TSTC Helps Student Create a Better Life

(FORT BEND) – Texas State Technical College will be opening a new campus in Fort Bend County in August 2016, but the college is already producing successful students like alumnus Matthew Fresquez, and placing them in good paying jobs in and around the Fort Bend region.

Fresquez graduated from TSTC in Fort Bend County in 2012 with a certificate in Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning Technology and a job offer in hand. He was on the dean’s list throughout his college career and graduated with honors.

“TSTC has definitely changed my family’s life for the better,” said Fresquez. “Getting a job straight out of college and earning a steady income has helped my family tremendously.”

Prior to enrolling at TSTC, Fresquez worked as a helper and installer for a local HVAC company. After a couple of years with the company, he knew he needed to go to college.

“I felt I wasn’t getting the training I needed with the employer I was with,” said Fresquez. “I wanted to advance my career and I wasn’t getting where I wanted to be.”

Enrolling in the Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning program at TSTC was the next step Fresquez needed to advance in the career he loved and provide a stable financial environment for his wife and two sons.

Fresquez was with the company that hired him right after college for three years, but in March, he will begin a new chapter in his career at a new company: Chimney Rock Heating & Air Conditioning Inc. He will be working as a service technician and the owner of the company is excited about having him on board.

“There is a shortage of skilled and highly trained workers in the HVAC field,” said Brian McIlwain, owner of Chimney Rock. “But I can tell that Matthew has all the required skills and passion needed to succeed with my company. Because of the education he received I have full confidence in his abilities and I’m so excited to have him on board.”

Fresquez credits the hands-on learning approach TSTC takes with all of its programs for helping him take his skills to the next level.

“I left TSTC more knowledgeable than I came in and ready to take on the workforce,” said Fresquez. “I practiced with all of the equipment I could. After all it’s everything you use while working in the field.”

Fresquez said his experience at TSTC was rewarding and fulfilling. He said his instructor Keith Klix played a huge role in his success in the program.

“Keith is a great instructor. He’s so knowledgeable in the field and has so much experience,” said Fresquez. “He not only showed us how to get the job done, but how to get it done right.”

Come August 2016, Fresquez hopes to enroll at the new TSTC campus to work toward an associate degree in Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning Technology. He hopes continuing his education will give him the opportunity of becoming an instructor at TSTC someday.

“I want to be a good example for my sons,” said Fresquez. “I hope watching me graduate and seeing how our lifestyle has changed for the better will inspire them to go to college someday.”

Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning Technology is also offered at TSTC’s Harlingen, North Texas, Waco and Williamson County Campuses.

Registration for the summer and fall semesters begins April 4. To apply visit tstc.edu today!
For more information on the program in Fort Bend County call 281-239-1586.

 

Matthew Fresquez is a graduate from Texas State Technical College in Fort Bend County. He graduated with a certificate in 2012 from the HVAC program with a job offer in hand. He will begin a new chapter in his career in March as a service technician for Chimney Rock Heating & Air Conditioning Inc.

Texas State Technical College Student Gives Time as SkillsUSA Volunteer

Michelle Lopez, a TSTC student in Waco, is volunteering this month at SkillsUSA District Competitions.

(WACO) – Michelle Lopez has been on both sides of SkillsUSA competitions.

Lopez, 41, a student at Texas State Technical College, is volunteering this month for the high school SkillsUSA District Competitions hosted on campus. The first district contest was Feb. 5-6 with additional competitions Feb. 19-20 and Feb. 26-27. High school students compete in topics ranging from welding to cosmetology.

During the first day of competition on Feb. 5, Lopez welcomed students to TSTC and let them know how they could continue to be part of SkillsUSA at the collegiate level. TSTC has a history of creating champions with students having won more National SkillsUSA awards than any other college or university in Texas.

“When planning and running SkillsUSA events, volunteers are the event’s worker bees that make sure every detail gets done,” said James Matus, an instructor in the Computer Maintenance Technology program and campus SkillsUSA event director. “Their work ranges from cleaning, giving directions, scoring and judging.”

Lopez competed at the state and national collegiate level in SkillsUSA in 2014 and 2015 and this year will take part in state contests in Chapter Display, Extemporaneous Speaking, Prepared Speech and Technical Computer Applications. State medalists will move on to the SkillsUSA Championships in June in Louisville, Ky.

“I enjoy being able to network with my peers from around the country and with industry leaders,” said Lopez.

She was the campus SkillsUSA president in 2015 and is the chapter secretary this year.

Lopez was born in Waco and raised in Burnet. She spent 10 years in the United States Marine Corps and seven years in the United States Army before leaving on medical retirement.

Today, Lopez is studying Digital Forensics Technology, Cyber Security, Computer Networking and Systems Administration and Cloud and Data Center Management. She wanted to put the intelligence knowledge she gained in the military to good use. She is scheduled to graduate in December with multiple Associate Degrees.

“It’s taking me extra time since I’m earning multiple degrees,” she said. “It’s worth it for what I can do for employers. I will be even more versatile in the workforce.”

Texas State Technical College Police Training Employees on Safety

(WACO) – Run, hide or fight: these are the three actions that faculty and staff in the Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning Technology program learned about on a recent Friday morning from members of the Texas State Technical College Police Department.

“What we are trying to do is to get you to grasp the fundamental concept of how to handle an active shooter situation,” TSTC Police Chief Brian Davis said.

Run, hide or fight is the theme of a safety video that has been shown to all TSTC campus employees. The video was produced by Ready Houston, the emergency preparedness arm of the city of Houston. TSTC campus police statewide also take periodic safety training.

Campus police announced in January that they would visit every building on campus and train employees on what to do if an active shooter incident occurred. Training, to help prepare staff and faculty in case there is a incident on campus, started in late January and is scheduled to end in June.

Davis and Sgt. Joe Ashby said people should not set indoor fire alarms off as warnings because this could cause panic. Doors can be blocked with heavy objects such as desks. And, people leaving a building should not stop police unless they have specific descriptions of the shooter.

“People who commit these types of crimes are trying to be famous and kill as many people as possible,” Ashby said.

Ashby said the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology Building where he and Davis met with faculty and staff was built well with its small windows and controlled entrances. These features could make it more difficult for an active shooter to enter the building. The structure was built in the early 1950s.

“It was a good presentation,” said Joe Paris, a program lab assistant and 2013 TSTC graduate with an associate degree in air conditioning and refrigeration technology. “I like the security of the building.”

Faculty and staff liked what they heard from campus police.

“I learned a little bit more about fighting back,” said Barbara Tynes, department secretary. “We have plenty of items to make into weapons. Hot coffee, whatever you can get your hands on.”

Similar safety trainings involving active shooters, natural disasters and other emergencies are conducted at all 10 TSTC campuses statewide every year.

Texas State Technical College’s Electrical Linemen Program Fills Need for Trained Workers

Texas State Technical College students work in the outdoor electrical pole lab in Waco.

(MARSHALL) – Electrical lineworkers are some of the first people to respond to emergencies, such as downed power lines from hurricanes and ice storms.

Scott Buckelew, an Electrical Lineworker Technology instructor at Texas State Technical College, said he has been encouraged by the need for employees with the recent hiring of nine program graduate by AEP.

“Every county basically has a co-op that has roughly 15 to 20 men working for the electrical office,” he said.

Buckelew worked 25 years in various positions at Brazos Electric Power Cooperative Inc. in Waco before making a career change to teaching. He began job shadowing at the college last November and is now teaching his first full semester.

“I like to show the students what is going on and that I got something out of it,” Buckelew said.

Students can earn a certificate and associate degree in Electrical Lineworker Technology at TSTC in Marshall. The Marshall program currently has more than 30 students.

Texas employs the highest number of electrical lineworkers in the country. The hourly mean wage for Texas workers is $26.19 with the annual mean wage at $54,470, according to May 2014 statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In Texas, electrical lineworker jobs are expected to rise 24 percent by 2022.

“The job market is great for lineworkers,” said Robert Mitchell, an instructor in the Electrical Lineworker Technology program. “The baby boomers are retiring and companies across the state are needing trained linemen.”

Some of the qualities needed to do the work include the ability to be mentally tough when working in the elements and at heights as well as the stamina to balance on the side of a pole for periods of time.

“Students who like the outdoors and who are physically capable of performing manual labor in all kinds of extreme weather are geared to our program,” Mitchell said. “Climbing a pole and building power lines is a challenge which our students look forward to. We sometimes start our labs at 4 a.m. so the students can get accustomed to working at night and in the dark. Linework is a 24/7 operation and we prepare students for the real world.”

Tyler Kussad, 19, of Lexington is scheduled to graduate this spring with a certificate in Electrical Lineworker Technology. He said he has already accepted a job that is being held for him at an area electric cooperative.

Kussad enjoys working with his hands and climbing to the top of the electric poles at TSTC’s outdoor lab in Waco. He said he also likes driving the program’s boom truck.

“This program is not as expensive as others,” Kussad said “I like it a lot. We have good instructors and I’ve learned a lot since I have been here.”

Patrick Rayson, 21, of Temple is scheduled to graduate with a certificate in the fall. He said he became interested in electrical line work when he watched a transformer be changed out at his father’s house.

He wanted to pursue an outdoor career and hopes to get hired by an electrical company in Waco after graduation.

The Marshall program currently has one automatic boom truck that students use to prepare for the commercial driver’s license test.

The College Preview Day at TSTC in Marshall will be from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 14 and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 15. For more information go to tstc.edu/openhouse.

Apply today at tstc.edu. Registration for summer and fall semesters begins April 4.

Texas State Technical College Recruiters Utilizing Business and Education Experiences

(HUTTO) – The Texas State Technical College family at Williamson County is growing. The campus welcomed two recruiters who are looking forward to working with students and parents.

Sherri Arrington joined TSTC in December while Caleb Steed began work on Feb. 1. Both are based at the East Williamson County Higher Education Center in Hutto.

“Willimason County is a location in which we see growth potential to train and place more students in the immediate area,” said Kimberly Porter, TSTC’s interim vice president for student recruitment. “Our program offerings are aligned with the needs of the community and TSTC is a great resource for employers looking for talent. Our recruitment team is focused on visiting the local high schools and participating in community events to educate the community about all TSTC has to offer.”

Arrington sees similarities between her two decades of work in manufacturing management and her new role as a recruiter. She worked in Austin before joining TSTC in December.

“The skills I developed in industry, like organizational and people skills, will serve me well in my new position at TSTC,” she said.

Arrington goes to the high schools to present to juniors and seniors in their classrooms.

“I am making contacts at the schools so they know we are here,” Arrington said.

She wants everyone she visits with to take away how TSTC can offer the opportunity to earn a quality education, provide career development and is affordable.

Arrington, an Austin native and graduate of Reagan High School, has a bachelor’s degree in behavioral sciences from what is now Concordia University Texas in Austin.

Steed too, is eager to visit students to tell them about TSTC.

“We want more students to get in and get out in the workforce to make money,” he said. “There aren’t many colleges stressing that to the students.”

Steed was raised in San Angelo and is a graduate of San Angelo Central High School. He has a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in family ministry from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene.

“When I first graduated (from HSU) it was right in the 2008-2009 housing bubble crash and there weren’t too many banks hiring, so I went into personal finance and worked on retirement plans for people,” he said.

Steed joined TSTC in January 2015 as the director of instructional support services and interim director of the culinary arts program at the Abilene campus.

“We (Steed and his wife) will definitely miss west Texas and the relationships that we built,” he said. “We are very excited to be living in the Williamson County area.”

TSTC’s Williamson County campus offers Computer Support Technology, Culinary Arts, Cyber Security, Database Administration Programming, Global Communications Systems, HVAC Technology, Industrial Electrical Systems, Industrial Maintenance, Plumbing & Pipefitting Technology, Precision Machining Technology and Welding Technology.

The College Preview at TSTC in Williamson County will be held 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, April 14. For more information go to tstc.edu/openhouse.

Student Success Profile – Ryan Kosik

(FORT BEND) – Ryan Kosik, 19, from Cypress, Texas is a student at Texas State Technical College working toward a certificate in Diesel Equipment Technology specializing in heavy equipment. Throughout Kosik’s time at TSTC he has maintained a 3.0 grade-point average. Kosik will be graduating in Summer 2016 and hopes to return to TSTC for his Associate Degree in Diesel Equipment Technology. He said he is excited about returning because he will get to attend the new TSTC Fort Bend County campus opening in August 2016.

What are your plans after graduation? I want to start working for a company where I can use all of the skills I’ve learned to work on engines and power trains.

What’s your dream job? I ultimately want to be an engine and generator specialist. I hope to one day own my own business and be my own boss.

What has been your greatest accomplishment while at TSTC? My greatest accomplishment at TSTC is realizing that I can get through my classes with good grades by simply doing my work. I’ve been able to maintain a B average.

What greatest lesson have you learned about yourself or life? Regardless of how I may feel at the end of the day, I must always remember that I made some progress.

Name a TSTC person who most influenced your success? I have to say all of the guys in my class have been a big influence. Many of them make A’s and that motivates me to do better and keep up with them.

What is your advice for future TSTC students? Don’t complain about college, or how much work you have to do, or how dirty the job is. Just push through it and get it done.

 

Photo Cut Line: Ryan Kosik from Cypress, Texas is a student at Texas State Technical College studying Diesel Equipment Technology. He has a 3.0 grade-point average and will earn his certificate in Summer 2016.

TSTC in Fort Bend County Welcomes New Hire Tara Zekavat

(FORT BEND) – Meet Tara Zekavat, the new director of student recruitment at Texas State Technical College in Fort Bend County, which will officially open the doors to its new campus in August 2016.

“TSTC has been treating me amazing,” said Zekavat. “The teamwork is so impressive and I’m ready to work hard at letting folks know of the great educational opportunities TSTC is bringing to the area.”

Zekavat comes to TSTC with more than 18 years of experience in higher education. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from Ferdowsi University in Mashhad, Persia. Zekavat then moved to Houston in 2009 to pursue a Master’s Degree in Adult and Higher Education from the University of Houston-Victoria.

Upon arriving in the United States, Zekavat was hired as an instructor for Wharton County Junior College’s adult education program and a few years later was promoted to Instructional Supervisor for the same department. Prior to relocating, she worked as an instructor in Persia for 12 years.

Zekavat said she was ready to make the move from instructor to recruiter when she applied with TSTC. She said her teaching and supervisory duties gave her the experience she needed in working closely with instructors, providing departmental resources and trainings, and working orientations at different schools.

“I felt confident in my skills when I applied for this recruitment position,” said Zekavat. “I was also ready to make the move to TSTC. Their growth was impressive to me and I had to at least attempt to join the team.”

The experience and contacts Zekavat has made while working with different schools in Fort Bend and surrounding counties will help her spread TSTC’s message and inform students and parents on what TSTC has to offer.

“My goal is to reach as many students as possible because there is interest. Students are asking questions,” said Zekavat. “I’m going to continue reaching out to high school counselors and informing them of our new campus which will have bigger labs, bigger classrooms and will be ready to be filled with their students wanting to pursue a technical education.”

Zekavat, who is also a single mother to a nine-year old son, said she wants to share the same advice she will someday tell her son when he is preparing for college.
“Be opened minded about TSTC,” said Zekavat. “One-year certificate or two-year associate degree programs are a way to reach an educational and career goal faster, while spending less on tuition. We need students and parents to realize TSTC is here to give them the skills needed to find jobs opportunities out in the workforce.”

Registration for summer and fall semester begins April 4. Apply anytime online at tstc.edu.
For more information on new programs or registration at Fort Bend County call 281-239-1548. Or to apply for one of 60 jobs opening on the new Fort Bend campus, please visit www.tstc.jobs.

 

Tara Zekavat is the new director of student recruitment at Texas State Technical College in Fort Bend County, which will officially open the doors to its new campus in August 2016.

Texas State Technical College Hosts FFA Tractor Competition

Texas State Technical College students in Waco prepare Tuesday morning for another round of a tractor troubleshooting contest at the FFA Tractor Technician Competition for high school students from north and central Texas

(WACO) – Texas State Technical College’s Diesel Equipment Technology program hosted Tuesday the FFA Tractor Technician Competition involving 16 high school teams from north and central Texas.

The two winning teams from FFA’s Area 5 was Frisco Centennial and Weatherford while the top winners in Area 8 were Blooming Grove and Teague. These teams will move on to compete in a state FFA competition in March at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

“Our mission is to offer the students a foundation to build on for financial stability and to build a knowledge base in technology,” said John Goebel, a TSTC Diesel instructor and campus organizer of the contest.

TSTC’s Diesel Equipment Technology students created the problems the high school students found in the tractors and served as contest judges.

“It was a good experience,” said Joseph Jimenez, 20, of Red Oak and a Diesel Equipment Technology major. “You get to talk to the kids and they learn something and we learn something. It is important to know how an engine works.”

The contest had special meaning for Joshua York, 18, of Mexia and a first-year Diesel Equipment Technology major. He participated in FFA at Mexia High School where he did welding and raised pigs.

“It was a good experience for the high school students to see TSTC,” said York.

Sam Hall, 20, a Diesel Equipment Technology student from Weatherford, was the scorekeeper during the tractor troubleshooting. He said the students had to think within the allotted time how the tractors worked and what needed to be done to get them operating.

“The hardest part about being a mechanic is knowing what’s wrong,” Hall said.

Teams of three students took a written test, did a parts identification test and troubleshooted John Deere and Kubota tractors donated for the competition by Brazos Valley Equipment and Tipton International, both in Waco.

Individual and team winners received tools donated by Snap-on and Matco Tools, both of Waco, and NAPA in Bellmead.

TSTC offers Diesel Equipment Technology at the Waco, Fort Bend County, Marshall, North Texas and Sweetwater campuses. Apply today at tstc.edu. Registration for summer and fall semesters begins April 4.

The College Preview at TSTC in Waco will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2. For more information go to tstc.edu/openhouse.

Student Finds Her Dream Career at TSTC

(FORT BEND) – Megan Morgan did not always believe that college was in her future, at least not in a field that she found interesting. It was not until she enrolled at Texas State Technical College in 2014, that she could imagine graduating into a career she loved.

The Katy native, currently enrolled at TSTC’s Fort Bend County campus, is the only woman in the program and is expected to graduate with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Precision Machining Technology in December 2016.

Morgan grew up around a male-dominated field. Numerous members of her family, including her sister are truck drivers. Her family even owns a wrecker service company in Wharton.

“I’ve always worked in the family business doing clerical and receptionist work,” said Morgan.
“But I knew I didn’t want a desk job as a career. I love working with my hands. Since I was little my dad would let me help him repair the trucks.”

After graduating from Morton Ranch High School in Katy, Morgan said she had no interest in college. She wanted to work and make money, but soon realized that without a college education her prospects were slim.

Her long-time boyfriend suggested they relocate to Austin where he wanted to pursue a degree in welding. With support from her family, Morgan made the move.

“We were originally going to enroll at a community college in Austin, but everyone kept giving us the run around with paper work,” said Morgan. “We were making no progress, until we were introduced to TSTC.”

Coming from a large, tight-knit family, Morgan began to get homesick only after a year in Austin. She and her boyfriend made the mutual agreement of moving closer to their families.

Fortunately, for Morgan, TSTC’s Fort Bend campus had just the program she was looking for: Precision Machining Technology.

“I spoke with the program’s instructor Michael Barnes and he helped me get everything set up,” said Morgan. “And of course our office manager Judy Cox was my lifeline. She helped me with the transition from one campus to another. It immediately felt like I was going to school with my family.”

Morgan now has only three semesters left before becoming a college graduate and being in the first class to graduate from the new campus in Fort Bend County opening in August 2016.

“I’m so excited. The new campus is going to be bigger and I’m glad I get to be part of the process of moving,” said Morgan. “I pass by the new building every day and if I’m with someone I have to be sure to show them my new school. By being the first class there, we’ll get to put our stamp on things.”

After graduating, Morgan says she will take a break from school to allow her boyfriend to enroll at TSTC while she takes over working full-time. TSTC will open a welding program at the new Fort Bend location in August and he is excited to attend.

“My family has always pushed me to do more with my life and I can’t wait to see where things will go after I graduate,” said Morgan. “Had I not found this program, I wouldn’t be as excited about my future. I have gained so much experience here at TSTC, I couldn’t have found that anywhere else.”

Precision Machining Technology is also offered at the North Texas, Waco and Williamson County campuses.

Welding Technology will be offered at TSTC’s Fort Bend County campus starting August 2016, and is currently offered at most of the other nine campuses throughout Texas.

TSTC in Fort Bend County currently offers HVAC Technology, Diesel Equipment Technology and Precision Machining Technology. The new campus will also offer Industrial Maintenance Technology, Cyber Security, Telecommunications Convergence Technology and Welding Technology. Apply anytime at tstc.edu, registration for summer and fall semesters begins April 4.

For more information on these courses at Fort Bend County call 281-239-1548.

Student Success Profile – Miguel Cervantes

(FORT BEND) – Kendleton, Texas native Miguel Cervantes is currently a student at the Fort Bend County Campus of Texas State Technical College. The 23-year-old expects to graduate in August 2016 with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Diesel Equipment Technology with a heavy truck specialization. Cervantes currently boasts a 3.4 grade-point average and said he couldn’t be any more excited about graduation being around the corner because he looks forward to his new career.

What are your plans after graduation? I want to immediately start working in my field. I can’t wait to start making my own money and stop living on a college student budget.

What’s your dream job? I would like to work for an oil-field company as their Diesel Technician. If that doesn’t happen right away, I would also like to work for a large construction or mining company. I’ve got several career plans and options to consider.

What has been your greatest accomplishment while at TSTC? I have had great academic success because I’m more disciplined as a student since having worked as a diesel technician on tractors prior to enrolling at TSTC, and because of the extensive hands-on learning I am receiving at this college to improve my skills. I didn’t do well in high school, so my grades in college make me look like a genius now. I’m proud I now have good grades.

What greatest lesson have you learned about yourself or life? I’ve learned you must take risks in order to succeed in life. Opportunities will not seek you, you must seek them. This is important to remember especially when opportunities are outside of your comfort zone.

Name a TSTC person who most influenced your success? As far as teaching me life skills it’s instructor Keith Klix. My instructor Gary Voelkel has also been an excellent inspiration. He has years of experience in the diesel equipment field and he is always willing to share his knowledge.

What is your advice for future TSTC students? Incoming students need to realize that everything the instructors talk about and teach will show up later in your career, so it’s best to learn the material and make mistakes now, than out in the field later.