TSTC in Harlingen Provost Named Statewide Lead Provost

(HARLINGEN) – Texas State Technical College has named TSTC in Harlingen’s Provost Dr. Stella Garcia as its first Lead Provost for the college’s 10 campuses across the state.

As Lead Provost, Garcia will supervise activities, plan and organize assigned objectives, and oversee performance for the statewide provost team over the course of the one-year appointment.

“My recent and past leadership experience has prepared me well for this role,” Garcia said. “I am honored and humbled to have been given this opportunity and to continue in service to South Texas and the students of TSTC.”

TSTC’s Vice Chancellor and Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Kilgore said provost positions have been critical in the successes that have been seen and realized since TSTC became one college, and he is glad that Garcia has accepted the lead provost appointment.

“Stella has demonstrated exemplary professionalism, integrity and leadership throughout her career,” said Kilgore. “We are grateful to her for accepting these additional duties.”

Garcia’s time with TSTC dates back to September 2010 when she became associate vice president of Corporate and Community Education for TSTC in Harlingen. In June 2012 she was named chief of staff. One year later she became vice president of Institutional Effectiveness and Research, as well as served as the college’s accreditation liaison, Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator and Institutional Review Board administrator. In May 2014 she was appointed interim president of TSTC-Harlingen, ultimately being named provost during TSTC’s transition to a singly accredited college.

Prior to coming to TSTC, Garcia held leadership roles with Workforce Solutions.

She earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Microbiology from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master’s of Public Administration degree from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University) and a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from Our Lady of the Lake University.

Texas State Technical College is the technical college of Texas serving statewide with campuses in Abilene, Breckenridge, Brownwood, Fort Bend Co., Harlingen, Marshall, Red Oak, Sweetwater, Waco and Williamson Co. Aligning its purpose of strengthening Texas with a highly skilled, technically competent workforce – TSTC recently adopted a funding model based on student employment outcomes. The college celebrated 50 years of service to the state of Texas in 2015.

For more information on TSTC and the technologies offered visit tstc.edu.

TSTC Student Success Profile – Omar Duran

(HARLINGEN) – TSTC student Omar Duran is currently studying Culinary Arts and hopes to bring his talents to a school district after graduation. The 43-year-old Army veteran boasts a highly impressive 3.7 grade-point average and will be graduating in the Fall of 2018.

What are your plans after graduation?

I look forward to starting my civilian career. Ultimately, I would love to work with the La Feria school district because that’s where I’m from.

What’s your dream job?

I hope to become the supervisor in charge of the food distribution in the district.

What has been your greatest accomplishment while at TSTC?

Succeeding at math has been an accomplishment for me. A lot of people are afraid of it, and in my degree plan you have to take math or biology, so I decided to challenge myself by taking math. In culinary arts, you deal with a lot of numbers, so I’m really proud of everything I’ve learned.

What greatest lesson have you learned about yourself or life?

Coming back to school in general has been a lesson for me. I took different avenues and did 20 years in the military, so being around a bunch of younger people made me contemplate my priorities, but I’m here now, and I love it.

Name a TSTC person who most influenced your success.

All my fellow veterans in the Veteran’s Center have helped me out so much. If someone is having problems with an assignment, they help you out. My confidence is so high right now because of the support that I’m getting from everybody there.

What is your advice for future TSTC students?

Learn everything that you can while you’re in school and make sure your priorities are always straight. Getting your education is so important!

TSTC Hosts First ADA Conference in South Texas

(HARLINGEN) – Texas State Technical College and the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Coalition in conjunction with the Southwest ADA Center, recently hosted an ADA Coalition training conference – the first in South Texas.

The training was targeted to human resource personnel, disability service providers, campus police and behavior intervention teams from colleges and universities across the Rio Grande Valley. Attendees were provided with technical assistance, facilitated learning and policy guidance relating to the ADA, ADA Amendments Act and Rehabilitation Act.

“Our goal is provide awareness on how to better serve employees and students,” said Corina De la Rosa, coordinator for disability services at TSTC. “The ultimate goal is to learn how to provide equal access and equal opportunity, and how to properly be ADA compliant.”

Nearly 90 people were in attendance and had the opportunity to hear from keynote speaker Diego Demaya from the ADA Resource Center. He is a Human Resources Consultant and ADA Technical Assistance Director who is a nationally known expert in providing policy guidance to healthcare and educational institutions.

“Training is the key,” Demaya told the audience. “It’s important to train supervisors and administrators on how to handle different situations, so it’s always in a professional manner.”

Other topics covered at the training included ADA Leave and the Interactive Process; Students with Psychiatric Disabilities; and Direct Threat and Clear and Present Danger.

The ADA Coalition was formed one year ago as a partnership between TSTC, South Texas College, Texas Southmost College and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The higher ed alliance is comprised of disability service providers from each campus.

“We always work collaboratively to provide the most consistent services for our students across all campuses,” said De la Rosa. “This is the first time we host a training like this and we’re excited that the Southwest ADA Center was able to provide us with the resources to make this possible.”

TSTC Human Resource Executive Mary Prepejchal said the training was a great reminder about what ADA means and stands for from an employer standpoint.

“ADA makes it unlawful for us to discriminate against a qualified individual with a disability,” said Prepejchal. “As the employer we are obligated to know the ADA language and be able to translate the needs of a person who has a disability and their need for accommodation.”

TSTC’s Disability Services office offers students accommodations on a case-by-case basis. Services such as interpreters and separate testing rooms are available.

“Our goal is to accommodate students who need the assistance so that they can participate in the classroom experience and get the best education possible.”

For more information on disability services call TSTC Support Services at 956-364-4521.

TSTC Hosted Its Annual High School Counselor Update

(HARLINGEN) – Texas State Technical College recently hosted its Ninth Annual TSTC High School Counselor Update with nearly 100 high school counselors from across the Rio Grande Valley and the Coastal Bend in attendance.

The counselor update serves as a half-day program that focuses on the technologies and services TSTC offers. In addition, presentations are made discussing processes or changes in enrollment services, student learning and financial aid.

Counselors were also treated to a tour of the Allied Health building and the new Nursing Education Center.

“Not only is this a way to keep our high school counselors up to date on the many opportunities we have to offer, but it’s our way of saying thank you,” said Dora Colvin, director of recruitment. “They welcome us into their schools to talk to their students. They’re great partners.”

Rolando Gonzalez, Los Fresnos High School counselor, has been attending TSTC’s counselors update for the past four years and said he learns something new every time.

“TSTC does an excellent job keeping us informed and updated,” said Gonzalez. “This is really an educational outlet for counselors and it helps me serve my students better. I have full confidence in TSTC and what they have to offer.”

For Delicia Sanchez, Harlingen High School’s College and Career advisor, this is her second time attending and said she has been impressed with TSTC on more than one occasion.

“Today we got to tour the allied health programs and I can’t wait to take what I learned back to my students,” said Sanchez. “Health professions are growing in popularity and they’re in demand, so learning what I learned about TSTC’s Allied Health program will help me answer my students’ questions and guide them better.”

In addition to hearing from keynote speaker Dr. Michael J. Sandroussi, president of Craft Training Center of the Coastal Bend, counselors had the chance to hear a student testimonial made by Cecilia Zebrowski, one of TSTC’s few female students in Tool and Die Technology.

Zebrowski is set to graduate December 2016 with an associate degree in Tool and Die Technology. She already has numerous job offers from Raytheon, Toyota, Space X and United Launch, to name a few. She said she wanted to be an example that counselors could use when speaking with their students about pursuing non-traditional programs.

“I let the counselors know about the types of opportunities and jobs I’ve been offered because of my time here at TSTC,” said Zebrowski. “But I spoke mainly to inspire these counselors to encourage their students and future generations to pursue education locally in non-traditional fields.”

Zebrowski inspired many of the counselors, like Cynthia De la Garza Gonzales, Career and Technology counselor for South Texas Independent School District.

“All of the information we’re getting today is valuable,” said De la Garza. “But I was truly impressed with the young lady who presented her testimony. She is a female in a male-dominated field and she’s succeeding. This will definitely help me inspire other students like her to pursue opportunities like she has.”

Many of the counselors were appreciative to be included in the counselors update. However, Colvin said it is TSTC who should be thanking them.

“We’ve collaborated with these school districts and counselors for many college initiatives,” said Colvin. “We thank them for everything they do for us and for the students. We’re excited to have them here at TSTC. We look forward to working with them and helping their students have a smooth transition to TSTC. ”

TSTC Student Success Profile – Christina Santiago

(HARLINGEN) – TSTC student Christina M. Santiago is currently studying biology and expects to graduate in the Fall of 2017. The Weslaco native, 25, aspires to follow in her mother’s footsteps and hopes to one day become an OB/GYN.

What are your plans after graduation?

After graduating I will be transferring to Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi to obtain my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Eventually I will get my Doctoral.

What’s your dream job?

My dream is to do what my mom does, which is labor and delivery. I plan on working as a registered nurse for a while, but ultimately I want to be an OB/GYN.

What has been your greatest accomplishment while at TSTC?

My greatest accomplishment has been picking up my grade-point average. After two semesters of hard work it has gotten a lot better. It’s not where I want it to be yet, but I will get there.

What greatest lesson have you learned about yourself or life?

The greatest lesson I’ve learned is to never doubt my abilities, nobody should. We are capable of accomplishing more things than we believe, and we can do anything we set our minds to.

Who at TSTC has influenced your success the most?

I can’t single out just one person. The HATSS (Helping a TSTC Student Succeed) program helped me a lot and I gained a lot of useful skills though their workshops. Any questions I had were met with great care by the staff, and they did everything in their power to point me in the right direction.

What is your advice for future TSTC students?

Aim high and ask questions. Take advantage of everything that TSTC has to offer, and most importantly, don’t ever give up.

TSTC Culinary Art Students Sought for Galley

(HARLINGEN) – Texas State Technical College recently hosted recruiters from Seafarers International Union of North America, the largest North American union representing merchant mariners from the Port of Houston, at the Culinary Arts dining room. Recruiters from the company were invited to TSTC by Senator Eddie Lucio III and TSTC Provost Dr. Stella Garcia after the workers union showed interest in hiring graduates from Culinary Arts for its sea vessels. The company is looking for skilled and talented chefs who have experience cooking and supervising in a kitchen setting.

Seafarers International Union will work closely with TSTC’s Talent Management and Career Services to return later in the year for a recruitment event with the opportunity of speaking to current students and alumni about the job opportunities and benefits available to them if they join the company.

TSTC Hosts FAFSA Fest

(HARLINGEN) – The financial aid office at Texas State Technical College in Harlingen recently hosted FAFSA Fest, an event scheduled to continue for the next four consecutive Tuesdays to inform students about current changes in financial aid processing, and to assist in the application process.

FAFSA, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is offered through the United States Department of Education and used to determine the types and amounts of federal aid a student is eligible for, which ranges from Pell Grants to work-study and federal student loans.

The U.S. Department of Education has set forth two major changes in financial aid processing nationwide. Taking effect for the 2017-2018 school year FAFSA is now available earlier, meaning students can begin completing their financial aid forms October 1 instead of January 1; and FAFSA will collect information from the prior year’s tax return.

“Financial aid plays a huge role for our students,” said Director of Financial Aid Fred Pena. “The events we’re hosting are to introduce these changes, help students understand what they mean and assist them in completing their paperwork early.”

Pena explained that with an earlier financial aid processing timeline students can receive award letters sooner to make better decisions when choosing colleges or the courses taken in a semester. He also added that the 2017-2018 school year FAFSA applicants are now allowed to use their 2015 tax return, 2018-2019 school year applicants can use their 2016 tax return, and so forth.

Because the FAFSA changes are nationwide, all students from TSTC’s 10 campuses are affected by the changes.

“We have already sent out emails to students across our 10 campuses to educate them about the FAFSA changes,” said Pena. “All of our campuses, as well, are hosting financial aid events to assist students who need help completing their applications.”

TSTC students, like Daniel Reyes, Welding Technology major, said it is a relief knowing they have the help they need on campus. He has already taken advantage of FAFSA Fest and has begun his financial aid process.

“Sometimes FAFSA can get confusing, but we have a lot of guidance here at TSTC,” said Reyes. “And being able to begin the process earlier gives me a piece of mind knowing I’ll be able to get my money on time to pay tuition and other expenses. I’m definitely feeling less stressed.”

Students interested in completing their financial aid before the new year can attend FAFSA Fest on October 18 and 25, and November 1 and 8. To complete the application students must bring their social security number; 2015 federal income tax return and W-2s; student and parent (if applicable) Federal Student Aid Identification numbers; and if applicable, bank statements and records of investments and untaxed income. If a student is not a U.S. citizen they must bring an alien registration number.

“We highly encourage students to attend FAFSA Fest or come to our office to get a head start on their 2017-2018 FAFSA,” said Pena.

The FAFSA deadline is March 1. For more information on the current changes or for help with FAFSA call the financial aid office at 956-364-4330 or visit tstc.edu/financialaid.

TSTC in Marshall Instructor Recognized With Chancellor’s Excellence Award

(MARSHALL) – Edward Chaney dreamed of teaching junior high school or high school mathematics while growing up.

Now he is fulfilling his dream, but for older students as an instructor in the Industrial Maintenance program at Texas State Technical College in Marshall.

“I feel like I am giving something back to the people giving something to me,” Chaney, 50, said.

He was recently honored as a TSTC Chancellor’s Excellence Award recipient.

“Society is changing so fast because of the impact technology is having in our lives,” TSTC Chancellor and CEO Mike Reeser said. “But the one thing that doesn’t change is the strength of a leader and their character, and the profound impact we have on each other. And that’s why TSTC is a special place and a unique player in Texas.”

Chaney has taught at TSTC in Marshall for four years. The Industrial Maintenance program has about 70 students for the fall semester.

“Edward is clearly one of our top teammates and a great example of a true servant-leader,” TSTC in Marshall Provost Barton Day said. “He is a mentor to students and fellow staff and faculty and a terrific choice for this well-deserved recognition.”

Chancellor’s award recipients are nominated by coworkers.

“I got notification about the award from email and that UPS was sending me a package,” Chaney said. “I thought it was spam at first. There was a letter that came from the chancellor. Once I got the envelope and found out what it was, it was a sense of awe because I wasn’t expecting it.”

Chaney grew up in Mount Enterprise, where he graduated in 1984 from Mount Enterprise High School. He was active in FFA and a member of the electrical skills team.

He joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served for four years as an electrician while stationed at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in California and Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay.

“I would help hook up tent cities in the field and on training missions,” Chaney said.

After leaving the military, he worked in maintenance and production for a tire manufacturer in California before returning to East Texas to work for 16 years at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. plant in Tyler before it closed in 2007.

“When they shut the plant down, I got to come to TSTC in Marshall as a student and did two associate degrees: Industrial Electrical Technology and Industrial Mechanical Technology (later combined to be the Associate of Applied Science degree in Industrial Maintenance).”

After a couple of more jobs, Chaney discovered TSTC in Marshall had a faculty position open.

“I like the fact we change lives and that is what I’m excited about,” he said.

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

TSTC in Marshall Hosts Industry Career Day

(MARSHALL) – Students at Texas State Technical College in Marshall took the opportunity to interact with employers Thursday morning during Industry Career Day.

More than 20 companies representing cyber security, telecommunications, electrical service, heavy machinery, chemical production and other fields gathered at TSTC’s South Building. Company representatives traveled from Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and the U.S. Virgin Islands to attend the event.

“It’s a great way for the students to make industry contacts and learn exactly what some of the companies in the area do,” said Hannah Luce, a Career Services associate at TSTC in Marshall. “It’s also great practice for the student, because at each table they visit, it’s like a mini-interview.”

Companies were using their own ways to develop communication connections with the more than 200 students in attendance who could become prospective employees.

Fort Worth-based Alcon specializes in treatments and innovative medicines for eye care and is a division of Switzerland-based Novartis. Ally Van Deuren, an Alcon campus recruiter in Fort Worth, said the company is seeking students for internships, cooperatives and part-time and full-time work in marketing, sales, finance, engineering, supply chain management and engineering. Industry Career Day was the first time the company has been represented at TSTC.

TSTC students were able to text the company and provide their names, fields of study, grade point averages and email addresses to get up-to-date employment postings.

“It’s pretty new,” Van Deuren said. “We started doing it last spring. It’s mutually beneficial to keep in contact with students and to have a contact email and phone. It is also good they have contact within Alcon and get updated information on jobs they might not see if they were searching.”

Representatives of AEP Southwestern Electric Power Co., also known as SWEPCO, in Shreveport, Louisiana, attended the event to direct students to its website to keep up with openings for station electricians, transportation dispatchers and other careers. AEP, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of more than 200 coalition members of the Veteran Jobs Mission which seeks to place veterans into private-public sector skilled jobs nationwide.

“We familiarize ourselves with them in our process,” said Patty Woodham, a human relations consultant based in Shreveport. “We do all our staffing and hiring online. We give the students some insight into building a profile, having their resume up to date and checking the job listing.”

Carvana, a nationwide online used-vehicle seller headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, has a location in Blue Mound in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Representatives were seeking students studying in technical automotive programs and planned to keep in touch with them by telephone and email.

Carvana was represented at Industry Career Day for the first time.

“We’re eagerly seeking passionate students who fit the Carvana culture and closely identify with our company values, and from there, help them launch rewarding careers in the automotive industry,” said Amber Bartz, a company recruiter coordinator. “We’re also looking to create buzz among younger classes of students who also might be interested in pursuing a career with us in the future.”

For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu

TSTC in Waco Police Officers Honored By Lacy Lakeview

(WACO) – Two Texas State Technical College in Waco police officers were honored Tuesday night by the Lacy Lakeview City Council for their work in helping to de-escalate a situation last summer.

TSTC’s Sgt. Roman Proctor and Patrolman Marcus Woods were recognized with lifesaving pins to wear on their uniforms for helping to keep a woman from jumping off the Meyers Lane overpass bridge on Interstate 35 in August.

The incident area is long familiar to the TSTC officers – they grew up in Waco, with Proctor graduating in 2001 from A.J. Moore Academy and Woods graduating in 2010 from Connally High School. Both are criminal justice graduates of McLennan Community College.

“I am proud to serve with Sergeant Proctor and Officer Woods,” TSTC Police Chief Brian Davis said. “Their courageous and lifesaving actions were certainly worthy of recognition. This exemplifies the service they provide to our community on a daily basis.”

Lacy Lakeview Police Chief John Truehitt said Proctor and Woods responded first to the situation early on a rainy morning in August.

Proctor said the officers had to assess the situation quickly.

“She was sitting on the side of the bridge and had some blood coming from her arm,” Woods said.

The woman, whose relatives quickly arrived at the scene, became distracted and began to crawl over the railing. That is when Officer Casey Lander of the Lacy Lakeview Police Department helped Proctor and Woods pull the woman to safety. An ambulance was on standby near the scene to transport the woman to a local hospital.

“The truth of the matter is, it’s what we are in the business for,” Truehitt said. “We take ‘protect and serve’ very seriously.”

Lander, who worked for TSTC from 2010 to 2014, was also recognized with a lifesaving pin.

“It’s an honor to go out and do the job every day,” Lander said.

The TSTC and Lacy Lakeview police departments typically back up each other on service calls and 911 dispatches. Truehitt said Lacy Lakeview’s policy is to have two officers respond to particular scenes, like those of domestic violence, which can deplete manpower as other incidents happen in the city of more than 6,500.

For more information on the city of Lacy Lakeview, go to lacylakeview.org.