on its board of directors as associate programs director. She is admitted to practice law in the State of Georgia and has over 18 years transactional law practice experience. Geiger earned a Bachelor of Arts in in English from the University of South Carolina, law degree from the Levin College of Law at the University of Florida and MBA from Mercer University. In 2016, she was named STC’s instructor of the year. She is an active Girl Scout troop leader, as well as member of the State Bar of Georgia, Savannah Bar Association, Port City Bar Association and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

The Business & Professional Services division prepares students for careers in the following fields: accounting; barbering; basic law enforcement (Peace Officer Academy); business management; business technology; cosmetology; criminal justice; culinary arts/baking & pastry arts; cyber and related programs; early childhood care and education; fire science; hotel, restaurant and tourism management; and logistics management. To learn more about these programs visit: www.savannahtech.edu/academics/business-and-technology/

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# 2137 | May 3, 2021

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Cuyler Community Improvement Association, Inc. (CCIA) presented Savannah Technical College Practical Nursing Student Jamahria Wyche with the Ursuline B. Law Medical Scholarship. This $500 scholarship will be used for practical nursing program costs for Wyche.

This scholarship was named in honor of Law’s family’s dedication to medical service. It is funded with proceeds from the CCIA’s historic Charity Hospital and Training School for Nurses fund. CCIA has been supporting students with college scholarships for decades. This is the second donation the organization has given to STC Foundation this academic year.

CCIA is a long established 501.c.3 organization in the Savannah Chatham County area whose origins date back to 1979. At that time a group of neighbors took it upon themselves to improve the quality of life for their community. The main tenets of the organization are safety, sanitation, education, historical preservation and being good neighbors. The physical boundaries of Cuyler Community are: the south side of West Anderson Street to the northside of West 37th St.; the westside of MLK, Jr. Blvd. to the eastside of Ogeechee Rd./ Kolloch Sts.

STC scholarship funds are managed by the Savannah Technical College Foundation, a 501 (c)3 organization whose sole purpose is to raise private funds to support the mission of Savannah Technical College. Gifts are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

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#2136 | April 30, 2021
MEDIA CONTACT: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Don and Karen Stewart have created a scholarship for Herschel V. Jenkins High School graduates that will attend Savannah Technical College. The Don and Karen Stewart Family Scholarship honors their parents by supporting students who are studying for careers in traditional trades including construction, drafting, air conditioning, electrical construction, welding, and historic preservation. The scholarship will begin with summer semester 2021.

“Privately-funded scholarships make a tremendous difference for our students,” said STC President Dr. Kathy Love. “This scholarship is very special because of Mr. Stewart’s history with our institution. Don and Karen Stewart share a continuing commitment to education that has lasted decades.”

Don was the principal of Jenkins High School 1981-1992. He is a 1961 alumnus of Jenkins and was named into the inaugural class of the Jenkins High School Alumni Hall of Fame in 2017. He was president of Savannah Technical Institute (now Savannah Technical College) for five years and retired from education in 2000. Karen served as a member (District 3) of the Savannah Chatham County Board of Education from 1987-1992 and as President of the Board from January 1993 – December 1998. 

“We believe in strong academics for all high school students,” said Don. “There are many paths to success and we want to encourage Jenkins graduates to experience technical education as a great option. Students can learn valuable skills for a lifelong career they love, complete an associate degree or transfer to an area university. These things are not exclusive to one another. We both know from personal experience technical education can sustain families with solid income for a lifetime. “

To qualify students must be graduates of Herschel V. Jenkins High School, starting their first semester at Savannah Technical College, have verified financial need and are studying in an eligible Industrial Technology programs.  The Stewart Family Scholarship will provide up to $3,000 per year to offset the cost of tuition, fees, books and supplies. Applicants will complete a STC Scholarship Application online prior to the start of their first semester.

More information about applying for scholarships at Savannah Technical College may be found at www.savannahtech.edu/Scholarships. To make a gift to the Don & Karen Stewart Family Scholarship at Savannah Technical College, visit http://bit.ly/SavTech_StewartFamilyScholarship

STC scholarship funds are managed by the Savannah Technical College Foundation, a 501 (c)3 organization whose sole purpose is to raise private funds to support the mission of Savannah Technical College. Gifts are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

 

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#2135 | April 19, 2021

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Paralegal Studies student Rachel Waldron has been selected as the 2021 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) winner for Savannah Technical College.

“Rachel balances the demands of school with a full-time job as a legal assistant and is one of the top performing Paralegal Studies students,” said STC Paralegal Studies Department Head Debra Geiger. “In addition to her grades, what I respect most about Rachel is her commitment to achieve her goals. I am very proud of her and the example she is setting for current and future paralegal students.”

GOAL honors outstanding students at each of the Technical College System of Georgia institutions. He will represent Savannah Tech at the statewide competition in April in Atlanta, where the statewide GOAL winner will be selected. The highly competitive process involves academic success, community engagement and public speaking. Winners are nominated by their instructors and selected after interviews with a panel of business and community leaders.

She works as a legal assistant at Dozier Law, P.C. in Rincon and was previously in the hospitality industry specializing in sales and front desk customer service for multiple hotel chains.

She is on track to graduate in early spring 2023 with an associate of science in Paralegal Studies. She is also a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at Savannah Tech.

“Technical education is a hands-on learning experience, and that is the main reason why I chose to further my education at Savannah Technical College,” Waldron said. “It promotes independence and self-learning, tunes the student effectively and increases the student’s potential. Thanks to technical education, I am achieving my goals.”

Waldron takes Paralegal Studies courses virtually through STC’s Paralegal Online option. The program prepares students for a career in the paralegal profession. The knowledge and skills emphasized in the Paralegal Studies program include ethical obligations; research in state and federal law; legal correspondence preparation; family law matters; basic concepts of real property law; criminal law and procedure; civil litigation; substantive contract law; and wills, trusts, and probate. Paralegals, also called legal assistants, work closely with attorneys, judges, prosecutors, or public defenders. STC’s Paralegal Studies Associate Degree graduates have a 100% placement in field (AY2019) and are in demand with area law offices.

Paralegal Studies is open to adults, along with high school students through dual enrollment. Visit: www.savannahtech.edu/paralegal-online or contact Geiger at 912.443.5715 or dgeiger@savannahtech.edu for more information about the program or to start training for a career as a paralegal.

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#2134 | April 16, 2021

Business & Professional Services Advisor: Katrina Gore-Gray
912.443.5520 or kgray@savannahtech.edu

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

EDITED: Joycelin Primus was named runner-up for TCSG Rick Perkins Instructor of the year 2021 (the state competition). Well done!!!!

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College Barbering instructor Joycelin Primus has been selected as STC’s 2021 Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year. The Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction honors outstanding faculty members at each of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) institutions. She will represent Savannah Technical College in the virtual statewide competition.

“Mrs. Primus is a creative and innovative educator who is committed to providing the best educational experience possible for our students,” said STC President Dr. Kathy Love. “She has demonstrated professional excellence and service in the classroom, as well as in the local community. She has a passion for helping students achieve their dreams and goals for college, career, and life.”

Primus holds a Barbering Diploma and completed her Barbering Instructor Certificate Diploma from Central Georgia Technical College. She began her teaching career as a Barbering Instructor for Savannah Technical College in 2010, after having taught as an adjunct Barbering Instructor for four years at Central Georgia Technical College.

For the past five years, she and her students have collaborated to serve military veterans and other individuals in the community who are experiencing homelessness by providing barbering services at the Annual Savannah Stand Down for Homelessness event. She is an active supporter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Second Harvest. She has also assisted Rebuilding Together Atlanta in building a home for a family in need.

To promote education in her field, she serves as an Advisory Board Member for the textbook publisher of Milady, Cengage Learning. She serves as an advisor for SkillsUSA, and she is a member of the STC Faculty Senate. Additionally, she serves on TCSG’s Barbering Instructional Faculty Consortium Committee.

The Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year award has been an ongoing statewide event since 1991 and is designed to recognize technical college instructors who make significant contributions to technical education through innovation and leadership in their fields.  Formerly known as the Commissioner’s Award of Excellence, the Rick Perkins Award was renamed in memory and honor of Thomas “Rick” Perkins, an instructor at West Central Technical College, now West Georgia Technical College, who received the Commissioner’s Award of Excellence prior to his untimely death. TCSG provides oversight for the Rick Perkins Award program through the system office’s programming staff, the presidents’ Academic Improvement committee and the state planning committee.

Savannah Tech’s Barbering program prepares students to be on the cutting edge of men’s fashion and trends with training to test for licensure as a Professional Barber at Savannah Technical College. The Barbering Program features barbering services such as cutting, trimming, shampooing, styling hair, trimming beards and giving shaves. It is offered at Savannah Tech’s Savannah and Liberty campuses. For more information visit www.savannahtech.edu/Barbering.

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#2133 | April 15, 2021

Business & Professional Services Advisor: Katrina Gore-Gray
912.443.5520 or kgray@savannahtech.edu

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

 

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College was recognized for excellence at the Georgia 2021 SkillsUSA Post-secondary State Conference. Gold medal winners will go on to compete nationally at the SkillsUSA leadership and skills competition this summer.

Photos of 2021 SkillsUSA state medalists and honorees may be found on STC’s Facebook page.

Students won medals in ten competitions held virtually this spring: five gold, four silver, and one bronze. SkillsUSA is a national career and technical student organization/competition that annually serves more than 395,000 high school, college and post-secondary students–and their instructors–in technical, skilled and service-occupation instructional programs.

STC Business Management instructor and SkillsUSA advisor Rushe Hudzinski-Sero was named the Georgia Skills USA Advisor of the year. Hudzinski-Sero has been a SkillsUSA advisor at the College for the past three years. She is the current STC President of Faculty Senate and was named STC’s Instructor of the year in 2020.

The College also earned a Chapter of Excellence Level Gold designation. STC Construction Management student Ryan Starnes was elected as a SkillsUSA Georgia State Officer for 2021-22.

Five individuals/teams won gold in 2021 and will compete in the national SkillsUSA leadership and skills virtual competition:

• Construction Management student Elvi Briceno won gold for Carpentry;
• Industrial Systems student Matthew Sander won gold for Mobile Electronics;
• STC’s Community Service team won gold with Business Management students: Tricia Golston, Hunter Mathews and Victoria Tisdale with Bobbi-Jo Felix was an observer;
• STC’s Entrepreneurship team won gold with Business Management students: Kimber Padgett, Linda Rufino, Crystal Sapp and Alexis Wilson with Joyce Carter as an alternate; and
• STC’s OSHA team won gold with Construction Management students Herbert Hall, Kenneth McKenzie and Cristian Veloso.

STC teams or individuals won silver medals in four competitions:

• Automotive Technology student William Boyle-Wheeler won silver for Automotive;
• Dual Culinary Arts and Baking/Pastry Arts student Ilke Schaaf won silver for Restaurant Service;
• Industrial Systems Maintenance students Walter Beard and Robert Harley won silver for Mechatronics; and
• Construction Management students Roger Davis, James Edge, John Madden and Aaron Welch won silver for TeamWorks.

STC’s Cybersecurity team won bronze with Kristopher Ferguson and Javier Vazquez. Rachel Crews observed the Cybersecurity team as an alternate and plans to compete on next year’s team.

 

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#2132 | April 15, 2021
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu