MOULTRIE, Ga. — The Jack Gay Scholarships are given to Colquitt County students enrolled at Southern Regional Technical College who have demonstrated success in their program of study and excellent career potential.
The scholarships are given in honor of Jack Gay who served as president of Moultrie Technical College and is a long-time member and secretary of the Kiwanis Club of Moultrie.
The 2021 recipients of the scholarships were recently recognized at a Kiwanis Club meeting.
Jose Huerta is currently employed as a Licensed Practical Nurse at Colquitt Regional Medical Center while completing the rigorous Associate of Science in Nursing program with the goal of becoming a registered nurse.
Huerta plans to use his degree to serve at the local hospital, where he hopes to give patients the best possible experience and care. He will graduate in August, and he hopes his career path will include work on the medical surgical floor and higher-level care in the ICU.
Huerta said he never wants to stop learning. His instructors classify him as a leader who participates heavily in discussions and always gives well-thought responses.
In her letter of recommendation, nursing instructor Melissia Bennett wrote, “Jose is already excelling in the nursing field as an LPN at Colquitt Regional. I feel that the ASN degree will be a steppingstone for him. I think he has the potential to pursue whatever specialty in nursing he wishes to pursue.”
Nursing instructor Amy Brock spoke of Huerta’s extraordinary work ethic and leadership potential as well as his strong academic and clinical skills.
“In the clinical setting, Jose naturally steps into the leadership position when working with his peers,” Brock said. “His approach is to ensure that everyone on the team has what they need to perform their best. I have witnessed him reach out to other students to assist them when he recognized their need for help. Jose is very much a team player, and I can envision him in leadership.”
William Swilley found himself in a dead-end job working 50 long, arduous hours a week and unhappy with the path his life was taking when his mother suggested he consider returning to school. Swilley continued to work for several months as he made preparations, determining what area of study he should pursue and a realistic path to accomplish his goals. He had enjoyed helping his dad fix things when he was young and still enjoyed working with his hands, so a dual major of automotive technology and air conditioning technology seemed like a good fit with great career potential.
Once enrolled, Swilley earned a work study position in the Operations Department at the college. In that position, he saw the great need for operations professionals with air conditioning experience and hopes to pursue a career in operations for a college or large institution.
Swilley has taken a full load each semester and is active in student clubs. He serves as president of Phi Beta Lambda.
His professors describe him as hardworking, intelligent, and positive. In his recommendation, Jay Sizemore wrote, “I’m very confident that Will will be successful in his career. He is extremely intelligent and has a variety of practical skills that are hard to find in one person.”
Instructor Mason Miller said, “Will displays an exceptional work ethic, a positive attitude, and is constantly in learning mode.”
