Snellville Resident Named as Gwinnett Technical College’s GOAL Student for 2020

GWINNETT – To stand out in a crowd of thousands of students is no easy feat, but Gwinnett Technical College student Jared Salzinger has done just that. Salzinger, a resident of Snellville was recently named as Gwinnett Technical College’s GOAL (Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership) winner. The nursing student was one of 70 students nominated for the honor at Gwinnett Tech this year.

Jared didn’t start out as a student at Gwinnett Tech, instead began his career in fine jewelry sales. That career eventually brought him to Georgia. While beginning his life in Georgia, Jared learned his father was diagnosed with leukemia. During his father’s treatment, Jared watched and interacted with the nurses who took care of him and his whole family. “I looked at them and knew that was what I wanted my life to be about,” stated Salzinger.

Gwinnett Tech offered Jared the flexibility to go back to school. As a nontraditional student, he could take my prerequisites part-time and continue to work. “One day while flipping through a nursing textbook, I found the same treatment protocol that cured my father’s cancer.  I’ve been learning the medicine that saved his life. This was how I knew I was meant to be right here, at this college. The best part is that in May, my father, now cancer free will see me walk the stage to collect my degree. It has all come full circle for me,” says Salzinger.

Margaret Long, Jared’s nominating instructor states, “Jared is an excellent representative of Gwinnett Technical College, and of technical education in Georgia. He truly understands the impact that technical education has on the lives of students and their families, in our local community, and on the state economy. He has gotten to witness this first-hand as a nursing student and as a state and national gold medalist at SkillsUSA. Jared has a tremendous amount of work ethic, an incredible sense of integrity, fully supports the mission of technical education, and is most deserving of the title of GOAL winner.”

The GOAL program is sponsored at the state level by the Technical College System of Georgia to give recognition to the importance of technical education. Students are nominated annually by their instructors. The selected students prepare for two rounds of interviews that are held on campus to determine the school winner. As the local winner, Salzinger will represent Gwinnett Technical College in the regional and statewide competitions in the spring.

Gwinnett Technical College offers more than 140 degree, diploma and certificate program options that can be completed in two years or less. For more information, visit www.GwinnettTech.edu or call 770-962-7580.