Recently, Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC) announced its 2020 Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year award winner: Hannah Holmes, an English instructor at SRTC - Tifton. The Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction honors the Technical College System of Georgia’s most outstanding full time faculty members. Nominated and selected by fellow SRTC faculty and staff, the distinction recognizes technical college instructors who make significant contributions to technical education through innovation and leadership in their respective fields.

Hannah has been an English instructor at SRTC since 2015. Among her many contributions to SRTC are her involvement in applying Educational Assessment Corporation data to improve and streamline student learning outcome reporting for instructors, her service as a National Technical Honors Society advisor for students, and her participation in implementing open education resources in online English courses for cost savings to students. In her nomination, her peers noted her passion and enthusiasm for teaching.

“Technical education actually chose me,” Holmes said. “My whole life I knew I was going to be a teacher and every time I entered a new grade, I was exposed to new information, causing what I wanted to teach and at what level to constantly change. However, I knew I would end up where I needed to be, which is apparently in technical education. I didn’t know this is where I wanted to be until I was actually here, but I have discovered that I belong in technical education. Not because I get to talk about my passion every day, not even because of the impact I can make by simply providing an education. Rather, it’s the students. I am part of a journey for these students who are capitalizing on an opportunity to better themselves, and I want to be a part of that.”

Holmes will next participate in regional level in Tifton. The winners of the regional competition will go on to participate at the state level in April. If selected as the Technical College System of Georgia’s Rick Perkins Award winner, Hannah Holmes will serve as statewide ambassador for technical education in Georgia.