Sumter and Lee Co. SGTC Diesel students awarded scholarships | News

SUMTER and CRISP COUNTIES, GA - News release from South Georgia Technical College

Three students in the Diesel Equipment Technology program at South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) were recently awarded Caterpillar Excellence Scholarships in recognition of their hard work, work ethics and grade point averages.

Students who received the scholarship were Collin Holloway of Americus, Anthony Davis of Lee County, Georgia, and Langdon Wood of Montezuma.

“We are very proud of these students,” said Raymond Holt, Dean for Academic Affairs at SGTC. “These students exemplify and personify all of the qualities we look for in a scholarship recipient.” Bryan Kelly, SGTC Diesel Equipment Technology Instructor, also praised the students.

“These are some of our top students. They have excellent work ethics, good grades, and a strong desire to learn. I was pleased to be able to recommend them for this scholarship.”

Each of the Diesel Technology students will use the scholarship money to buy tool sets for their careers in the Diesel Technology field. They expressed their appreciation for being awarded the Caterpillar Excellence Scholarship.

“I want to thank SGTC and Caterpillar for this scholarship,” said Collin Holloway, who is a 2011 graduate of Southland Academy in Americus and in his second semester at SGTC. “I am very excited about the opportunity to use the scholarship funds to purchase tools.”

Holloway has always been interested in mechanical work. When he was little, he would pretend to work on his and his brother’s electric jeep while spending time at their grandfather’s NAPA store. Today, he is working as a diesel mechanic at Georgia Forestry Products as well as attending college full-time.

“I love the job and what I do,” said Holloway. “I have very few tools and I have had to borrow my coworker’s tools, so this scholarship will be a tremendous asset now as well as when I finish college and go to work full-time.”

Holloway is the son of Amy Ash and Emmett Holloway. He made the decision to attend South Georgia Technical College because of his career choice, but also because his brother and his sister, Chandler and Carrie Holloway have attended here and his grandfather, Raymond Holt is the Dean for Academic Affairs. “This just seemed like the right place to come.”

Anthony Davis of Lee County was the second Caterpillar Excellence Scholarship winner this year. The 20-year old is originally from Greenville, North Carolina. His family moved to Lee County where he was in the second grade and he graduated from Lee County High School. Anthony is the son of Wheeler and Lisa Davis of Lee County.

“I joined the diesel program at South Georgia Technical College because I have been around cars since I was little. My dad had a Nova that we raced. I fell in love with the car and from then on, I was hooked. I knew then that I wanted to work on cars and trucks,” said Davis.

His career goals include going oversees and working as a mechanic in the army to gain some experience and then purchasing a shop. “I want to own a shop where people can bring their cars and trucks and not get ripped off, especially the people who don’t know anything about cars or trucks.

And when I am not working trying to save people a buck, I would want to go racing with my family on the weekend where we can all have fun, enjoy each other, and the friends that go with us,” laughed Davis.

During his time at South Georgia Tech, Davis said that he enjoys the hands on training that he has received as well as the instruction and the instructors. “Our instructors are very knowledgeable and are able to provide us with in-depth information that will help us once we graduate.”

Langdon Wood of Montezuma was also selected as a Caterpillar Excellence Scholarship recipient. He graduated from Southland Academy in Americus and liked South Georgia Technical College because it offered him the opportunity to train for something he was interested in.

“I have always liked to work with equipment. I worked for the William L. Brown farm in Macon County working on their tractors and trucks and for Georgia Cold Storage.”

Wood is the son of Max and LuAnne Wood of Montezuma and he was grateful to Caterpillar for the scholarship because it allowed him to also purchase some needed tools.

“I want to finish the diesel program at South Georgia Tech and then I hope to finish up a four-year degree. I feel like I will have the best of both worlds if I continue my education,” said Wood.

Students were selected for this scholarship based on instructor recommendation, academic achievement, test scores, and interview. Funding for these scholarships is made available by the SGTC Foundation through donations made by the Caterpillar Excellence Fund.

The partnership with Caterpillar addresses the need for qualified Diesel Equipment technicians and assists students who have made achievements in the Diesel field.