Georgia Northwestern Technical College has announced its top student and instructor honors for 2026, naming Noelia Sargento, a Business Management student from Rossville, as its Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) winner, and Trevor Roberts, clinical coordinator of Ultrasound Programs and instructor of Adult Echocardiography, as the college’s Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year.

The awards were presented during a ceremony hosted by the Seven Hills Rotary Club on January 27 at the Coosa Country Club in Rome, with sponsorship from the Rome Floyd Chamber, the Seven Hills Rotary Club of Rome, and GNTC. Jayden Allen of Lindale was also honored as GNTC’s 2026 EAGLE Award recipient for Adult Education, and Troyanna “Troy” Foster, an Adult Basic Education instructor in Floyd County, was named Adult Education Teacher of the Year.

Sargento, who attends GNTC’s Catoosa County Campus, was nominated by Business Management instructor Tracy Gentry. A former 2025 EAGLE winner and Georgia’s 2025 Adult Education Student of the Year, Sargento said her journey back to education began after earning her high school equivalency and deciding to pursue a career that helps empower others. She is majoring in Business Management with a focus on Human Resources and remains active in her community, church, and her children’s schools. As GNTC’s GOAL winner, Sargento will advance to regional competition, with the potential to compete for the state GOAL title, which includes a new automobile awarded by Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia.

Roberts, a resident of Silver Creek, has taught at GNTC since 2021 and works as a registered diagnostic cardiac sonographer. He was recognized not only for instructional excellence but for his compassionate approach to teaching, shaped by personal experiences caring for family members and his own health challenges. As the Rick Perkins Award winner, Roberts will advance to regional competition, seeking the chance to represent GNTC at the state level and serve as an ambassador for technical education across Georgia.

Allen and Foster will represent GNTC at the Dinah Culbreath Wayne EAGLE Leadership Institute in March, competing for statewide honors in Adult Education. College officials say the recognitions reflect GNTC’s strong commitment to student success, workforce development, and instructional leadership.