Canton Students Complete Chattahoochee Tech Leadership Academy

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Acworth, GA -- Chattahoochee Technical College last week recognized the first Student Leadership Academy graduates during a ceremony held Dec. 11 on its North Metro Campus.

New this fall semester at Chattahoochee Tech, the academy is designed to provide a select group of students with workplace skills while also giving them a vested knowledge about leadership development.

“Our theme this year is ’Leadership by Design’,” management instructor and SLA sponsor Diane Petty said. “We want to demonstrate that being a leader, whether at work or home, is intentional and once you have a better grasp of who you are, you can be a better leader.”

The program, which currently hosts 14 members and is open to all students with a 3.0 GPA or higher, helps students from an academic perspective to become more creative and innovative and to become effective leaders in the workplace. It also allows students to benefit through development of a mentoring relationship with members/facilitators of the Student Leadership Academy.

Petty said the academy is a direct result of the CTC Faculty and Staff Leadership Academy.

“I benefitted from the Leadership Academy and wanted to pass on this information to the students,” Petty said. “This is a tremendous opportunity for the students to grow both personally and professionally. We need to support our students in as many ways as possible so the Student Leadership Academy is a good way to do this.”

She said the first group of SLA members gained a sense of who they are as individuals and as leaders, learning how each decision they make affects others. Student Jessica Hollis of Villa Rica echoed these statements by speaking on what she learned during the academy, citing the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test that all members took earlier this semester.

“This assessment revealed my strengths and my opportunities and how to use them to the best of my advantage,” Hollis said, adding that the academy pushed members to also learn more about others. “Through this academy I have also come to recognize the power of diversity in a team environment and how it can be leveraged to reach the highest potential. Everyone has strengths in areas where others are weak, so teamwork helps us to easily accomplish more when we realize we need each other to fulfill certain roles and duties.”

Hollis, who is pursuing a Business Technology Diploma, received the Chattahoochee Tech Foundation’s Student Leadership Award scholarship in the amount of $500. The Foundation sponsored this year’s event and members of the SLA submitted essays as their entry to the award competition.

The Student Leadership Academy Class of Fall 2015: Daniel Miller of Canton; Tyler Newman of Canton; Joshua Dennis of Kennesaw; Sally Wells of Dallas; Courtney Breban of Smyrna; Meggen Morrison of Kennesaw; Jessica Hollis of Villa Rica; Rebeca Feregrino Rodriguez of Marietta; Steven Levin of Marietta; Abigale Marmurowicz of Acworth; Skyler Banks of Ellijay; Bethany Coleman of Acworth; Ashley Smith of Dallas; and Kaitlin Barrett of Rockmart. 

For more information on Chattahoochee Technical College, visit www.ChattahoocheeTech.edu or call 770-528-4545.

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Photo: From left, Chattahoochee Technical College Director of Student Engagement, Alaina Abney, looks on as Acworth’s Bethany Coleman receives a Student Leadership Academy certificate from CTC Curriculum Coordinator Nina Faix. Far right, guest speaker Darion Dunn, a program manager for Croy Engineering and Chattahoochee Tech Foundation Board of Trustees member, waits to award Coleman a medal. Credit: Chattahoochee Technical College