Donquavious Gudes receives Lt. Michael Sangster Law Enforcement Fellowship from South Georgia Tech
Published 2:54 p.m. Friday April 14, 2023
dr John Watford, President of South Georgia Technical College, presents Donquavious Gudes with the Lt. Michael Sangster Law Enforcement Academy. Photo by SGTC
From personnel reports
Instructors at AMERICUS – South Georgia Technical College Law Enforcement Academy (LEA) emphasize the importance of receiving a good education in addition to POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training) certification. Donquavious Gudes of Cuthbert, SGTC LEA 23-01 graduate, took those words to heart. With the Lt. Michael Sangster Law Enforcement Scholarship, he now has the opportunity to pursue his criminal justice degree further.
Gudes was one of eight graduates from Class 23-01 of the SGTC Law Enforcement Academy. He is a father of three children and wants to continue to support them and play a good role for them and others.
“It is an honor to receive this scholarship,” said Gudes. “This will help me continue my criminal justice education and also allow me to better myself and provide for the future of my children.”
Gudes hopes to one day join the GBI and he realizes that continuing his education is one aspect of making that dream a reality. He is the 21st scholar of Lt. Michael Sangster at South Georgia Tech. Lt. Michael Sangster was an officer in the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office and served as a volunteer instructor for South Georgia Technical College’s Law Enforcement Academy from the beginning of the program. He lost his battle with cancer and died in 2012 at the age of 35. With the help of family, LEA students, friends, SGTC faculty and staff, and Lou Crouch, he was awarded an SGTC LEA Student Scholarship.
Cordele’s Michael Sangster has held numerous POST certifications including General Instructor, Firearms Instructor, Defensive Tactics Instructor, TASER Instructor and Driver Instructor.
Lt. Sangster was born in Dooly County but has lived most of his life in Cordele. He was the son of Robert Sangster, Sr. and Connie Sangster Youngblood. He has a sister, Melissa Sangster, and a son, Caleb.
“On behalf of South Georgia Technical College and the South Georgia Technical College Foundation, I would like to thank the Sangster family, Lou Crouch and the others who donated to this special scholarship for their partnership with us,” said the South Georgia President Technical College, Dr John Watford. “We appreciate the opportunities this scholarship offers to our deserving Law Enforcement Academy students. Your investment in a donated scholarship will continue to give back to our students indefinitely. We appreciate everything you do for our students and our community. Thank you again for recognizing the value of education and supporting this effort. The students you help today will be the officials we can rely on tomorrow in our local communities.”
For more information about making a donation, contact the Lt. Michael Sangster Scholarship Fund or the endowment of a scholarship at South Georgia Technical College to Su Ann Bird, Executive Director of the SGTC Foundation at 229.931.2110 or sbird@southgatech.edu. Contributions may also be sent by mail to the SGTC Foundation, PO Box 6102, Americus, GA.
The South Georgia Technical College Law Enforcement Academy program currently lasts approximately 11 weeks and most recruits qualify for the HOPE Scholarship and other forms of financial assistance. Admission standards require that all students undergo a thorough background check and comply with all rules established by the state POST Council. Students are also required to achieve minimum scores in English, Reading and Mathematics. Students also receive college credit toward an associate degree in criminal justice.
For more information about the Law Enforcement Academy, contact the Law Enforcement Academy office at 229.931.2716 or Brett Murray, Director of the SGTC Law Enforcement Academy at 229.931.2756 or bmurray@southgatech.edu.
