SCROLL_UP.svg
logo.svg
search icon.svg
DONATE
open_menu.svg
result
img_2-back-quote-teal-1.jpg
Copilot_20251209_082505.png

Trailblazer Achievements and Awards

Forsyth scroll down.svg
Jennifer Koerner, architecture student
Jennifer Koerner, Architecture Student, Wins Second Place in Bienenstock Furniture Library Competition
Forsyth Tech students have achieved broad success in 2024–2025. Architecture student Jennifer Koerner placed second in the prestigious Bienenstock Furniture Library student design competition, winning a $1,500 prize for her “Kintsugi Spa” project (designed for people with Multiple Sclerosis). Her design will also be featured on the Bienenstock Library’s website, giving her additional national exposure as she transfers to UNC Greensboro’s architecture program.
Forsyth Tech Students Koerner, Basilio-Saucedo, and SkillsUSA Participants Receive State and National Recognition
Forsyth Tech also sent eleven students to the 2025 SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference (June 23–27, Atlanta), where several students brought home medals in various trades competitions. In another accolade, Collision Repair student Elvi Jhoan Basilio-Saucedo was named North Carolina’s 2025 Work-Based Learning Student of the Year, recognizing his excellence in a paid internship program that combines real-world training with classroom studies.
Dr. Janet N. Spriggs, college president
College President Dr. Janet N. Spriggs Receives Multiple Leadership Honors
College President Dr. Janet N. Spriggs likewise received multiple leadership awards this year. She was inducted as a laureate into the 2025 Junior Achievement of the Triad Business Leaders Hall of Fame, an honor given to outstanding executives. In Spring 2025, Dr. Spriggs won the North Carolina Community College Student Government Association’s Karen Yerby Award for her “outstanding support” of student leadership. Most notably, in July 2025 the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) named her the Southern Region Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Year (part of ACCT’s Marie Y. Martin awards program). Together these honors underscore Dr. Spriggs’s impact on Forsyth Tech’s students and community during her tenure.
Victoria Ferrell, Della Lawson, and Devin Purgason Recognized with Major Campus and National Awards
Outstanding faculty and staff were also recognized. For 2024–2025, Program Coordinator Victoria Ferrell, Program Coordinator for IT Systems & Cybersecurity, was selected as the college’s Faculty of the Year, and Della Lawson, Communications Coordinator, Office of the President, was chosen as Staff of the Year. These campus-wide awards reflect their exceptional service to the college. In addition, Associate Vice President for Student Experience, Marketing & Outreach, Devin Purgason, earned national acclaim by being named the American Marketing Association’s 2024 Emerging Marketer in Higher Education. Announced at the AMA Symposium in Las Vegas, this award celebrated Purgason’s innovative marketing strategy and creative leadership, which have significantly raised Forsyth Tech’s profile locally and beyond.
Della Lawson, Communications Coordinator, Office of the President
Victoria Ferrell, Program Coordinator for IT Systems & Cybersecurity
Devin Purgason, Associate Vice President for Student Experience, Marketing & Outreach at Forsyth Tech