--- title: Senate Higher Education Committee, February 19, 2026 collection: meetings id: 2026-02-19/senate-higher-education cite_as: Senate Higher Education Committee, February 19, 2026, video https://vimeo.com/1166454625 (machine transcript by Georgia Commons) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-02-19/senate-higher-education md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-02-19/senate-higher-education.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-02-19/senate-higher-education/text source_url: https://vimeo.com/1166454625 date: 2026-02-19 status: machine transcript corpus_version: meetings-2026-10-23-8c15ead0f18d license: Machine transcript and summaries by Georgia Commons from the General Assembly's public video; the video stays on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-02-19.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-02-19/senate-judiciary.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-02-19/senate-insurance-and-labor.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/index.md chamber: Senate body: Senate Higher Education Committee body_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/senate-higher-education.md meeting_kind: committee session: 2025-2026 Regular Session start_time: 2026-02-19T16:00:00-05:00 location: 307 CLOB duration_seconds: 1588.0 video_id: 1166454625 video_title: 02/19/2026 Senate Committee on Higher Education agenda_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/agendas/senate/HEDAgenda2.19.26.pdf bills_discussed: - SR 697 - SR 698 summaries_model: gpt-6.1-sol transcript_turns: 37 --- # Senate Higher Education Committee, February 19, 2026 Senate Higher Education Committee; February 19, 2026; 2025-2026 Regular Session. Video, on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel: https://vimeo.com/1166454625. Agenda: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/agendas/senate/HEDAgenda2.19.26.pdf. > This is a machine transcript of the General Assembly's video, made by a speech-recognition model. It is not an official record and can mishear words, names, and numbers. Speakers are not identified. The video is the record: every timestamp links to the moment it plays. ## Summary written by Georgia Commons Written by gpt-6.1-sol from the transcript below. It is not part of the record. Quote the transcript or the video, not the summary. The committee considered [SR 697](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr697) and [SR 698](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr698), resolutions recognizing a technical college student award winner and a chemistry instructor. A Technical College System of Georgia representative explained how colleges select student and teacher honorees and invited members to attend the award banquets. Members voiced support for [SR 697](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr697) in a voice vote, with no opposition heard. The chair announced that [SR 698](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr698) passed by voice vote. The committee then adjourned. ## Bills discussed (2) Each account was written by gpt-6.1-sol from the stretch of the transcript it names. The bill's number is said in that stretch, unless it was the only bill on a committee's agenda. ### SR 697. Colbert, Jason; recognize [SR 697](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr697) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [0:18:13](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1093s), turns 6 to 29. A Technical College System of Georgia representative presented the resolution as part of the system's annual recognition of outstanding students and teachers. The representative said all 22 colleges select local honorees, who advance through regional and statewide competitions, and that winners serve as system ambassadors. The representative said Kia provides the statewide GOAL student winner with a free vehicle. The chair identified this resolution's honoree as the GOAL winner from Southeastern Technical College and described the honoree as a nontraditional student. The representative confirmed that the honoree had graduated from nursing studies. The chair encouraged members to attend an awards dinner. A motion to pass received a second, and members responded in favor during a voice vote. No opposition was heard. ### SR 698. Mirzakulova, Dr. Ekaterina; recognize [SR 698](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr698) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [0:18:15](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1095s), turns 6 to 33. A Technical College System of Georgia representative presented the resolution alongside the student recognition resolution and explained the system's annual student and teacher awards process. The representative said each of the 22 colleges selects local honorees in adult education and technical education, followed by regional and statewide competitions. The representative said winners share their stories at awards banquets and serve as ambassadors for the system during the following year. The chair identified this resolution's honoree as a chemistry instructor at Central Georgia Technical College. A motion to pass received a second. Members voted by voice, and the chair announced that the ayes had it. No substantive questions, amendments or opposition were recorded. ## Transcript (37 turns) [0:17:16](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1036s) This is the Georgia State Senate Higher Education Committee. It is 4:03. I'm gonna ask Senator Payne if he'll open us up with a quick prayer. [0:17:24](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1044s) There you go. Just pray with me. Dear Heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you so much for this day. We thank you for all your many blessings, Lord. We thank you for the breath of life that fills our lungs, that give us purpose to live in this world. Well, we just ask you to lead us, to guide us in all the things we do here in this committee today, that we represent your interest and serve your will in all things. For it's in Jesus' name we pray, amen. [0:17:45](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1065s) Amen. Listen, I wanna thank the committee members for being here this afternoon. This is ... Uh, thank you, Senator Orrock, appreciate you coming. Uh, this is an Elizabeth Taylor meeting. [0:17:56](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1076s) Mm-hmm. [0:17:56](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1076s) And all of y'all understand that when Elizabeth Taylor married her eighth husband- [0:18:01](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1081s) Eighth husband [0:18:01](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1081s) ... she infamously said, "I won't be keeping you long." Is that right? So we have one, or actually two items on the agenda. We actually have two items on the agenda today, but they're Senate Resolution 697 and 698, and I'm gonna turn it over to our good friend, Mr. Mark Peevy, from the Technical College System of Georgia, to present these two resolutions. [0:18:25](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1105s) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I, uh, I will just go ahead and apologize for y'all being sort of disappointed that I do not look anything like, uh, the fair lady that you just spoke about. So, um, but I will make this quick. [0:18:38](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1118s) Richard Burton, Richard Burton. [0:18:38](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1118s) Well, I'm not so sure- [0:18:39](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1119s) Richard, Richard Burton [0:18:39](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1119s) ... I, I, I look like Richard Burton, ma'am, but we'll keep moving anyway so we can get y'all out of here. Uh, really, I appreciate the opportunity to speak to you real quickly. This is, uh, uh, about an opportunity that we look forward to every year, um, where we get to, uh, present to you guys and, and then you in turn get to recognize our Student Teacher of the Year and/or, and our Student of the Year and our Teacher of the Year for our technical education. Uh, and then our Student of the Year, uh, and our Teacher of the Year on our adult education side. Um, I will start real briefly with, um, an open invitation. [0:19:13](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1153s) We do, we do these presentations and, and, and, and choose these winners, uh, at a March meeting, uh, in the metro area. Um, uh, and then, uh, for the adult education piece, uh, and then at a, um, uh, the following month, we do the, um, uh, Teacher of the Year and w- uh, which is what we call our Rick Perkins winner. Um, and then our GOAL student, um, uh, which is our Student of the Year, uh, at, at a, at a, uh, conference and then a banquet that we do. We would love to have any of you that ever want to come to that banquet. Um, if you, um, don't mind perhaps wiping away a tear in a dusty room, um, you come hear these stories in person. [0:19:50](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1190s) Um, hopefully, if we get a chance, um, uh, we don't necessarily have enough, uh, y- you and your colleagues on the other side in the House have been gracious to let these folks come and speak in the well a time or two when time permits. We may or may not get to do that this year. Uh, but certainly these resolutions that are, uh, comm- uh, uh, commending them are, are very, very, uh, special to the folks that are involved. So I, I know, Mr. Chairman, just quickly on the process, and it really works the same. We do this, uh, uh, for the adult education side, and then we run a separate process for our technical education side. [0:20:22](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1222s) So all 22 colleges, um, begin a process, uh, probably in September. Um, so we're already deep into the, in the, in that process. It's mostly completed itself on the local level for this current year, and now we're moving towards, again, uh, a March timeframe and then an April timeframe. But the colleges, um, run a process where they get nominations locally, and they select, again, uh, an adult, uh, e- education Student of the Year, uh, an adult education Teacher of the Year through a separate process. A, a, the, the, the GOAL winner of each college, uh, and the, and the, uh, Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year for each college. [0:20:58](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1258s) So we end up having, um, 22 folks across the system in each one of those four categories that we get a chance to recognize. Uh, we bring all those folks, uh, to Atlanta for a, a, a, what starts with kind of a regional level competition, uh, on day one. Day two, the regional winners then go on to compete for, uh, the, the state winner. And so we end up with about six, uh, six to seven regional winners, uh, that, that take a step into day three, and then at the respective banquets at those two conferences, uh, is when the winner is announced. And he or she, in both the teacher category and the student category, um, gets the, gets an opportunity to share their story, um, uh, both, uh, uh, both with that group and then, and then for the rest of the year, um, uh, they end up being ambassadors for the Technical College System, uh, in their respective lanes. [0:21:46](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1306s) Um, so, uh, any, any opportunity we get to put them in front of a group and let them tell their story, and the stories really are remarkable. Um, I'm, I'm a little hesitant to invite any of you to be judges because it's an awful tough task. Uh, to, to get 22 stories and to narrow those down to a winner in each one of these categories is an absolute, uh, uh, you, you can go from crying to laughing to clapping, uh, all in about an hour of time as you begin to hear those stories. And so would, would certainly encourage you to, to, to come to one of our banquets, and we'll make an open invitation for you when that, that chance comes. [0:22:19](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1339s) Um, but Mr. Chairman, that's kind of the process. [0:22:21](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1341s) Sure, thank you. [0:22:21](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1341s) And so we do that for both sides. Uh, we're also very, very fortunate, um, as those winners, especially the student winners, uh, on both the Eagle side, uh, and the, and the GOAL winner through the technical education side, um, have a, a, a number of sponsors that, that, uh, provide some, uh, uh, prizes and other things for those winners. Um, the, the Eagle winner typically gets a tuition-free paid, um, program, anything they wanna do, uh, as they move out of that adult education program and get started. Um, the, the, the, the local winner, and in this case this past year, um, that's Miss Noella Sargento. [0:22:55](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1375s) Um, she's of Georgia Northwestern Technical College, uh, up in Rome. And, uh, her, her, her, part of her winning package, for lack of a better word, was whatever program she wanted to do was gonna be done at no cost to, to her. Uh, so great piece there. Even more exciting, um, is, and we have a great partner, uh, and, and, and Kia certainly is a great partner to the whole state of Georgia. But we are certainly partial to them at TCSG because they provide our GOAL winner, our Student of the Year A free vehicle. Um, and it is a, um, many of you probably know Stewart Countess. [0:23:29](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1409s) Um, I would not try to wrestle this opportunity away from him because this is one of the things he will tell you he likes the most about his role as CEO there. He's the one who presents the keys to that winning student every year, and it is, uh, it is an awful lot of fun, uh, to see those faces light up and, and, and get to be a part of that, and Kia's a tremendous supporter of that. So process-wise, Mr. Chairman, that's the way it works. Um, you got the resolutions in front of you that we absolutely appreciate you moving forward. I'm happy to talk anymore, answer any other questions. Um, and, and we'll just leave again an open invitation. [0:23:59](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1439s) And between myself and Sam, we'll make sure as the time gets closer, you all get a formal invite, and we'd love to have any of you that want to come, uh, to see how those things work. [0:24:07](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1447s) Thank you, Mr. Peavy. We appreciate you. And I want to encourage the committee to attend one of these dinners. It, I, I was, uh, had the privilege of being there last year, and it is a tremendously positive experience. I wanna give a special shout-out to Jason Colbert, the, uh, gold winner this year. Uh, he is Southeastern Tech- [0:24:27](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1467s) Yeah [0:24:27](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1467s) ... and, um, is a n- nursing s- uh, graduate, I guess, by now. I don't know. He- [0:24:33](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1473s) He absolutely is. Yes, sir. He absolutely is. [0:24:35](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1475s) A- and, uh, has an amazing story, non-traditional student, and is, is been, I'm sure, a great ambassador. So we appreciate both of these folks. We appreciate TCSG and what they do for our state. Does the, uh, committee have any questions, or I'm happy to entertain a motion to Senate Resolution 697. I'll make the motion to pass. Have a motion do pass from Senator Payne. [0:24:57](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1497s) Second. [0:24:57](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1497s) Second from Senator, uh, Hickman. Any discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor say aye. Aye. Thank you very much. I'll entertain a motion on Senate Resolution 698, recognizing Dr. Eca- uh, I'm gonna have a hard time with that one. Won't you- Ekaterina ... Ekaterina- Mirzakhalova ... Mirzakhalova. Thank you very much. And it took a lot of practice. It took a lot of practice- ... and I haven't had that practice. Uh, she is a chemistry instructor at Central Georgia Technical College. So I'll entertain a motion. [0:25:24](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1524s) Moved. [0:25:24](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1524s) I so move from Senator, who was that? Uh, Summers, Senator Summers. And- [0:25:29](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1529s) Second. [0:25:29](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1529s) Second, thank you, Senator Howard. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Ayes have it. Um, that concludes our business. I'll entertain a motion to adjourn. Make, make so moved. Uh, so moved. All God's people said- Good. Amen. [0:25:43](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1543s) Mr. Chairman, thank you folks. [0:25:45](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1545s) Thank [0:26:27](https://vimeo.com/1166454625#t=1587s) you.