Jan Moore, vice president for Economic Development at Ogeechee Technical College, recently announced the appointment of Samantha Smith as the Dean for Adult Education.
        Moore said, "Dean Smith comes to us with extensive experience in adult education. We are excited to have someone with her expertise and passion in this area."
        Smith's previous experience includes working as an Off-site GED Program Coordinator/Lead GED Instructor, On-site Recovery Facilitator, and most recently as a GED Instructor with Paxen Learning Corporation. Smith holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from Georgia Southern University.
        Ogeechee Tech also announced that Hyun Hwa Chi, or Ellie, as she has chosen for her American name, was selected as the college's 2016 EAGLE (Exceptional Adult Georgia in Literacy Education) winner.
        Ellie is a native of South Korea and has been in the United States for seven months. She says she immigrated to the U.S. for her family's future and her child's education.
        Although she has a four-year degree in Management and Computer Information Systems from a university in South Korea, Ellie decided to join the ESL (English as a Second Language) program at Ogeechee Tech because she needs to learn basic English language skills to prepare for life in the United States.
        She said students in the program learn to communicate with each other freely.
        "The class exposes students to many communication opportunities, conversations, and debates," Ellie said. "These are important skills in today's workplace and in college.
        "The program also introduces internet sites for job searches and helps students practice for interviews. Students set goals for their education and for their jobs through this guidance."
        EAGLE is the first statewide program in the nation that recognizes and rewards excellence among students enrolled in adult education programs.
        This student recognition program is designed to create greater awareness of educational opportunities that are available in local communities across the state and to foster greater involvement in lifelong learning pursuits.
        The Technical College System of Georgia, through its Office of Adult Education, sponsors the annual EAGLE Leadership Institute.