The Greene College and Career Academy was recently recognized with statewide honors as Georgia College and Career Academy of the Year.
The award was presented to the career academy’s administration during the Governor’s Workforce Development Summit, held at the Georgia World Congress Center, Oct. 20-21.
The Greene County School System published a press release to acknowledge the career coaching program’s achievement. The report noted that the Greene College and Career Academy was recognized for “pioneering the first-of-its-kind career coaching program.”
Multiple career pathway options, and goals to establish a “highly skilled local workforce.”
The report included remarks from John Ellenburg, CEO of Greene College and Career Academy. In his statement, he acknowledged the recognition as a reflection of “hard work and collaboration” from across the community, including local businesses, staffers, career coaches, the Board of Directors, and students.
“We are honored to receive this recognition,” Ellenburg said. “Together, we are helping students discover their passions, develop essential skills, and connect their education to real-world success.”
Mariana Mansfield, the Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE) director of Greene County, recognized the GCCA’s award as a “testament” to its ability to transform the lives of its students through CTAE education.
“We are dedicated to preparing every student with the skills, experiences, and confidence to pursue their goals beyond graduation,” Mansfield said. “Through strong industry partnerships, relevant coursework, and real-world experiences, our students are not just learning about careers, but also living them.”
The Greene County School system’s press release also highlighted some of the achievements for which the GCCA was recognized as College and Career Academy of the Year. The Career Coaching and mentoring program was among the areas listed.
According to the report, the mentorship program is run through the Thillen Education Foundation. It includes more than 200 local volunteers who help students navigate their pathways and develop academic and postgraduate plans.
Most of the volunteers are retired from professions for which they are mentoring the students.
“The Career Coaching Program represents the heart of what education should be: people investing in people,” said Dave Thillen, founder of the Thillen Education Foundation. “Personalized coaching encourages students to believe in their dreams and gives them the confidence to turn those dreams into achievable goals.”
The GCCA offers 15 CTAE career pathways for students to pursue during high school. More recently, the academy implemented Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Early Childhood Education pathways within the program.
With the recent award to the local career academy in Greensboro, Dr. Aaryn Schmuhl, superintendent of the Greene County School System, said the achievement represents the school system's “shared commitment” to providing students with opportunities to succeed.
“It is an incredible honor for Greene County to receive this recognition,” Schmuhl said. “Our College & Career Academy exemplifies what’s possible when schools, families, industry partners, and the community come together to invest in students’ futures.”