Area Companies Partner with TSTC for $527,400 Job-Training Grant

(RED OAK) – Texas State Technical College has partnered with an industrial consortium including Betafence, Cardinal CG, Cardinal Glass Industries, Kinro Texas, Inc. and The Sherwin-Williams Company to train 243 new and incumbent workers using a $527,400 Skills Development Fund grant.

Texas Workforce Commissioner Representing Employers Ruth R. Hughs presented the check to officials from TSTC, Betafence, Cardinal GC and Kinro Texas at a 3 p.m. ceremony yesterday at TSTC in North Texas.

Hughs said the North Texas area has much to be proud of.

“Your unemployment rate is 3.9 percent, which is well below the state average of 4.9 percent and the national average, which is at 4.8 percent now,” she said. “The area has an annual job growth of 3.6 percent, and just over the last year this area has added 109,900 private sector jobs. You’re seeing great growth, and that’s really a testament to all these partnerships that you have and the great work this community does.”

The Skills Development fund is one of the state’s premier job-training programs, keeping Texas competitive with a skilled workforce.

“Employers benefit because they get custom-trained workers, and workers benefit because they get that competitive skill training they need in any job in the marketplace,” Hughs said. “Last year, the Skills program served over 100 businesses and supported the creation of 5,500 new jobs and the retraining of over 10,000 workers in existing jobs.”

Roel Lopez, COO of Betafence, said the company is happy to be participating.

“We are very proud to get this opportunity because we believe in education,” Lopez said. “We are really putting a lot of emphasis on ensuring that our employees at the facility have a high skill in the kind of things they are doing. I support this program 100 percent. Tomorrow we have 18 employees that will be in the class. I’m very proud that they can continue learning.”

Workers trained will include 53 new hires, and 190 jobs will be upgraded. Workers will be from North Texas-area plants and will be trained in the areas of maintenance, mechanical and support operations. Training will be provided by TSTC instructors.

Upon completion of this training, business partners anticipate improved equipment efficiency, greater team member capacity to maintain and manage different systems, career advancement for team members, and increased capacity to move unfinished and finished products through a series of operations.

After completing the training, workers will receive an average hourly wage of $22.16, which is higher than the average wage in the area.

For more information on TSTC’s workforce training, visit www.tstc.edu.

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Three TSTC in West Texas Employees Earn Chancellor’s Excellence Award

(ABILENE) – Texas State Technical College in West Texas honored the recipients of this year’s Chancellor’s Excellence Award at a luncheon Friday in Abilene. Three West Texas employees were chosen as recipients.

This year’s award winners are Adam Harvey, lead application administrator at TSTC in Sweetwater; Griselda Sanchez, community standards liaison at TSTC in Sweetwater; and Andy Weaver, health science statewide division director at TSTC in Abilene.

The Chancellor’s Excellence Award began in 2001, and over the past 15 years 270 TSTC employees have received the honor. Recipients are chosen based on outstanding contributions and achievements, commitment to excellence, and character. Honorees serve as agents of change in the advancement of TSTC initiatives.

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TSTC Employee Celebrates 40th Work Anniversary

(SWEETWATER) – When Si Acuña began working at Texas State Technical College in Sweetwater, he thought he would only be there for a few years. Now he finds himself in his 40th year at TSTC.

Acuña began working at the college in 1976 as a lab assistant in Automotive Technology.

“I was thinking I would stick around and see how long I was going to stay,” Acuña said. “I thought I would maybe go and do something else after that. I started as a lab assistant and moved on to an instructor, then moved on to master instructor for many years, and I was the department chair for years on and off. The program just kept going and going.”

With the development of advanced technology in cars, Acuña has seen much change throughout his time at TSTC.

“In the last 15 years or so, technology has changed so rapidly,” Acuña said. “The curriculum has changed quite a bit to keep up. In my time here, we’ve grown from being in a small building to a larger building where we are now. We have a lot more space and more classrooms with a well-equipped shop.”

He keeps up with the technology by reading and maintaining membership in professional organizations.

“I’ve been a member of many organizations that send out information and host conferences, like the Mobile Air Conditioning Society, the Automotive Service Association and the Automatic Transmission Association,” Acuña said. “Being part of those organizations, going to conferences and continuing to study on my own, I’m learning all the time.”

Acuña is proud to have made a difference at TSTC.

“I’m glad I was part of it,” Acuña said. “I helped to train a lot of students. One of the things I really like is working with the students and training them. The training is what’s really kept me here so long, being able to pass on my knowledge to other people.”

Overall, his favorite moment in teaching is seeing his students succeed.

“I have a lot of favorite moments, but I guess what is the best is when I see them cross the stage and they get a job,” Acuña said. “That’s the greatest one.”

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TSTC in Waco HVAC Program Receives National Ranking

(WACO) – The Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Technology program at Texas State Technical College in Waco has received nationwide academic recognition.

The Nevada-based Community for Accredited Online Schools recently ranked the technical program in the top five in the nation for this year among two-year institutions. The ranking took into account financial aid, student-teacher ratios, graduation rates and placement and counseling services. Information from the National Center for Education Statistics was used to rank the list’s top 50 institutions.

There are about 70 students studying this semester for the certificate and associate degree in Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Technology.

David Brannen, the program’s campus lead, said some students underestimate the algebraic conversions and physics involved in learning about HVAC.

“You have to have the theory to do a lab,” Brannen said.

Cheyanne Hill, 19, of Florien, Louisiana, is in her first semester of studying for the certificate. She learned about TSTC from her high school band director.

Hill said she has enjoyed learning about pipefitting, the different stages of refrigeration and manifold gauges.

“I have family that work in HVAC and I have helped my uncle,” she said. “It’s demanding work, and not a lot of females are willing to do that type of work. It can be overwhelming.”

Joseph Paul, 19, of China Spring will graduate in December with his HVAC certificate. Paul said he likes the program because it combines his interests in plumbing and electricity and he gets to use his hands.

“It’s fun and there is no dull moment, really,” he said. “I can’t sit behind an office desk the rest of my life.”

Some of the classes that majors can take include Basic Electricity for HVAC, Air Conditioning Control Principles and Heat Pumps.

Students will have a new opportunity to learn about HVAC when a $15,000 rooftop package unit lab will open in fall 2017. The lab will be used in a new commercial air conditioning class that will be offered.

For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.

TSTC in Waco Environmental Students Attend Chicago Leadership Conference

(WACO) – Texas State Technical College in Waco students attending a leadership conference in Chicago found a world of opportunities to motivate them in their future careers.

Jason Lehrmann, 34, of Mart, Katelyn Scott, 23, of Ennis and Thomas Roberts, 33, of Granbury, earlier this month attended the American Society of Safety Engineers 12th annual Future Safety Leaders Conference.

“Each of these students offers their own abilities and perspectives in safety,” said Patti Tate, an instructor in TSTC’s Environmental Health, Safety and Radiation Protection Technology program. “I have no doubt that all three of these students will go far and will be part of a bright and productive future as a safety or even an environmental professional.”

The students represented the Texas State Technical College in Waco Student Section of the Central Texas Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers. The students are all double majors in Environmental Technology – Compliance Specialization and Occupational Safety Compliance Technology.

“It was a good networking opportunity for us to meet some of the high-profile people in the ASSE community and learn about leadership from them,” Lehrmann said. “They have been in the field for 30-plus or more years.”

Some of the conference’s roundtable topics included fire protection, industrial hygiene, safety communication and training, and compliance for a bilingual workforce. Participants also learned about resume writing and had mock interviews with professionals.

“I love all these regulations and safety inspections,” Roberts said. “We are the nerds of the safety world.”

Scott found a discussion on the use of drones intriguing.

“Drones get into areas that are unsafe for employees to get to, such as checking transformers,” she said. “This cuts production time in half. Employees are working in confined spaces and entries. Drones can be sent in and they see what the actual hazards are.”

Roberts said the conference was a way to get reacquainted with networking.

“There is nobody in a high position that is going to say ‘I am better than you,’” he said. “They have arms open, mentoring and asking what they can do to inspire us. It was cool to feel that energy from strangers.”

The conference helped one of the students make a sharper focus on a career possibility.

Scott said she is interested in doing consulting work after listening to a presentation by Regina McMichael, president of South Carolina-based The Learning Factory Inc., an education and training design and delivery company focused on safety, leadership and risk management.

“Having a strong female example in the leadership role is a good starting point,” Scott said. “It was a good eye-opener for me in having a mentor. I can do consulting or training.”

The students also explored Chicago. Scott said the group took an Uber ride around the city and had fun spotting safety hazards at construction sites they passed. And, the group experienced the energy that Chicago residents had celebrating the Chicago Cubs’ World Series victory.

“These people were out in the city at 2 a.m.,” Lehrmann said.

For more information on the American Society of Safety Engineers, go to asse.org.

For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.

TSTC in Marshall a Employment Source for SEVEN Networks

(MARSHALL) – SEVEN Networks and Texas State Technical College in Marshall are proving to be good neighbors.

The mobile device traffic management and analytics company has three TSTC alumni as employees, along with two students as interns. The company is located in TSTC’s Center for Applied Technology, just steps away from the administration building.

“The benefit to us is their students are concentrating on their trade while they are getting educated,” said Keyvan Shahrdar, SEVEN’s director of operations in Marshall. “That’s a great plus for us because we are getting students who are doing the same exact thing that we are wanting to hire.”

Chastity Rhodes of Marshall has three associate degrees from TSTC in Marshall: Biomedical Equipment Technology, Cyber Security, and Computer Networking and Systems Administration. She was hired earlier this year to work with SEVEN’s marketing, quality control, network administration and cyber security.

“This is great international enterprise experience that Marshall has needed for many years,” said Rhodes, 33. “East Texas is behind in technology terms, and SEVEN provides a doorway to technological advancement for this area. There are great opportunities for graduates from this area who are not in a position to relocate just to have a job.”

The company will soon launch its iPhone Ad Clear platform for the United States. Ad Clear is an advertising blocking application that is already available for Android phones.

“I think that is going to have a major impact in our offices here, with us needing to hire more engineers from the area,” Shahrdar said.

Dustin Morgan, 22, of Jefferson graduated this summer from TSTC in Marshall with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Software Development and is a SEVEN software engineer working on Ad Clear’s Android version.

“The current projects the company has are challenging, and there is always something to learn and improve on,” Morgan said. “It never gets boring or repetitive and is constantly changing. It’s also interesting to see a lot of people use something you are working on, including people you know.”

The company opened its Marshall office in summer 2015. Ross Bott, president and chief executive officer of SEVEN Networks, said the company looked at Texas because some of its senior executives and customers are based in the state.

“We explored a variety of cities in Texas, but our early interactions with the Marshall Economic Development Corp. were so positive that Marshall quickly rose to the top of the list,” Bott said. “The ability to partner with TSTC and other nearby colleges for engineering talent was a second critical factor and ultimately led to our final decision to move to Marshall.”

The Marshall site has 10 employees and one contractor. SEVEN’s workers in Marshall and Hangzhou, China, divide their engineering and feedback workload.

TSTC Student Success Profile – Daisy Bujanos

(HARLINGEN) – Daisy Lizette Bujanos, 21, is currently studying Biology at Texas State Technical College and proudly boasts a 3.0 grade-point average. Not only is the Brownsville native focused on her studies, but she also works as a TSTC game room attendant, which allows her to interact and socialize with her peers.

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan on heading to Texas A&M in Corpus Christi to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training, or Del Mar College to pursue an associate degree in physical therapy. We’ll see what works out.

What’s your dream job?

I want to eventually work at a rehab center for children, but while working and focusing on my career I would also love to be a choreographer. I grew up dancing and I love it. I am hoping my passion for dance will help me work better with children.

What has been your greatest accomplishment while at TSTC?

Passing my classes in general has been a great accomplishment because they can definitely be tough. I always strive to go above and beyond to make sure I’m doing the best that I can. I want to prove to myself that I can do everything I set my mind to, and it’s also very important to me that I make my parents proud.

What greatest lesson have you learned about yourself or life?

Don’t ever give up. I know that sounds cliché, but it’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a student. No matter how hard things may get just push through the tough times because it’s all going to be worth it when you’re holding your degree.

Name a TSTC person who most influenced your success.

My boyfriend Roel Gonzalez, who works as an Orientation Leader, has made things easier for me. When I’m having a tough time, he’s the person that I feel I can talk to about anything and he always manages to remind me why I need to keep doing the best that I can through every semester.

What is your advice for future TSTC students?

When things get hard, remember why you’re here. Success takes time, and we all need to work hard for it. Study as much as you can and don’t ever let anybody bring you down. You’re never alone here at TSTC, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. There’s always people in every corner to assist you. Just keep going!

TSTC Student Receives the Help She Needs

(HARLINGEN) – What started as a hobby for Monique Cavazos, has turned into a possible career, thanks in part to a 2016 Coca Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship.

The Raymondville native and mother of four is currently enrolled as a Building Construction Technology student at Texas State Technical College and is expected to graduate with an associate degree in Spring 2017.

As a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, an elite fraternity that honors scholars who achieve a 3.5 or higher grade point average, Cavazos recently applied for and received a $1,000 scholarship to use toward her tuition and other college expenses.

“Financially, this journey has not been easy,” said Cavazos. “There have been times just getting to school is a challenge because we have no money for gas, and this scholarship is going to ensure that doesn’t happen again.”

The Leaders of Promise Scholarship is sponsored by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. Of the more than 1,100 applicants, only 200 students are selected.. Cavazos said she gets goosebumps just thinking how she is to be one of the scholarship recipients

“I can’t believe I’ve been given this opportunity,” said Cavazos. “I’m doing all of this for my daughters; to show them that everything is possible when you try and never give up. I want to be a good example for them.”

In a letter written to TSTC Provost Dr. Stella Garcia, Christin Grissom, director of scholarship operations for Phi Theta Kappa, said Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholars are selected based on outstanding academic achievement and demonstrated leadership potential.

“I want to congratulate your student’s outstanding academic achievements and leadership potential that have earned them this prestigious award,” said Grissom. “This scholarship is more relevant than ever as our organization, colleges and communities are actively encouraging completion of a college credential, an associate degree or certificate, among college students.”

The 32-year-old never expected to be where she is today. Building and construction were only hobbies to her growing up, she never imagined she would be pursuing this as a career track..

“When I was small, my grandfather, who was also my babysitter, would only allow me to work with the old, crooked nails. That’s how I got my start,” Cavazos recalls. “But to now be pursuing a career in a non-traditional program, being inducted in an honor society and receiving this scholarship makes everything feel so surreal.”

Cavazos has now been promoted to new, straight nails, but her passion for creating and building things has not changed. Upon graduating from TSTC, she hopes to begin flipping houses to give old homes purpose once again, and to build affordable housing for those in need.

“I want to make a difference in the community while doing what I love,” said Cavazos. “People deserve to have a place they can call home. And this scholarship is going to help me do that. To those who selected me, thank you, and know that this money will be put to good use.”

For more information on Building Construction Technology call 956-364-4770.

Early registration for Spring 20147 begins October 17 for returning students in good standing, registration for new students begins November 14. To register or apply anytime visit tstc.edu.

Partnership Helps Students Save Money and Lives

(HARLINGEN) – Seniors from South Texas Independent School District’s South Texas Academy for Medical Professionals who are interested in becoming Emergency Medical Technicians can now earn this Basic level certification in high school from Texas State Technical College.

“We’ve created this pathway to be innovative and provide their students opportunities and credentials they can use to find a good-paying job,” said Cledia Hernandez, associate vice president for TSTC Continuing Education. “This also helps them kick-start their studies in the medical profession.”

The partnership between TSTC and the academy was formed three years ago to create an Emergency Medical Technician Basic career pathway. Like any college training course, the students must successfully complete the program by meeting all passing grade requirements and clinical rotation hours. After one school year of training, TSTC recommends that students take the national registry exam to become Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technicians.

“This credential allows these students to go into the emergency medical service industry anywhere in the United States and begin their career right out of high school,” said Hernandez. “In turn, they (students) can always come back to TSTC for our one-year paramedic program.”

Dante Deleon, 17, said the training he is receiving through this program is invaluable. He said the best part is the hands-on training and the experience it’s providing him.

“I’m a hands-on learner. I’m able to learn things faster if I’m doing them,” said Deleon. “It’s great knowing that everything we do can save someone’s life and we’re able to do that because of our training.”

Students like Kassandra Mora, 17, not only take advantage of the program for its training, but also to save money. There is no fee for the students to take the Emergency Medical Technician Basic training course.

“Being given this opportunity in high school helps a lot,” said Mora. “The classes and uniform I know cost a lot. My family wouldn’t be able to afford it. But being in this program helps us save money so we can save lives, and it lets us get ahead in our careers.”

Mora said she hopes to continue on to become a paramedic and work immediately after high school. Her ultimate goal is to become a psychiatrist.

Hernandez said there are a number of job openings for Emergency Medical Technicians and the possibilities seem limitless.

“TSTC’s mission is to place more Texans into good-paying jobs,” said Hernandez. “This is exactly what we’re doing. For many of these students this is their career, while some will continue on to become registered nurses or doctors. So we make sure all of our programs are hands-on and our students leave with the skill sets that make them highly qualified and competitive in the field.”

For more information on continuing education at TSTC and what courses are offered, call 956-364-4567 or visit tstc.edu/continuingeducation.

TSTC Noche de Gala Honoree Ruthie Ewers

(HARLINGEN) – Ruthie Ewers, a distinguished businesswoman, and philanthropist in Harlingen, is this year’s honoree for Texas State Technical College’s 12^th Annual Noche de Gala Scholarship Fundraiser.

Ewers was chosen by TSTC’s Foundation to celebrate her efforts and commitment to the college. It is one of her life’s missions to help students fulfill their dreams of a college education.

“If someone gave me a list of boards to join my number one pick would have to do with helping youth,” said Ewers. “I only join a board if I know I’ll be an asset. I worry about the future, about my grandkids and great-grand kids’ futures, and I if I can help youth down here, then I’ve done my part to ensure a good future for them.”

Christened the “Energizer Bunny” by Harlingen Mayor Chris Boswell, Ewers has served on more than 20 boards, including TSTC’s Scholarship Steering Committee, working diligently to raise money for the college’s Texas Success Scholarship.

“I’ve been actively involved with TSTC for several years and I’ve seen the type of professionals the college is turning out. I love it,” said Ewers. “I want to be a part of that. This is something good I believe in and I want to help.”

Ewers’ work with TSTC began nearly five years ago as a judge for the Mr. and Ms. TSTC Scholarship Competitions, and continues with her work on the Scholarship Steering Committee and as a mentor during interview practicum, assisting soon-to-be TSTC graduates with their resumes and job interviewing skills.

“There are many aspects of TSTC Ruthie has touched and I can think of no better person to honor this year,” said Amy Lynch, TSTC senior development officer. “She is a donor and has helped us raise funds for scholarships, and even helped students get jobs. She is someone who has made an impact.”

Lynch calls Ewers a dynamic person whose time on many organizations has positively affected social and civil projects, and education.

“This city would not be same without her,” she said.

Ewers credits her work ethic and perseverance to growing up on a farm. Born in 1940 in Oklahoma, she helped her parents raise cattle, grow and harvest wheat, and cook for all of the ranch hands.

“I’ve worked my whole life. I know nothing but,” said Ewers. “I guess you could say I’ve always been an overachiever.”

At 21, with two sons, Ewers took a job at $1.15 an hour putting labels on mail for a distribution company, getting her first taste of the business and immediately receiving a promotion as the company’s manager. Fast forward to 1974, Ewers had enough knowledge and business sense to open up a mailing company with her husband and a business partner.

Ewers’ business, LEE Data Mail, later to be called LEE Marketing, focused on door-to-door distribution (hand delivery) and direct mail services. By 1997, it had become a $25 million-a-year company and her team was known as pioneers in the mailing industry.

Although the company was sold to the Omaha World Herald (OWH), a newspaper owned by Warren Buffett’s holding company Berkshire Hathaway Inc., it was recently recognized with a permanent exhibit at the National Postal Museum, established by the United States Postal Service and the Smithsonian Institution.

“Through all of this there were times we had to choose between our home and food,” said Ewers. “We knew difficult times, but were blessed to have been given a chance and luckily we found success, and now it’s my turn to help those who need help.”

Ewers said she feels like a lucky lady and all she wants to do is give the citizens from Harlingen, from youth to elderly, a better life. She is humbled by the honor that TSTC has bestowed on her.

“My motto is everything happens for a reason,” said Ewers. “I feel like I’ve won an academy award. I’ve never considered myself a leader, yet this honor is given to leaders. I’ve just always found it important to serve my community in any way I can.”

Ewers joins a long list of distinguished gala honorees including David Allex; Senator Eddie Lucio; Jo Rae Wagner; Manny Vela; Ruben Hinojosa; Frank Boggus; former Harlingen Mayor Bill Card; Arthur and Leona Everson; Connie de la Garza; and Joe and Teresa Long.

To sponsor a table or purchase tickets to the 2016 Noche de Gala, contact Valeri Smith at valeri.smith@tstc.edu, or for more information contact Lynch at 956-364-4500 or at amy.lynch@tstc.edu, or visit tstc.edu/harlingen/gala.

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