TSTC in Marshall, UT Tyler Sign Transfer Agreement

(MARSHALL) – Students majoring in select programs at Texas State Technical College in Marshall now have a way to transfer semester credit hours to earn a four-year degree at The University of Texas at Tyler Longview University Center.

Administrators representing TSTC in Marshall and UT Tyler signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Tuesday morning during a ceremony at TSTC’s South Building.

“We welcome the opportunity to partner with the team at UT Tyler in our continuing effort to place more Texans in great-paying careers across the state,” said TSTC in Marshall Provost Barton Day. “Clearly, answering the growing need for a technically trained workforce is, and should be, a primary goal of our institutions of higher education. We’re proud to be part of those efforts.”

The transfer agreement lets TSTC students who earn the Associate of Applied Science degree in Industrial Controls Technology, Industrial Maintenance Technology, Computer Aided Drafting and Design, and Computer Aided Manufacturing move forward to pursue the Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology at the Longview University Center.

“We welcome this opportunity to collaborate with Texas State Technical College in Marshall that will benefit students and employers across the region,” said UT Tyler President Rodney H. Mabry.

“Our industrial technology program offered at both our Tyler and Longview campuses is one of only two such programs accredited by the Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering in the state of Texas. Employers understand the value of an ATMA- accredited program, and as a result our graduates typically receive several job offers following graduation.”

TSTC in Marshall students transferring into the industrial technology program can also earn a minor in business administration.

“Classes in accounting, management, marketing and supply-chain management provide them with the knowledge needed to operate effectively in a business environment,” said Mark Miller, a UT Tyler professor in the College of Business and Technology.

Industrial machining mechanics and machining maintenance workers are expected to grow in demand nationally to more than 530,000 workers by 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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

For more information on the Longview University Center, go to uttyler.edu/luc.

Aviation Maintenance Interest Soaring at TSTC in Waco

(WACO) – People walking into the hangar at the end of the Col. James T. Connally Aerospace Center at Texas State Technical College in Waco can see learning in progress.

Small turboprop planes and a helicopter are positioned where wings and propellers do not touch. A person can see the exposed engines and dashboards as they duck under wings while walking through the hangar.

The hangar is used by students in the technical college’s Aviation Maintenance department and is a place attracting students from throughout Texas to learn the inner workings of airplanes and helicopters, all within Federal Aviation Administration guidelines.

“I take good notes in class,” said Ryan Borg, 21, of San Antonio and a 2014 graduate of Steele High School. “I absorb this stuff easily. I enjoy being able to wake up and fix these aircraft.”

The department has grown from 80 students in the 2015-16 academic year to about 100 students for the 2016-17 academic year. Robert Capps, the department’s lead instructor, said faculty members anticipate the department growing to 120 students next year.

“We want students who are good at technical reading and writing, have a grasp of high school algebra and, above all, a curiosity and a love of learning,” Capps said.

Borg is working on the department’s associate degrees in Aircraft Airframe Technology and Aircraft Powerplant Technology. He is also a student worker in the department.

Borg said he was good at mathematics and using tools growing up building homes with his grandfather. A high school teacher, along with Borg’s father, encouraged him to take a look at TSTC.

“My father was a pilot, and he suggested we go look at the TSTC Airport. So we took a tour of the facility,” Borg said. “I thought it would be fun to ‘wrench’ on those airplanes.”

Some of the department’s students came to TSTC by way of having degrees in other fields.

Chris Smith, 31, a native of Missouri City and a 2003 graduate of Hightower High School in Missouri City, studied sports management at Metropolitan State University of Denver and worked for the Atlantic League’s Sugar Land Skeeters.

But he discovered working with sports was not what he wanted to do the rest of his career. He wants one to day repair F/A-18 Hornets in the Denver or Dallas-Fort Worth areas.

“My affinity for aviation started kicking in,” Smith said. “I wanted to work on airplanes. I wanted to learn how they worked and get a job and pay to further my education.”

Brian Davis, 36, grew up in Austin and graduated in 1998 from Stephen F. Austin High School. The Temple resident received a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida and a master’s degree in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology.

Despite challenges finding jobs in the engineering field and working in cable company customer support and quality engineering, Davis still kept the aerospace field in mind. He found TSTC through an online search and is working on the associate degree in Aircraft Airframe Technology.

“I was able to test out of the mathematics and physics classes,” Davis said. “A lot of the physics deals with aerodynamics. This program opens much more doors.”

Capps said the department’s students are sought after.

Our college’s reputation in the industry is such that employers come to us frequently to hire our graduates,” he said. “Textron Aviation (based in Wichita, Kansas) came last semester and interviewed six people, offered jobs to four of them, and two accepted.”

At least 121,000 aircraft mechanics and service technicians are expected to be needed through 2024, according to projectionscentral.com, a clearinghouse of short-term and long-term state labor market predictions.

“We are very excited about the growth of the aerospace industry,” Capps said. “Flight hours are expected to double in the next 15 years. We are also excited about the space side of the aerospace industry. Commercial space flights are on the cusp of beginning. Our students are well-positioned to begin a career that will continue as future supervisors and management in the commercial space industry.”

The Aviation Maintenance department also offers certificates in Aircraft Airframe Technology and Aircraft Powerplant Technology.

For more information, go to tstc.edu.

Waco Aviation Company Brings the World to TSTC Graduates

(WACO) – The companies lining Karl May Drive in Waco could be considered Aviation Row. Drivers on their way to Waco Regional Airport pass an array of aerospace businesses specializing in flight training, propeller and engine parts and charter flights.

Blackhawk Modifications Inc., which is in sight of the airport’s control tower, is a global company headquartered in Waco that designs and sells engines to modify corporate-sized turboprop aircraft as approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Some of the 38 Blackhawk employees are graduates of Texas State Technical College in Waco.

“There is a major shortage in aviation-trained personnel coming on the immediate horizon, and TSTC is doing a lot to help bridge that gap,” said Jim Allmon, Blackhawk’s president and chief executive officer. “Boeing predicts that by 2020 there will be a deficit of 20,000 pilots and 30,000 mechanics in the aviation industry. Therefore, it is crucial that TSTC continues to produce graduates who are highly trained in the aviation field. Central Texas is growing tremendously, and we are going to need the talent that TSTC graduates provide.”

Some of the work the company is taking on now includes an engine upgrade for the King Air 350 and providing work for special missions for militaries throughout the world with lightweight interiors to reduce aircraft weight, fuel lockers and engine upgrades for selected aircraft.

Donna Crisman, 52, of Waco has been at Blackhawk for nine years and is the FAA certification and documentation manager. She compiles project revisions using FAA specifications.

Crisman graduated from TSTC in 1995 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Computer Networking and Systems Administration. She credits the technical college with teaching her the foundation to function comfortably with computers and the Microsoft system she uses at the company.

“I was a newly single mother when I looked at TSTC,” Crisman said. “TSTC had much more resources – child care, the women’s resource center and good housing.”

Michael Moore, 59, of Waco has been at Blackhawk for 11 years and is an engineering and customer service manager. He grew up in Marlin and has a tie to the land TSTC is on – his mother met his stepfather there when the property was Connally Air Force Base.

Moore was a jet engine technician when he was in the U.S. Air Force, which developed his troubleshooting skills. He went on to graduate in 1984 from TSTC with an associate degree in Aircraft Airframe Technology.

“The program was really good and gave me a good basis for my whole career,” Moore said.

He said he liked Blackhawk’s small and efficient size.

“I would not fit in with a large company,” Moore said. “Everyone knows everybody and we all get along.”

Garrett Stephan, 35, of Waco is an engineering project manager who has worked at Blackhawk for five years. He said flexibility was key to seeing work orders filled. He graduated in 2001 with an Aircraft Airframe Technology certificate.

“We have so many different products we are always working on. If we are not developing new products, we are updating legacy products,” Stephan said. “We study product improvement and customer issues.”

Brendan Krenek, 55, is an electrical and avionics specialist at Blackhawk who earned TSTC associate degrees in Laser Electro-Optics Technology in 1982, Aircraft Airframe Technology in 2005 and Avionics Technology in 2007. He said his studies with lasers helped him as he worked on his avionics technology degree.

“TSTC is more of a direct path to a job,” said Krenek, a Fayetteville native and Waco resident. “You don’t have to spend four years getting a bachelor’s degree to graduate with a marketable skill.”

Blackhawk was founded in 1999 and has performed more than 700 engine updates.

“A lot of new modifications and new products come out of Waco, and you don’t see that as much in other areas,” Allmon said. “The Waco aviation industry is greatly supported by the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce and city leaders.”

Blackhawk has partnered with TSTC in the past. The company has provided scholarships to TSTC students through the Freedom Ball which Allmon and his wife, Lynnette Allmon, Blackhawk’s vice president, started hosting in 2011.

“The cost of living in Waco is low, which is a great advantage to a small company like Blackhawk,” Jim Allmon said.

For more information on Blackhawk Modifications Inc., go to Blackhawk.aero.

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

TSTC in Waco Auto Collision Program Celebrates New Equipment

(WACO) – The Auto Collision and Management Technology program at Texas State Technical College in Waco celebrated Friday its selection as a 2015 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover school.

The program received a $50,000 Dallas Makeover Grant, which is part of the initiative and awarded by the Collision Repair Education Foundation.

“We saw the instructors’ commitment to the students,” said Stacy Bartnik, chairman of the Collision Repair Education Foundation. “They want to make sure the students were entry-level ready and have a passion for the industry.”

Faculty members bought paint guns, sockets, red storage carts, paintless dent repair tools, bumper stands, an induction heater and other items.

“Obviously we have the right stuff to train a student to be a technician going into the auto repair field,” said Kevon Kleibrink, a program instructor. “Without the support of industry partners saying good things about our students and actually hiring our students, we would not exist.”

Students have begun working with four welding machines purchased through the grant that can do four different types of welding: TIG, MIG, stick and aluminum.

Geoffrey Whitlock, 25, an Auto Collision and Management Technology Refinishing Specialization major from Waco, said having the new machines will broaden his and other students’ range of knowledge.

“It’s helped out a lot,” the La Vega High School graduate said. “Before, we had just one aluminum welder. Now, we have several welding machines, including the old one. Learning with these will help when we get out in the industry. We will be better prepared for that.”

David Noyola, 20, of Killeen is working toward an Associate of Applied Science degree in Auto Collision and Management Technology Repair Specialization. He said it took a few days to learn how the welding machines function.

“I’ve always been into cars, more of the body side, making it look good and fixing it back to its normal shape,” said Noyola, a 2014 Shoemaker High School graduate.

For more information about the Auto Collision and Management Technology program, log on to tstc.edu.

Montse on the Move

(HARLINGEN) – For Montserat “Montse” Esquivel, college has become a journey that not only allowed her to help other students, it’s also helped her realize her dream.

The 31-year-old San Benito native is well on her way to achieving her goal of becoming a veterinarian.

“I’m really into farming and animal science, and my next step is to become a veterinarian technician,” she said. “Since I just finished my biology degree and I’m currently studying agricultural technology, it’s going to save me a lot of time and money when I transfer to A&M in Kingsville to pursue veterinary medicine.”

Esquivel says her upbringing is one of the biggest reasons she has a strong passion for four-legged friends.

“My parents are huge animal lovers and they always told us that our dogs are part of the family. If I see an injured bird in the middle of the road, I pick it up and nurture it until it’s okay.”

The future veterinarian technician recently received the STARS scholarship, which she credits with helping her get to where she wants to be academically.

“I wasn’t able to borrow the books from anybody, so the scholarship really helped me make a dent in the supplies that I needed for the semester.”

Esquivel isn’t only pushing herself further academically, she’s also helping other students do the same.

“I’ve been a tutor for three years. The majority of the time that I’ve been here at TSTC,” she said. “When your students come and tell you that they made an A on a test, that’s the best feeling. I was inspired by the tutors who helped me when I came back to school, and I wanted to reciprocate that feeling with other students.”

She said that one of the best things about attending TSTC is that there is a nonstop support system that guides students toward success.

“Director of Student Success, Norma Salazar and Linda Barron, who is a tutor coordinator, have been great inspirations to me. They have both guided me through everything and have been very encouraging,” said Esquivel. “The thing I like about TSTC is that people start to know your name. It’s like a family. You can go down the hall and someone will tell you hi and ask how you are, and I think that’s really important in an environment that can sometimes be stressful.”

While she’s continuously busy focusing on her career path, Esquivel’s biggest motivation to pursue her higher education comes from wanting to make sure that her 6-year-old daughter, Isabella, also understands the importance of going to college.

“I want it to come natural to her, and I don’t really want college to be seen as a maybe. I want her to know that after high school, she will go to college, and I want her to know that whatever career path she chooses to follow, she will be fully supported,” she said. “I want her to have the same support system that I do. My husband, Gregorio, and the staff and faculty here at TSTC have all helped me so much, and I am very grateful.”

Esquivel and her family will be moving to Kingsville next fall so that she may continue her education.

For more information on TSTC’s Agricultural Technology Program, visit http://www.tstc.edu/programs/AgriculturalTechnology.

Student Success Profile – Naomi Reyes

(HARLINGEN) – Naomi Reyes recently graduated from La Feria High School, but immediately enrolled at Texas State Technical College. The 18-year-old is studying the Academic General Education Core and expects to complete the program by 2018.

The La Feria native is active on campus as a member of the Service Squad, volunteering and committing her time to various philanthropic organizations around the community. Reyes also dedicates herself as a teacher’s aide for bible school and bible studies at her church.

What are your plans after graduation?

After I finish my academic core, I plan on transferring to Texas A&M International University in Laredo to pursue a bachelor’s degree in English. Ultimately though, I want to be happy in whatever I end up doing and spreading the word of God.

What’s your dream job?

My dream job is to teach English in different countries. Coming from a family where my mom speaks only Spanish, I believe being bilingual is important and I want to help people achieve this. I’m currently teaching myself Korean.

What has been your greatest accomplishment while at TSTC?

My greatest accomplishment has been stepping out of my comfort zone, which doesn’t sound like much of an accomplishment. However, I was really shy and always avoided meeting people or being around large groups, so to me this is a big deal.

What greatest lesson have you learned about yourself or life?

The greatest lesson I have learned is that no matter what I’m going through I will never be alone because I have God by my side to guide and direct me in the right direction.

Who at TSTC has influenced your success?

I believe that everyone I have come in contact with at TSTC has really influenced my success, because even the smallest gestures of kindness are greatly appreciated.

What is your advice for future TSTC students?

There are two important pieces of advice I want to share: Always try your best and do not procrastinate.

TSTC and Texas Veterans Commission Celebrate Women Veterans

(HARLINGEN) – Only four months ago, Deborah Jackson was working as a Foreign Service Officer at the Port of Brownsville, but now the United States Navy veteran is dealing with a layoff and the Texas Women Veterans Roll Call: Life Beyond the Oath conference is helping her get back on her feet.

Texas State Technical College recently hosted the conference catered to women veterans. The event was one of several being held across the state by the Texas Veterans Commission.

Jackson was one of few women who left the conference with two job offers and a scheduled interview.

“Everyone here has been so helpful and sensitive to my situation,” said Jackson. “They’re supporting me in my job hunt and for that I am grateful.”

Director of External Relations for the Texas Veterans Commission Edith Disler said there are approximately 180,000 women veterans in Texas, many of whom do not identify as veterans.

“Many women don’t identify themselves as veterans for different reasons,” said Disler. “We’re here to make sure they get the assistance they need or seek, and that they network with those with shared experiences.”

The Texas Women Veterans Roll Call was a three-day event providing women with veteran resources such as panel discussions ranging from women’s health and well-being, what hiring managers are looking for, to stories of hope; professional headshots; resumè building; Workforce Solution of Cameron County skills workshops, small business entrepreneurship workshops, self-care stations and a career fair.

“We are so grateful to those who have helped put this event together and make it a success,” said Disler. “Also, a huge thank you goes to TSTC for allowing us to host it on campus and opening its door to our veterans.”

Director of TSTC’s Veterans Center Steve Guevara said TSTC prides itself in being a military-friendly school.

“Hosting events like this one are a way to show our community that we truly are military-friendly,” said Guevara. “This event recognizes the impact women veterans have in our military and it’s important to honor and connect them with the benefits and services they have earned.”

Guevara said he hopes women veterans were able to find a resource they can use and perhaps even employment.

“If anything, I hope they made a connection with another veteran,” he said.

As for Jackson, she said she is thankful for events like this that give women veterans the support they deserve. She added going from active duty to civilian life is no easy task and no matter at what age, the transition is difficult, and learning how to embrace the change is the first step in moving forward.

“This has been a great opportunity to network and get informed on the resources available to us as veterans,” said Jackson. “I’ve been having a difficult time, but after this event I feel lifted and my future is looking brighter.”

TSTC’s Veterans Center is a centralized office that assists veterans or their dependents with admissions, financial aid, GI Bill and Hazlewood benefits, and internal and external referrals. The goal of the Veterans Center is to help veterans transition from boots to books and achieve their educational goals.

For more information on veteran services contact TSTC’s Veterans Center at 956-364-4385.

TSTC: Get a Job, or Get a Refund

(ROSENBERG) – Texas State Technical College Chancellor and CEO Michael Reeser announced today that beginning on Nov. 1, 2016, the college will offer money-back guarantees to students who complete degrees in high-paying, high-demand technologies but fail to find jobs within six months of graduation.

The announcement came as Reeser spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony at TSTC’s newest campus in Fort Bend County.

TSTC students may apply to participate in the money-back program, which will be retroactive to fall 2016, during their first semester at school. Graduates earning associate degrees in Welding, Instrumentation, Electrical Lineworker, Diesel Equipment, and Electrical Power and Controls programs may be eligible for a refund if they fail to find a job in six months.

“This bold new initiative is certainly unconventional,” said TSTC Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operations Officer Elton E. Stuckly Jr. “The notion of a money-back guarantee may be new in higher education, but we have an outstanding track record of 50 years in successfully placing skilled graduates in great jobs and with major employers in Texas who know the quality of our graduates. We’ve gotten so confident in our ability to serve the state as its technical provider that this guarantee is putting our money where our mouth is.”

“Our unique mandate is to be Texas’ technical provider,” said TSTC Vice Chancellor and Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Kilgore. “We’re doing something to help reverse the student debt crisis that is crippling many in our country. The biggest impact is going to be on the success of our students. We’re doing this for our students and for the workforce of the state of Texas.”

“There are many benefits to this, but the biggest impact it’s going to have is on the success of our students,” Reeser said. “Families in Texas can send their kids to school confident in the fact that they aren’t going to be burdened by extraordinary debt or lost interest payments if they fail to get a job.”

The money-back guarantee is a part of TSTC’s Get-a-Job program, a comprehensive extracurricular development program in which students learn the skills they’ll need to locate and land a great-paying job.

“Colleges focus on giving students the skills they need to be successful in their job,” said Reeser. “The Get-a-Job program teaches students the skills they need to land that job. At a time when some colleges are going out of business because their practices are not leading to gainful employment, TSTC is putting its guarantee behind the job-placement promise that students receive when they sign up for these high-demand programs.”

“An increasing trend in Texas families is to seek a higher-ed option that offers the best value for the tuition and time invested,” said Kilgore. “TSTC is putting its guarantee in place to demonstrate that if you don’t get a job, you’ll get your money back. This is a contribution to addressing the growing disparity between increasing student debt and decreasing employment rates among college graduates.”

“We think the fact that TSTC offers a money-back guarantee in these high-demand programs will make it easier for families to make their college selection,” said Kilgore. “Families are increasingly concerned about what they get for their college tuition dollar. If the employment goals of the student are not achieved, they’ll be getting those tuition dollars back.”

Additional information about the program will be available on Nov. 1 at tstc.edu.

TSTC Student-Veteran Receives First Grant From Military Organization

(WACO) – Russa Bolton has 285 reasons to be happy about her career future.

Bolton, 43, a Computer Networking and Systems Administration major at Texas State Technical College in Waco, recently received a $285 grant to take a network certification test next year.

“I am having to establish a standard now – how many females will come after me?” Bolton said. “The standard is pretty high now.”

The nonprofit Our Digital Heroes Foundation in Austin was created last year to highlight the need for veterans to pursue certifications in technical areas. The organization’s primary projects include matching disabled veterans to technical security work using and robots, besides administering continuing education grants.

“We figured a place to start would be to help people with technology exams,” said Robert Wagner, chairman of the board for Our Digital Heroes. “Russa was our first grantee.”

TSTC Veterans Program Administrator Rachel Mims said she heard about the program from a TSTC recruiter at another campus. She called the organization and learned more about the grant program.

“Russa is a great student and we are happy to have her,” Mims said. “She is always so cheerful and positive. I’m very glad we were able to connect her with Our Digital Heroes to help her with testing fees connected to her future career.”

Bolton wants to pursue a career in telecommunications after graduation.

“I’ve always been tech savvy,” she said. “I want to enhance my talent and get skills that work anywhere in the world.”

Bolton is originally from Swakopmund, Namibia, in southwest Africa.

“When you grow up in a desert, you have a freedom of space,” she said. “We aren’t that populated.”

She has a legal studies degree earned in South Africa and a criminal justice graduate degree from American Military University in West Virginia. Bolton has also lived in Germany and Great Britain.

Bolton came to the United States at 33 and served for six years in the U.S. Army as a combat medic. She was posted at Fort Hood, among other military installations, and served a tour of duty in Iraq.

Bolton said she liked how TSTC was supportive to non-traditional students like herself.

“I don’t think one institution can have so many special people,” she said.

For more information on TSTC Veteran Services and the Computer Networking and Systems Administration program, log on to tstc.edu.

TSTC Welding Instructor Receives District Instructor Award

(RED OAK) – Texas State Technical College Welding Instructor Donnie Williams has been awarded the American Welding Society’s Howard E. Adkins Memorial Instructor District Award for North Texas.

The award recognizes high school, trade school, technical institute or junior college instructors whose teaching has advanced their students’ knowledge of welding.

“It’s recognition of my dedication to my profession,” Williams said. “It shows me that people recognize my efforts and that what I do is recognized by my peers. I was very glad for it. It kind of validates what I’m doing.”

The Hillsboro resident attended welding school in Dallas and later earned a Certificate of Technology in Petroleum Technology from Odessa College. He began teaching at TSTC in North Texas in January.

A second-generation welder, Williams began welding when he was 16 years old.

“I’ve been a welder all my life,” Williams said. “I spent my first eight years in the industry working in the oil field on pipe. In the early ‘80s, the oil field went bust, so I moved into structural welding and moved out of the oil field. Eventually I got into quality control and weld inspection and got my welding inspector certification. I moved from there into education, became a certified educator through the American Welding Society, and that’s where I am today.”

Williams has been a member of the American Welding Society since 1997. He serves as treasurer and sits on the executive board of the North Texas chapter. Williams is working toward starting an AWS student chapter at TSTC.

“We have students becoming members,” Williams said. “A prerequisite for a chapter is that you have at least 15 student members. That’s the phase that we’re in right now.”

Williams said throughout the years he’s seen growth in his students.

“Not only here at TSTC, but a lot of students that I’ve had over the years, I’ve maintained contact with,” Williams said. “Some have gone on to own their own business; some have gone into quality control and inspection. This is why I’m trying to take the students I currently have and expand their knowledge, so they can go into a variety of trades.”

In addition to teaching, Williams is also a certified welding inspector and owns his own welding shop in Hillsboro.

“There’s a lot of real-world application that I bring to the classroom to benefit the students,” Williams said. “Much of what I do at my shop I document. Some of it I film, some I take pictures of. I incorporate that into my lessons in the classroom. I want to include my students in my work to show them the hands-on application of what they’re doing.”

For more information on TSTC’s welding program, visit tstc.edu.

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