TSTC student perseveres despite medical condition

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Crystal Neudigate-Sharp did not want a medical condition to stop her from earning an Emergency Medical Technician certificate at Texas State Technical College.

“I wanted to teach my children that once you start something, you need to complete it, no matter the obstacles,” said Neudigate-Sharp, a candidate for graduation this semester.

After being injured in an accident, she suffered an allergic reaction to the medication and was without oxygen for 24 minutes.

“The doctor told me that I did not wake up during that time,” Neudigate-Sharp said. “I spent the weekend in the Brownwood hospital but was later transferred to a Dallas hospital.”

She spent three months last summer recovering, which included physical and occupational therapy. Neudigate-Sharp remains in speech therapy, but that did not stop her from returning to school this fall.

“I was so grateful for the online EMT program. I can say I have successfully completed the program despite my physical limitations,” she said.

It took the help of the Brownwood campus staff to get her back on track.

“Everyone at TSTC was very supportive. They were more than helpful,” she said. “They wanted to see me succeed.”

Teresa Phillips, an enrollment coach at the Brownwood campus, was one of those who made an impact on Neudigate-Sharp.

“Crystal sets goals for herself, and then she is very persistent to follow through and work hard to accomplish the goals she has set for herself,” Phillips said.

Neudigate-Sharp’s interest in the field grew while watching her husband, who is also an EMT.

“I had stayed at home for 13 years and knew one day I would go back to school,” she said. “That one day came when my husband said, ‘It’s time to go to school.’”

Neudigate-Sharp enjoys the camaraderie that EMTs have during the workday.

“There is a closeness in that community,” she said. “It felt like the right job for me.”

During TSTC’s virtual graduation celebration on Dec. 10, Neudigate-Sharp will be waiting with her family to see her name appear on the video.

“My kids are so excited for me. They are ecstatic that I have gone through the finish line,” she said. “They have been encouraging me throughout this whole process.”

Neudigate-Sharp looks forward to the day when she can use her certificate to help someone else.

“God is seeing me through this entire ordeal,” she said. “I still pray that I will be able to serve my fellow citizens. I cannot wait to do what I was trained to do.”

To learn more about the Emergency Medical Services program at TSTC, visit https://www.tstc.edu/programs/EmergencyMedicalServices.

Supervisor encourages TSTC student to complete RN program

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – It took encouragement by her supervisor for Melissa Rice to go back to college.

Rice, a longtime licensed vocational nurse at Lake Granbury Medical Center, is a candidate to graduate from Texas State Technical College this fall with an associate of applied science degree in nursing.

“I have always had a deep drive to help people,” she said of her decision to enter the nursing profession.

After becoming an LVN, Rice began her career in Tyler and later moved to Granbury. She took the time between becoming an LVN in 1982 and completing the registered nursing program at TSTC to start a family.

Her supervisor at Lake Granbury Medical Center suggested that she return to school to become an RN.

“She told me that I was doing what an RN does and I needed to get paid for it,” Rice said. “A friend of mine recommended TSTC, and I applied.”

Rice was not accepted the first time she applied, but that did not deter her. She was accepted on her second application, knowing the hard work was about to begin.

Rice said balancing her career and school was made easier by her supervisor and the TSTC instructors.

“My supervisor was more than happy to accommodate my hours so I could go to school,” she said. “The instructors kept us motivated. They were right there in the trenches with us.”

Instructor Charlene Rice, no relation to Melissa Rice, said Rice had the right attitude for nursing.

“Melissa is a bright and intelligent student. She is always ready to learn and help her fellow students,” she said. “She shows great integrity with her patients, fellow students and instructors. Melissa has one of the kindest hearts that is full of compassion.”

At Lake Granbury Medical Center, Rice works in the delivery room. She said that is the best place for a nurse to work.

“I love newborn babies,” she said. “Being there during the birth of a child is a miracle. It never gets old.”

Rice cares for the babies immediately after their birth.

“I am the person that takes care of the baby right after they are born,” she said. “We lay the baby on the mother’s chest, and then I am there to take care of him or her. That has been the highlight of my career.”

Once Rice passes her state board exam, she will be eligible to assist mothers during labor.

“This will be a wonderful transition for my career,” she said.

Rice had to commute from Granbury to Sweetwater for clinicals, saying it was the support of her family that helped her complete the program.

“My husband and family have been very supportive,” she said. “He told me so many times that I could do this. The biggest thing he did was help me when I lost papers on the computer. He was always there to comfort me.”

Her classmates were also a source of inspiration.

“I could not have done this without my classmates,” Rice said. “We were always communicating with each other, even though we did not see each other as often as we would have liked.”

For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

Hall begins new adventure in TSTC’s Welding Technology program

(ABILENE, Texas) – Jeremiah Hall, of Coleman, knew his life would be an adventure.

The U.S. Army veteran, who was stationed in Hawaii, moved to West Texas after he completed his military service. This fall, his adventurous life led him to Texas State Technical College’s Welding Technology program.

“I guess you could say I was tired of being lazy,” said Hall, who also works as a grocery store manager. “I always say life is an adventure, and this is just another one I can take.”

A friend led him to TSTC’s welding program, and he is working toward his certification. He hopes that the certification, coupled with his customer service experience, will benefit him when he joins the welding workforce.

“I feel you have to have good customer service skills after talking to a few welding companies,” he said. “I think I will be able to work well because I have structured myself to do better.”

Instructor Anthony Lewis said students will be able to find a job in the region after completing the program. That is something Hall said attracted him to TSTC.

“There is always a need for welders in every region of Texas. Between 80 and 90 percent of those are for entry-level positions,” Lewis said.

Hall said he enjoys attending lab sessions and talking to his classmates. His Army service comes into play when he is in the lab.

“When I was in the military, regardless of who you were, we would always treat people like they were grown,” he said. “We know that we have to get our weld done, but we treat others with respect and as adults.”

He said the instructors are there to make sure students succeed, something that everyone appreciates.

“If we have any questions, they do not mind helping us. They want us to be successful,” Hall said.

Since he started working in his lab bay, Hall said he enjoys trying the different techniques demonstrated during class.

“There is always plenty of stuff for us to weld. I just like trying all of the different techniques,” he said. “It makes me feel like I am getting better when I know that I can do a new technique.”

Hall said anyone can start the program, even if they do not have experience.

“I had just a little bit of experience. I did some welding for the city of Coleman, but nothing like this before,” he said. “This goes to show you that if you work hard, you can succeed.”

For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

TSTC Medical Office Specialist certificate program offers virtual hands-on learning

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Health Information Technology instructor Sarah Brooks has taught at Texas State Technical College for 17 years. Her excitement upon discovering the many opportunities available in health information guided her to a career as department chair at TSTC.

Brooks discussed the advantages of earning a Medical Office Specialist certificate online, as well as the paths available for someone who studies the expansive field of health information technology.

What is the day-to-day career like for a medical office specialist?

It can vary, depending on job title and work setting. You spend the majority of your day in front of the computer, with little or no direct patient contact. Your main job function is to ensure the information found in the patient’s electronic medical record is timely, complete and accurate. This is typically a fast-paced working environment with little downtime.

What do you think the advantages are of earning a medical office specialist certificate online?

The advantages of earning any certificate or degree online is the flexibility that this learning environment offers. Many of our students work full time and have families of their own while taking courses online. Students are able to work on their course when they want, from where they want.

What are some of the best traits that a student should have to succeed in the program?

 Self-discipline, self-motivation and time management are traits that are critical in being successful as an online student.

Is the learning for this certificate still hands-on?

 Absolutely. In our program, the instructors make themselves readily available to each student by offering virtual office hours and virtual learning labs every week at various times throughout the day and evening. The program also utilizes a variety of real-world software applications that students will gain hands-on experience in.

What advice would you give to somebody who was considering enrolling in this program?

 Students need to know they are not alone. The instructor and students work together as a team, sharing their work, life and educational experiences during the online learning process.

To learn more about Health Information Technology at TSTC, visit https://www.tstc.edu/programs/HealthInformationTechnology.

Female receptionist working the computer.

TSTC Automotive Technology Program Receives $30,000 from San Antonio Organization

(WACO, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s statewide Automotive Technology program will be revving up stronger than ever, thanks to a generous contribution from a Texas-based automotive organization. 

The Community of Automotive Professionals recently gave $30,000 for TSTC’s Automotive Technology programs in Harlingen, Sweetwater and Waco. The money will give a financial boost to TSTC’s ability to provide scholarships and improve equipment for use in labs and classes.

“(TSTC supports) all our core values, and we are partners moving forward,” said Mark Colaw, board chairman of the Community of Automotive Professionals, the 501(c)(3) organization that produces CarFest each spring in San Antonio. “They have a reach across Texas. That is what is important and impresses me.”

Michael Smith, senior field development officer for The TSTC Foundation, said the organization has consistently supported TSTC in recent years. It has given $160,000 in gifts to TSTC since 2015.

“We just have a phenomenal advocate in Mark (Colaw),” Smith said. “He sees the needs in the automotive industry and recognizes the quality of students that come out of TSTC.”

Miguel Zoleta, lead instructor in TSTC’s Automotive Technology program in Harlingen, said some of the organization’s financial gifts have gone toward student uniforms and lockers.

“We have also awarded students scholarships so they could purchase tools they need for our program,” he said.

Zoleta said the program has been fortunate to receive engines and a transmission from Jasper Engines and Transmissions through CarFest that students use in some of their courses.

Rudy Cervantez, TSTC’s statewide chair of the Automotive Technology department, said Automotive Technology students in Waco who bought a shirt at the campus store were given a second shirt free because of the financial gift. Students were also able to use new lockers to store tools.

“We wanted to help the students out,” he said.

Cervantez said Automotive Technology students statewide who have good referrals from program instructors and meet a grade-point average requirement are eligible for a $500 scholarship.

Cervantez said some money was used to help members of the first cohort of Tesla’s START training program at TSTC earlier this year. That program is taught at the Kultgen Automotive Center on the Waco campus.

CarFest is planned for April 9-11, 2021, at Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio. However, the organization is working on contingency plans for the event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are working on a Plan A and a Plan B,” Colaw said. “We improve our event every year. We are working on the new improvements as part of the plans. We are staying conscious that we need to pivot.”

For more information on the Community of Automotive Professionals, go to capjoin.org.

For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu.

TSTC Welding Technology instructors share love of welding with students

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Welding Technology at Texas State Technical College teaches students the skills needed to thrive in the fast-growing career.

Instructors Manuel Ahumada and Mark Casares are on a mission to ensure that their students not only are familiar with the world of welding, but also are confident in their abilities from day one on the job.

“Welding Technology is the study of multiple processes, such as layout, fabrication, blueprint reading and welding automation, all combined with theory to produce a quality welder,” Ahumada said. “Learning all of these facets is important because it gives the student the necessary knowledge and hand skills required to perform at the highest level.”

TSTC’s program includes hands-on learning with high-end equipment that students will use once they are employed.

“Students have access to top-of-the-line equipment currently leading the industry,” Casares said. “This, and the fact that all the instructors in the department are well qualified with real-world experience, is what sets the program at TSTC apart from any other.”

Despite the global challenges that have impacted many this year, the number of welding jobs continues to climb. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for welders is expected to increase through 2029.

“Jobs in welding are very promising,” said Ahumada. “Even with the pandemic, the jobs are still there.”

Both instructors look forward to being able to continue sharing their love for welding with students each semester.

“I enjoy the fact that I could be impacting a student’s life in a positive and meaningful way,” Casares said.

Ahumada agreed.

“Our welding students are attending a college that prides itself on helping and teaching students from all kinds of welding backgrounds,” he said. “They will be part of a great welding program that will do everything in its power to teach them what they need to know. With TSTC instructors, and the drive to finish the program, you will become a great welder.”

For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu.

Despite obstacles, TSTC student ready to make a difference as a nurse

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College student Amanda Guerrero knows what she wants to do in life: help others. The path to nursing was an obvious choice for the Harlingen native, and this December her mission to make a difference in her community will begin when she concludes her time in the TSTC Vocational Nursing program.

“I chose to study nursing because it is more than just waking up and doing the same thing day after day,” she said. “I felt I could make a difference in somebody’s life. The field of nursing branches out into so many paths, and though it is sometimes a thankless career, it comes with such a great reward.”

Guerrero does not have to look far to find inspiration from others in the field. Her mother, Araceli Guerrero, has been a nurse for 24 years and is proud that the legacy to serve has continued with her children.

“It is an honor that both of my daughters have taken on this career,” she said. “I am so proud of Amanda because she came across many obstacles and never gave up. She completed this journey with very minimal financial help from me. She saved and found the resources that she needed to pay her bills and go to school through the year. I know she is going to be a dedicated and caring nurse.”

Claudia Lopez, who has maintained a close friendship with Amanda Guerrero for over a decade, said that Guerrero’s work ethic has been evident from the beginning.

“Amanda is not the type to give up,” she said. “If she runs into an issue, she will figure out a plan and see something through. It makes me emotional thinking about what kind of nurse she is going to be because she is such a selfless person. Her reason in life is to help others.”

Ultimately Guerrero wants to soak in as much as she can in the field before beginning a new journey on the path to becoming a registered nurse.

“I hope to learn as much as possible during my first years as a new graduate,” she said. “I also want to get a job as a psychiatric nurse before continuing my education into the registered nursing program, which is a goal I hope to accomplish soon.”

No matter where her journey takes her, she is certain that this career is where she is meant to be.

“Nursing is so important to me because it is more than just a job or getting a paycheck,” she said. “It is about that passion to help others. Helping others is the reason nursing came about to begin with.”

To learn more about TSTC, visit https://www.tstc.edu.

 

TSTC student’s love of technology guides him to cybersecurity

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Texas State Technical College student Zachary Powers is about to receive his Associate of Applied Science degree in Cybersecurity and has some sound advice for those about to embark on their college journey: Never give up.

The Sugar Land native said that his love of technology is what pointed him in the direction of TSTC’s hands-on program.

Why did you decide to attend TSTC?

I knew TSTC would provide me with the hands-on learning experience that is going to allow me to succeed.

Who was your biggest support system during your time in college?

My instructor, Mr. (Timothy) Janssen. There were times that I wanted to quit, but he would challenge me, and this led to me excelling in my coursework.

Do you have a favorite TSTC memory?

In the Personal Computer Hardware course, we would have computer teardown and repair build-offs, which challenged us to learn about each other and taught us to work together.

What advice would you give to somebody who is about to start their first semester in college?

No matter what life throws at you, never give up. Use all the resources available, do not be afraid to ask your instructors for help, and create study groups.

What will you do after you graduate from TSTC?

I hope to get a career started in cybersecurity. My goal is to eventually be employed by the National Weather Service as a meteorologist or a researcher to help improve early warning systems to prevent loss of life.

To learn more about TSTC, visit https://www.tstc.edu.

 

 

 

Second Cohort of Tesla START Program Graduates at TSTC

(WACO, Texas) – The Tesla START training program at Texas State Technical College held a recognition ceremony earlier this fall for its second cohort of graduates.

The TSTC students began the 12-week training program in August to learn the skills necessary to become advanced electric vehicle technicians at Tesla. As a Tesla-paid hourly internship, the students developed technical expertise and earned certifications through a blended approach of in-class theory, hands-on labs and self-paced learning. 

All students who successfully complete the nationwide program are eligible to work at a Tesla Service Center in the United States. 

The program’s classes are held at the Kultgen Automotive Center on the Waco campus. 

“We are excited and proud of the second graduating class from the Tesla START program in Waco,” said Adam Barber, TSTC’s interim executive director of Workforce Training in Waco. “A couple of students are previous TSTC graduates, so that’s especially cool. We look forward to the next class and continued partnership with Tesla.”

Graduates from the program’s second cohort are Matthew Abel of Waco, Corey Broussard of Virginia, Alexander Burkman of Frisco, Jonathan Butler of McGregor, James Dawe of Grand Junction, Colorado; Eder Estrada of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Pablo Hernandez of Fort Worth and Mohannad Naffaa of Waco. 

“These guys worked very hard, and they all got placed in good locations,” said Mark Tosto, a Tesla START program instructor. 

Waco’s second cohort started work at their assigned service centers in November. Butler is working at Air Impressions in Waco as an aircraft mechanic. 

Dawe split time growing up between Great Britain and Colorado and had an early interest in the environment and renewable energy. He learned about the Tesla program from YouTube. 

Some of Dawe’s favorite times in the program were shadowing workers on Fridays at Tesla’s service center in Dallas, and he and Abel working five days in Alabama in September during a company battery-charging project. Dawe said they helped charge batteries on hundreds of Tesla vehicles ready to be shipped to stores nationwide. Dawe and Abel also traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to deliver batteries.

“It was awesome to be thrown in the fire,” Dawe said.

Dawe began working in early November at Tesla’s service center in Littleton, Colorado.

Naffaa was born in Lebanon and came to Texas in 2014. He enrolled in 2018 at TSTC’s Waco campus to study Automotive Technology. He graduated with the program’s associate degree earlier this year.

Naffaa said his time at TSTC combines his passion for cars and his family’s interest in his study of engineering. 

“I learned a lot here,” he said. “I learned how the car works and about the functional parts. I also learned about the suspensions.”

Naffaa started work in early November at Tesla’s service center in Marietta, Georgia.

“I’m super excited,” he said. “It’s a big step.”

There are currently seven other Tesla START partnerships with colleges in California, Florida, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Washington. The program launched in 2018 and has had more than 300 graduates to date.

The program’s 2021 cohorts in Waco are full, but interviews for 2022 cohorts are scheduled to be held later this year, Tosto said.

For more information on Tesla START, go to tesla.com/careers/tesla-start. 

For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu. 

TSTC student wants to continue family tradition in aviation

(ABILENE, Texas) – Coltton Johnson hopes his journey will continue a family tradition.

The first-year Aircraft Powerplant Technology student at Texas State Technical College is following in his father’s footsteps. The Idaho native arrived in Abilene after his father retired from the U.S. Air Force and began working for Eagle Aviation Services.

“I have been around planes my whole life,” he said. “I wanted to make working in aviation a family tradition.”

While Johnson has not yet started working on the aircraft at the TSTC hangar, he knows that will be the best part of the program.

“I like the hands-on aspect of this program. I appreciate what we are learning right now because it keeps us on track,” he said. “All of the material is laid out really well.”

Johnson said he is working to obtain his associate degree and knows his father is always willing to help. His Air Force and Eagle experience is helping Johnson during lectures.

“He has worked with me a little. But he wants me to learn what I need to know,” Johnson said. “I sometimes ask him general questions, but always have to make sure I know the answers.”

One piece of advice that Johnson’s father gave him when he started still resonates with him.

“My dad told me that if there is anything that is considered Federal Aviation Administration material in the course, I need to study it and know it,” he said. “I make sure that I know it.”

Being around aircraft before he started classes paid off early for him.

“I felt well prepared for the start of school,” Johnson said. “I am going to study everything to make sure I succeed.”

Johnson said being able to walk into the hangar and see students working on planes is helping him work harder.

“My choice to attend TSTC is better than I could have ever expected,” he said. “I am glad I chose to follow my dad in the aviation field.”

For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.