November 18, 2025
Gainesville, Ga— Lanier Technical College, a Unit of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), annually appoints a Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) Student of the Year and a Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year. These awards are based on leadership, academic excellence, belief in technical education, and a passion for entering the workforce or workforce development. Each inductee is announced during the annual recognition event.
Karli Wiseman, a Welding and Joining Technology student, has been selected as Lanier Tech’s 2026 GOAL Student of the Year. GOAL, a statewide program for all 22 of TCSG’s colleges, honors excellence in academics and leadership among students in their cohort. Wiseman was nominated by the Welding and Joining Technology Program Director, Mike Brandt, for being an exceptional student amongst her peers and for being an inspiration for other female welders. When asked about her Lanier Tech origin story, Wiseman proclaimed,
“Like many of my peers, I made a deliberate choice to enroll in technical education not as a backup plan but for a foundation for something greater. After being in the military, I knew that technical education and welding was the perfect fit for me. Which meant once again I was striving for a career field that is predominantly male. Just like in the military though, that has never been an obstacle for me. I’ve already had the opportunity to speak with many high school girls and tell them all about welding and what great opportunities Lanier Tech has to offer. I’m incredibly excited to see what the future holds, and I’m very thankful for this honor.”
Erika Bongart, the Program Director and Instructor for Lanier Technical College’s Radiologic Technology program, has been named the 2026 Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year. Like GOAL, the Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year Award is a statewide program for all of TCSG’s 22 colleges that aims to showcase outstanding instructors within the college system. Bongart was nominated by one of her students who shared, “She is incredibly dedicated to making sure we, as students, are learning everything we could possibly need and more to be successful in our field. We are so thankful for her willingness to go the extra mile to be sure we are career ready once we graduate.”
When questioned about her career journey up to this point, Bongart had this to say,
“Eleven years ago, I was diagnosed with a stage-three cancer and was given a 30% chance of survival. I literally thought my life was over. In order to take back control of my life, I started asking lots of questions to try and make sense of all this. That’s when I noticed my medical imaging technologists took the extra time to thoroughly explain things to me and seemed to love what they were doing. Their positivity inspired me to become one of them!
So, I enrolled into Lanier Tech’s Radiologic Technology program and graduated in 2018 to become a Radiologic Technologist who was prepared for the workforce on day one. While working as a Registered Radiologic Technologist, I was given the opportunity to come back to Lanier Tech and teach the next generation. That’s when I found a passion for teaching. I purposely teach in technical education because I know firsthand how it impacts lives. I’m incredibly honored to have received this award today, and I hope to share my story with others while on this new journey.”
Both Wiseman and Bongart will go on to compete against other regional technical colleges. Following the regional competitions, selected students and instructors will compete for the title TCSG’s Overall GOAL Student of the Year and Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year. The final competition will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, in April 2026.
About the Technical College System of Georgia
The 22 colleges of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) are Georgia’s top resource for skilled workers. TCSG offers world-class training in more than 600 associate degree, diploma, and certificate programs to students who are trained on state-of-the-art equipment by instructors who are experts in their fields. The system also houses Georgia’s Office of Adult Education, which promotes and provides adult literacy and education programs, including the GED® testing program, throughout the state. In addition, TCSG partners with companies through Quick Start, the nation’s top customized workforce training program, and through its colleges, which work with local industry to provide workforce and training solutions. For more information, visit TCSG.edu.
