CTC horticulture team continues tradition of greatness – First in nation again
(Acworth, Ga. – April 12, 2010) It was a home victory for a group of environmental horticulture students based out of the Chattahoochee Technical College, North Metro Campus. In addition to playing host to nearly 1,200 people from around the country at the 34th annual Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) Student Career Days, the 28 students of the Chattahoochee Technical College team placed first out of the 69 registered teams in attendance.
Humzah Khraim works in the paver installation competition
Also earning top honors for Chattahoochee Technical College was Jessica Logan of Acworth, who was named the Superstar of the event. Logan, who participated in five events, won the honor for the best individual performance in the competition out of 890 participants. Logan, Brian Watters, Judy-Lynn Hoppe and Lisa Hutchinson were also awarded scholarships by the PLANET Academic Excellence Foundation.
“Our team has shown once again they are a force to be reckoned with at this event,” said Shane Evans, Environmental Horticulture Instructor and Technical Division Chair. “They should be very proud of their performance and winning the title back again.”
For almost 20 years, the team has finished in the top ten in the nation, including a first place finish overall in 2008. Led by horticulture instructors Evans, John Hatfield, Bejie Herrin and Dean of Technical Studies, Rex Bishop, the team competed against about 900 students from both two-year and four-year colleges and universities. As many as 100 students competed in many of the competition’s 28 events.
“The team knows how well we have done in the past,” Evans said. “That comes with a certain amount of pressure, but our students know that they are building skills that will stay with them in their future careers.”
Chattahoochee Technical College’s team scored a combined 4072.43 points, more than 70 points ahead of second place finishers, Brigham Young University at Provo. Along with the school’s first place award, the team had 27 students finish in the top ten, including 15 top three finishes in individual and group events.
Schools finishing in the top 10 were:
1. Chattahoochee Technical College
2. Brigham Young University at Provo
3. Brigham Young University at Idaho
4. North Carolina State University
5. University of Maryland
6. Penn State
7. Colorado State University
8. Mississippi State University
9. Columbus State Community College
10. Michigan State University
Chattahoochee Technical College students, Humzah Khraim and Craig Morris, both of Marietta, work in the paver installation competition
Featuring 890 students, 160 faculty members and 200 industry leaders, the event consisted of informational workshops, networking opportunities, a career fair and 28 competitive events. Among these individual and team events are plant identification, landscape design, paver installation, compact excavator operation and leadership skills.
The annual three-day gathering of faculty and horticulture students from colleges and universities across the country came back to the North Metro Campus for the third time in the event’s history. The school previously hosted the event in 1995 and 2008. In addition to earning bragging rights for themselves and their school, students who participate also receive scholarships and award money.
“It was a pleasure to host teams from across the country,” said Dr. Sanford Chandler, CTC President. “This was a wonderful opportunity to show off our facilities and our environmental horticulture program.”
Chattahoochee Technical College was also awarded the Walt Peebles Spirit Award from STHIL, an award is given to the school that shows the most enthusiasm and sportsmanship.
“During the presentation of the award by STIHL, it was stated that the major influence of our team winning the award was due to the support or our faculty/staff and community support,” said Evans.
Students and prospective students interested in learning more about Chattahoochee Technical College’s Environmental Horticulture program are invited to attend an open house on April 22 from 4 to 7 p.m. Those interested can stop by any time during those hours to find out more about the school’s award winning program and register to win door prizes.
Top 10 finishers from Chattahoochee Technical College include:
Kevin Porter (Acworth) and Brian Watters (Acworth) , second, Arboriculture
Cassie Templeton (Acworth), first, and Cheryl Gress (Kennesaw), second in Annual and Perennial ID
Lisa McKinney (Acworth), first, and Debra Stockton, (Marietta), second, Business Management
Alejandro Simmonds (Marietta), first, Computer Aided Landscape Design
Emily Schmidt (Marietta), fifth, and Kati Ward (Marietta), sixth, Interior Plant ID
Jessica Logan (Acworth) and Brian Watters (Acworth), third, Irrigation Assembly
Jessica Logan (Acworth), first, Irrigation Design
Jessica Logan (Acworth), first, Irrigation Troubleshooting
Humzah Kharim (Marietta) and Kevin Porter (Acworth), first, Landscape Maintenance Operation
Kelsey Collum (Rockmart), Humzah Kharim (Marietta) and Jessica Logan (Acworth), first, Landscape Plant Installation
Debra Stockton (Marietta), second, Leadership Skills
Humzah Kharim (Marietta), eighth, and Craig Morris (Marietta), tenth, Maintenance Cost Estimation
Nikki Morris (White), eighth, Pest Management
Sandra Wilson (Woodstock), seventh, Sales Presentation
Kevin Porter (Acworth), first, Skid Steer Operation
Nanci Lee (Cartersville), third, Small Engine Repair (test event)
James Brannan (Woodstock), eighth, and Nanci Lee (Cartersville), tenth, Turf and Turf Pest ID
Cassie Templeton (Acworth), second, and Jessica Logan (Acworth), fourth, Woody Plant ID
About Chattahoochee Technical College:
A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, Chattahoochee Technical College is the largest technical college in the state with a student population of more than 11,000 students. The college has seven campus locations throughout the counties of Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb, Gilmer, Paulding, and Pickens counties. Chattahoochee Technical College offers over 100 certificate, diploma and associate degree programs through traditional classroom courses as well as online training. The college also provides the community with learning opportunities including customized workforce training, adult literacy and continuing education programs.
For more information, visit www.ChattahoocheeTech.edu.
Source: Chattahoochee Technical College/Rebecca Long
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