MOULTRIE — Moultrie Technical College (MTC) Early Childhood Care and Education instructor and program coordinator Kathryn Kent of Berrien County was recently selected by her peers at MTC as the school’s nominee for the state Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction. Kent teaches at the college’s Veterans Parkway campus in Moultrie.

“I chose to teach in a technical college because of the impact we have on both our students and our community,” Kent said. “The strength of technical education in Georgia will allow our state to continue to attract new and diverse businesses by providing a skilled workforce with a strong work ethic. This will strengthen our state’s economy, improve the standard of living, and allow us to compete globally.

“My personal goal as an instructor at Moultrie Technical College is to positively impact the lives of each of my students,” Kent said.

Named in memory of Thomas “Rick” Perkins, an instructor at West Central Technical College who received the Department of Technical & Adult Education Commissioner’s Award of Excellence prior to his untimely death, the award is the Technical College System of Georgia’s version of an “instructor of the year” honor. It is presented to the person who has shown the most dedication to the job, commitment to students, and skill in the classroom.

Annually, all 33 technical colleges, plus the four Regents system schools with technical divisions, nominate an instructor to represent their colleges for the statewide honor. Nominees then compete on a regional basis.

Kent will compete with representatives from Albany, East Central, South Georgia, Southwest Georgia and Valdosta Technical Colleges for the Southwest Georgia consortia title Thursday, July 24, at Moultrie Tech. Winners from each technical college consortia will be announced at the Technical College System of Georgia’s Lighthouse Institute in September, and finalists will go on to compete for the state honor.

The state Rick Perkins Award winner serves as an ambassador for technical education in Georgia. He or she will make many public appearances throughout the year including addresses to the Georgia General Assembly, the governor, and the Georgia Technical College System Leadership Conference in October.

Kent graduated in 1988 with a bachelor of science degree in Middle Grades Education from Georgia Southern College where she was student leader and was named to both the Dean’s List and to Who’s Who Among Colleges and Universities. Her education continued in the Masters of Middle Grades Education program at Valdosta State University from which she graduated in 1996. She pursued 18 additional graduate level hours from Valdosta State in the Early Childhood Education program as well.

Prior to joining the faculty at Moultrie Tech in 2002, Kent served as a middle grades teacher, department head and team leader from 1988 to 2000 in the Ben Hill County School System in Fitzgerald and as an adult literacy instructor at East Central Technical College from 1994 to 1996 and from 2000 to 2001.

Kent is the current president of the Kids’ Advocacy Coalition in Tifton where she coordinates the after-school program and summer inclusion camp and supervises the Resource and Referral Agency. She is also the co-chair of the Health Services & Education Advisory Committee and provides guidance on finding the most effective ways of serving the migrant/Hispanic population. Representing Moultrie Tech with the Farm Workers Family Health Program, she supervises student volunteers in the summer school program for migrant families with Emory University.

Kent was also given the Virtual Star Award for her excellence in online instruction and customer service for Moultrie Tech’s Fall Quarter 2006. She was chosen based on evaluations received from all students in MTC’s online studies program.