Lanier Tech’s top student and instructor of the year have been announced.
Karli Wiseman, a Welding and Joining Technology student, has been selected as the school’s 2026 GOAL Student of the Year. GOAL, a statewide program for all 22 of TCSG’s (Technical College System) colleges, honors excellence in academics and leadership among students in their cohort.
Wiseman was nominated by the Welding and Joining Technology Program Director, Mike Brandt, for being an exceptional student amongst her peers and for being an inspiration for other female welders. When asked about her Lanier Tech origin story, Wiseman proclaimed,
Erika Bongart, the Program Director and Instructor for Lanier Tech’s Radiologic Technology program, has been named the 2026 Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year. Like GOAL, the Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year Award is a statewide program for all of TCSG’s 22 colleges that aims to showcase outstanding instructors within the college system.
Bongart was nominated by one of her students who said, “She is incredibly dedicated to making sure we, as students, are learning everything we could possibly need and more to be successful in our field. We are so thankful for her willingness to go the extra mile to be sure we are career ready once we graduate.”
Both Wiseman and Bongart will go on to compete against other regional technical colleges. Following the regional competitions, selected students and instructors will compete for the title TCSG’s Overall GOAL Student of the Year and Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year. The final competition will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, next April.
For more on this story and reaction from the honorees, click here: Lanier Tech Announces 2026 Student of the Year, Instructor of the Year – Lanier Technical College