A desire to achieve in post-secondary life and the need of an important tool to get there have computed to a triumph for four Thomas County Central High School students.

Sheldon Ellis, Tavares Jimerson, JingLei Horchler and Sedrick Lamons have won laptops in the Georgia High School High Tech competition.

“I am excited that I won the computer,” Sheldon Ellis said. “This competition was fun, and I was really hoping that I would win because I could really use a computer.”

The yearly competition is offered via a partnership with Vocational Rehabilitation, Georgia High School High Tech and Thomas County Schools. TCCHS students in the Thomas County Schools Choice program with Charity Kinneer, coordinator/lead special education teacher, were asked to participate.

State vocational rehabilitation agencies are federally funded and offer supported employment and independent living services to individuals age 14 and up, Kinneer explains. The goal is to help participants pursue meaningful employment in relation to their abilities and interests. The Choice program, a collaboration between Southern Regional Technical College and Thomas County Schools, provides such students the opportunity to take classes at SRTC and experience college life.

“I want to encourage my students to always take advantage of great opportunities available to them,” Kinneer said. “I also want to support the transition into either post-secondary studies or a career. I felt this competition had the potential to give our students tools in order to lead a successful future.”

Participants could either write an essay or create a PowerPoint presentation about their need for a laptop and how it would benefit them in post-secondary life. 

“In the essay, I explained that having a computer would benefit me to do college work at home instead of having to wait to use the ones provided by the college,” Ellis shares. “I am now enrolled at the technical college taking business classes because I am interested in the business field. I plan to go back to get a degree in human resources.”

JingLei Horchler, who plans to attend college and major in nursing, was surprised but very grateful and happy to win in the competition.

“This PC can help me with my school work, projects, my job and my college work,” she said. “And I can also do great things with this computer.”

Sedrick Lamons feels a goal has been met.

“The reason I took part in this competition is that I wanted to do something for a change, I wanted to win something that I tried really hard for, that I worked for,” he said. “I feel so glad that I won something from a competition for the first time. I never thought I’d do something like that before.”

Upon graduation, Lamons intends to immediately join the workforce and take college classes online.

The students will each receive a new, fully-loaded laptop that includes tech support. They will be awarded May 4.

Tavares Jimerson says it feels great to know that he'll now have a laptop of his own.

Ellis is very thankful.

“This computer means a lot to me,” he said. “It means that I will have one thing less to worry about in the future.”

Kinneer is very proud of these students and all who participate in HSHT.

“Each of these students has the potential to really excel in their future endeavors, and I cannot wait to see what that entails,” she said.