TSTC celebrates 50 years in Sweetwater

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – When classes begin at Texas State Technical College’s Sweetwater campus on Monday, Aug. 31, it will mark 50 years of service in West Texas.

On Sept. 1, 1970, the first classes at the former Texas State Technical Institute Rolling Plains campus were held in Sweetwater. The college offered seven day courses and eight night courses during the first year. Today, TSTC offers associate degrees in eight different programs at the campus.

TSTC Chancellor and CEO Mike Reeser has a special affinity for the Sweetwater campus.

“I had the honor of serving 10 years at the Sweetwater location of TSTC. So, I know firsthand how the Sweetwater campus reflects the peerless work ethic and the friendly nature of the people who make West Texas a very special place,” he said. “Want to find the ethos that defines the state of Texas? Go to TSTC in Sweetwater.”

The Sweetwater community began working on plans to request a campus in 1969. The Sweetwater Chamber of Commerce, on May 2, 1969, listed as its top priority that a vocational-training school be built at the former air base in Sweetwater.

“We feel that this is a must for this area and that it would fill a definite need,” wrote Wade E. Forester, chamber president, to then Texas Gov. Preston Smith. “We are looking at the surrounding areas and feel that this would turn the tide concerning the many problems that the West Texas area is facing in reference to industrial development and training.”

Since its inception, the Sweetwater campus’ mission of training students for the Texas workforce has not changed. 

Texas State Rep. Stan Lambert recently voiced his appreciation for TSTC’s value to the area and the state.

“Thank you, TSTC, for 50 years of service and partnership in our community. Never straying from your original goal of ‘training Texans to work in Texas,’ you provided so many opportunities for rural residents to enhance the Texas workforce,” Lambert said. “I am proud to partner with you and look forward to seeing what TSTC in Sweetwater accomplishes in the next 50 years.”

Texas State Sen. Charles Perry, a native of Sweetwater, is also proud of the services provided at TSTC.

“Both employers and employees have benefited from the commitment to train and place tomorrow’s workforce to meet the needs of our growing state,” Perry said. “The model of ‘we don’t get paid unless the employee gets paid’ is one that maximizes taxpayers’ resources. TSTC’s legacy of providing the community a skilled workforce, and the families that workforce represents, is worthy of recognition and continuation of the state of Texas’ investment and support.”

Officials from Sweetwater and Nolan County also know the importance of the local campus.

“I took computer classes at TSTC 30 years ago,” said Sweetwater Mayor Jim McKenzie. “The importance of TSTC has not changed to our community and state since it first opened 50 years ago.”

Nolan County Judge Whitley May said the college has been and will continue to be an asset.

“TSTC has been a huge asset for our county and trade industry for years. It has helped people get jobs since it opened,” he said. “I look forward to another 50 years of TSTC in Nolan County.”

Ken Becker, executive director of the Sweetwater Enterprise for Economic Development Municipal Development District, said TSTC’s progression in Sweetwater is “quite amazing.”

“In this day and age, the ability to train workers for the marketplace and creating a talent pipeline is very important in economic development. We have a shortage of skilled labor for different sectors that can’t wait four to six years for a student to go through a program and graduate,” Becker said. 

“Companies have different entry points, and the ability of a person to go from student to productive employee in one to three semesters has provided a quicker pipeline of skilled workers,” he continued. “Just like inventories, we need just-in-time skilled workers to fill the talent gaps as companies retool to compete in an ever-changing business environment. Sweetwater is fortunate that community leaders some 50-plus years ago fought for TSTI to be located at historic Avenger Field, home of the WASP training.”

The first director of the campus was Elmer Kuntz, and J.N. Baker replaced him in January 1970. D.A. “Bill” Pevehouse was named the campus’ manager of instruction. Later in 1970, a name that would become a fixture for the campus was hired. Homer K. Taylor, who was an assistant principal at Sweetwater High School, joined TSTI as the campus’ assistant manager.

According to TSTC archives, 101 students were enrolled full time and 50 students were enrolled in evening classes during the first trimester.

When the first academic year ended, 43 students made up the graduation class. During the ceremony, TSTI President Roy Dugger announced the naming of the automotive building for Wade Forester, a Sweetwater auto dealer and businessman.

By 1973, the Sweetwater campus was considered one of the fastest-growing technical-vocational schools in the state.

“The old days of simply being willing to work have passed, and now during the technical age it is imperative that quality, trained technicians and craftsmen meet the entry requirements for the demanding need of business and industry,” Taylor said in an Aug. 5, 1973, San Angelo Standard Times article.

By 1975, TSTI graduated 446 students from one-year programs and another 1,494 from other special instructional courses.

With more student interest, state officials took notice and dedicated $1.9 million for a construction project in 1977. The project included a building for the new diesel mechanic program, which started in 1980. In 1979, funding for apartments to house 96 students was approved by TSTI’s regents.

The campus’ second decade began with more construction as $4.2 million was approved by Gov. Bill Clements for expansion. The funding included a vocational technology building for licensed vocational nursing, dental assistant, advanced emergency medical technician training and electronics. A graphics technology building and physical plant were also funded by the state. The vocational building was named for Pevehouse, who died in 1981.

In 1997, the Student Center opened its doors to the college and community. Many events, from banquets and fashion shows to fundraisers and job fairs, have been held in the facility over the years.

The campus has hosted many visitors over the years, including state and national officials. Former U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm, Gov. Dolph Briscoe, Gov. Mark White, U.S. Rep. Charles Stenholm, and even a group of U.S. Marines who trained on diesel engines have walked the campus grounds.

One person who traversed the campus since it opened was Taylor, who was named the campus’ president in 1999. He served in that capacity until his retirement in 2006. He was honored by the college when it named  the main entrance to campus Homer K. Taylor Drive.

During his more than 36 years with the college, Taylor saw the Sweetwater campus grow and in 1991 witnessed TSTI undergo a name change to TSTC. He kept the mission of training Texans for the workforce a top priority.

“The practicality of TSTC has been the real reason many of our graduates have been successfully placed in a job,” Taylor said in a 2006 interview.

Taylor’s replacement in Sweetwater and West Texas was Reeser. Under Reeser’s leadership, TSTC has continued the mission of “placing more Texans in great-paying jobs.”

Registration for the fall semester is underway. For more information, go to https://tstc.edu/admissions.

TSTC Welding Technology Program Expands for Fall Semester

(WACO, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Welding Technology program has completed an expansion just in time for the start of the fall semester on Aug. 31.

Forty spacious welding booths have been built in an area once used by the Precision Machining Technology program. The welding area will be used by classes and also students pursuing an Occupational Skills Award, a new three-course plan that can be completed in one semester.

“We have more room in each booth and newer machines capable of all the welding processes,” said Carl Wilmeth, lead instructor in TSTC’s Welding Technology program. “You do not have to move around as much having to go to different sections. It makes it more economical for us timewise.” 

Fourteen grinding booths have been added in a small extension built at the Industrial Technology Center on campus. 

“We needed it because in the grinding area, since we added welding booths, we needed extra room for the material that we are grinding so we would not get sparks on the welding machine or inside it,” Wilmeth said.

Matthew Alarcon, a Welding Technology student from Italy in Ellis County, said he liked the new additions when he saw them on Thursday. He particularly liked the new lockers and the ventilation system for booths. And, he is eager to start the fall semester so he can take classes in metallurgy and automation.

The program will continue using a hybrid teaching format for the 2020-21 academic year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lectures and tests will be conducted online, and hands-on labs will be done at the Industrial Technology Center. Students must wear face coverings, maintain separation, sanitize their on-campus work areas and wash their hands. 

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

TSTC Foundation, Hutto Education Foundation Honor Scholarship Recipients

(HUTTO, Texas) – Representatives of The TSTC Foundation and the Hutto Education Foundation gathered virtually on Wednesday morning to honor recipients of a jointly sponsored scholarship for Hutto residents.

“The most significant thing with this partnership is that we are talking about retention,” said Beth Wooten, chief executive officer of The TSTC Foundation. “There are scholarship opportunities that help get students in the front door, but retention is a significant challenge. We all recognize that. The significance here is we are focusing on getting students across the finish line.”

The scholarship assists students in their third and fourth semesters at any Texas State Technical College campus. Recipients must be Hutto High School graduates and in good academic standing at TSTC.

“This is the best part of my job,” Wooten said. “The mission of The TSTC Foundation is really pretty simple: Our role is to raise scholarship funds and emergency aid to eliminate financial barriers for students.”

The scholarship recipients are Kevin Aguilar, Matthew Barringer, Joshua Carrillo, Daxxon Derton, Christopher Hawkins, Kent Jordan and Julio Diego Vazquez.

“Most of the students I have known since they were teeny-tiny,” said Michael Smith, a senior field development officer for The TSTC Foundation. “I am so excited to see what happens with you all.”

Barringer graduated in 2018 from Hutto High School and is studying Automotive Technology at TSTC’s Waco campus. For him, receiving the scholarship means he can pay for the fall semester and not take out a student loan. Barringer is scheduled to graduate in the spring.

“TSTC means a lot to me because I kind of found it when I was at a bad time and I was not enjoying regular school,” he said. “It was a saving grace for me. TSTC is probably one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.”

The city of Hutto and the Hutto Education Foundation are providing scholarship funding through The TSTC Foundation. 

“This is just the beginning,” said Lizzie Samples, director of the Hutto Education Foundation. “Being Hutto Hippos, and the tools you have been given through Hutto ISD and the tools TSTC has provided you, you are going to make a difference in our world.”

Future and current Hutto High School graduates can talk to a TSTC enrollment coach for more information on the scholarship.

“My hope for Hutto ISD students is they continue to realize the value and viability of investing in their education right here in Hutto,” said Lissa Adams, associate provost of TSTC’s Williamson County campus.

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

TSTC pinning parade celebrates Surgical Technology graduates

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Cars and trucks decorated with balloons and window art lined up across the Health Science and Technology Building parking lot at Texas State Technical College recently to celebrate the newest graduates of the Surgical Technology program.

While maintaining social distancing guidelines, one graduate at a time exited their vehicle and walked up to a tent, where they were presented with their surgical technology pin, a rose, and even a festive cookie to celebrate the occasion.

The original pinning ceremony, which was planned for early August, had to be canceled because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. However, the program instructors felt that the 28 graduates still needed to be celebrated.

“We knew we wanted to do something special for our students,” said Surgical Technology instructor Yolanda Ramirez. “We have been planning the pinning parade since the start of the summer semester.”

Like many TSTC students this year, this cohort had to adjust rapidly to the environmental changes of their program, including hybrid learning with online classes and in-person labs.

“Each of our students worked so hard to continue their education and achieve the goal of graduating from the Surgical Technology program,” said Ramirez. “This class had to quickly adapt to our current situation, and it was important that we honor their hard work.”

Surgical Technology program director Anna San Pedro added that this cohort is well equipped to leave their mark on the industry.

“The faculty and I send our most sincere well wishes to our students,” she said. “We are confident that our graduates will have a prosperous future, and we look forward to seeing their continued success in life and in the surgical technology industry.”

She said that teamwork was an effort that guided this class on the way to graduation.

“I always start a cohort by saying ‘we are a team until the end, and we will get through the program together, one step at a time,’” she said. “In the end, we become a family. Now these graduates have become part of the TSTC Surgical Technology alumni family.”

Registration for fall classes is underway. For more information, visit tstc.edu.

TSTC Graduate Profile: Taryn Crow

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – With guidance from her sister, Taryn Crow made the decision to pursue a career in the medical field. Now she is one of 28 graduates who will receive an Associate of Applied Science degree in Surgical Technology this month from Texas State Technical College.

The Los Fresnos native is grateful for how TSTC prepared her to embark on her new journey and is eager to begin her career.

Can you speak about your experience with TSTC?

My experience at TSTC was absolutely wonderful. The staff and instructors in my program helped get me to where I am today.

Do you have any favorite TSTC memories?

I loved all the events that we had and the opportunities that were presented to students. I will say, though, my favorite memories all include being a part of the Surgical Technology program. You become close with your peers and the instructors who have guided you through the semesters.

How has TSTC helped prepare you for your career?

TSTC has been very helpful in every way possible. The staff were sure to have a whole layout designed to show me exactly what I needed to do to accomplish the program I wanted to start. There are incredible resources to help guide and aid you through so that you are better prepared to take on the world.

Did you face any challenges on your journey to graduation?

Yes, I absolutely did. I am a mother and a wife, and on top of all the studying and late nights, the pandemic happened. It put a wrench into our plans for surgical technology, but we did it and came out of the program even stronger.

What has been your greatest sense of accomplishment to date?

I was able to show my son that it is never too late to pursue your dreams and goals. Here I am, graduating from an amazing program, which will allow me to be able to provide a better life for my family. The best words I will ever hear are “I am proud of you, mommy!”

What words of advice would you give to others who are about to start their journey at TSTC?

Stay focused, and do not lose sight of what is important. Whatever your dream or goal is, you will reach it. Do not be afraid to seek help when needed. There is help available in more places than you think. Above all, enjoy your time at TSTC; you will not regret it.

Registration for the fall semester is underway. To apply to TSTC, visit https://www.tstc.edu/admissions.

 

TSTC Nursing graduates celebrated in socially distant pinning ceremony

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College recently celebrated 25 of its Nursing graduates in a special and socially distant way.

Smiles were noticeable despite mandatory facial masks as family members participated in the tradition of “pinning” the graduates. Parked cars honked for joy as loved ones received their pins, which signify completion of the program and preparedness for a career in their field.

TSTC Provost Cledia Hernandez said that the special ceremony is one of the ways to recognize those who will serve in health care.

“One of the blessings we want to bestow on our front-line workers is making sure that we send them out into the workforce not only with the skills that they need to impact their industry, but also with the traditional blessing received by health care workers, which is the pinning ceremony,” she said. “These students are going to go out and leave their mark on the industry.”

Nursing instructor Heather Sauceda reiterated the importance of the pinning ceremony for health care workers.

“This time is such a special moment,” she said. “As a nurse, your pinning is a rite of passage.”

She added that despite the trials and tribulations that are part of studying for a career in health care, ceremonies like this create fond memories that last a lifetime.

“You remember the hard times that made you cry, and you remember the moments that made you proud,” she said. “The pinning is something that they will always hold to heart.”

After the students received their pins, they lined up in front of their vehicles to recite the Nightingale Pledge, which is a modified version of the Hippocratic Oath named for the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale.

Sauceda offered some advice for the graduates as they embark on their new journeys.

“Be a safe and competent nurse,” she said. “Always listen to your inner gut because that will save you.”

TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing at its Harlingen and Sweetwater campuses. A Certificate 2 in Vocational Nursing is offered in Breckenridge, Harlingen and Sweetwater. For more information, visit https://www.tstc.edu/programs/Nursing.

Registration for the fall semester is underway. To apply to TSTC, visit https://www.tstc.edu/admissions.

TSTC helps Nursing graduate achieve career goal

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – Jere Lowe, of Bryson, had a career goal.

Due to unforeseen circumstances in her life, Lowe put her dream of being a traveling nurse on hold to take care of her family. When an opportunity to pursue her goal opened, Lowe enrolled in Texas State Technical College’s Nursing program.

The longtime licensed vocational nurse is a candidate for graduation this summer through TSTC’s licensed vocational nurse transition to registered nurse (LVN to RN) program.

“I had some things happen in my life, and I had to take care of that first,” said Lowe, who has been an LVN for 22 years.

Prior to enrolling at TSTC, Lowe lived through the death of her first husband due to the swine flu pandemic. She later remarried, and her current husband is being treated for cancer.

She found the time to take classes, work at Faith Community Hospital in Jacksboro and care for her husband.

Through it all, Lowe said it was her husband’s encouragement to reach her goal that inspired her to become an RN.

“I want to thank my husband. This has been a four-year journey for us. The last two years, we have not been able to travel. It has all been me in school,” she said.

Lowe plans to remain in Jacksboro until she can become a traveling nurse. She knows nursing agencies look to hire people who have at least one year of RN experience. Lowe is also planning to further her education in the future.

The traveling nurse concept began in response to the nursing shortage in the U.S. Lowe said she hopes to work for an agency that will send her to help people in need. 

“It is a great way to see America, get paid and, most importantly, help people,” she said.

Lowe was drawn to a nursing career at a young age. When she was a child, a family member was a nurse.

“She would walk in back when (nurses) wore the dresses and hats. I was hooked,” she said. “I knew then I wanted to help people. I wanted to give them the peace that everything was going to be OK.”

Lowe said completing the hybrid classes that combined online classes and in-person clinicals at TSTC helped her at home. She was able to work and care for her husband and help in the hospital’s emergency room.

“The instructors were always there, maybe a little too much,” she said. “I remember texting one of my instructors at 2 or 3 in the morning after getting off from work. I was surprised they would respond to me that late.”

Lowe said that type of dedication is what the nursing field is about.

“We know we have to be ready to work at any time. It is a 24/7 job for us,” she said.

Registration for the fall semester is underway. For more information, go to https://tstc.edu/admissions.

TSTC Computer Programs Shift Online This Fall

(RED OAK, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Computer Networking and Systems Administration program and Cybersecurity program at the North Texas campus will move to an all-online format this fall.

For the 2020-21 academic year, TSTC’s health protocols have caused changes in how many classes are delivered. Some programs are moving to a hybrid format combining online classes and in-person labs, while others will only be taught online. 

“The benefit to our students can potentially be great,” said Jacob Usery, an instructor in TSTC’s Computer Networking and Systems Administration program. “They will already have been practicing current standard operating procedures for remotely managing a network throughout their education.”

Usery said network administrators, systems administrators, help desk technicians and other people in the information technology field have managed remote environments and users for years.

“The ability to successfully work on remote equipment and systems is vital to becoming a valuable technical asset for any organization,” Usery said. “If we are able to start our students on that journey at the academic level, we will produce graduates who have a leg up on their peers in the working world.”

John McGinnis, an instructor in TSTC’s Cybersecurity program, said the move online will give students flexibility to work on their own schedules but still maintain deadlines.

Both programs will offer Occupational Skills Awards for the first time. The OSAs are designed for students to take quickly in order to gain new skills for the workforce. Classes can be completed in less than a semester.

The Basic Computer Networking and Systems Administration OSA will include Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) classes focusing on automation, networking, routing and other topics.

“This is good for career changers and people that are working in the industry and need that extra bump to break through the ceiling,” Usery said. “Also, (it is good for) young people entering the workforce that need to tap into a skill that can provide immediate job prospects upon successful completion.”

The Basic Cybersecurity OSA focuses on information technology security and networking technologies.

Students have a great reason to be optimistic about the current job climate, as indicated by information from Workforce Solutions North Central Texas.

The Workforce Solutions office covers 16 counties, including Ellis County. Some of the employers with the largest number of openings for computer and information systems managers, computer network architects, and software and application developers include Wells Fargo with more than 600 jobs, and JPMorgan Chase & Co. with more than 500. Other employers in North Texas seeking workers include Amazon, Bank of America and Toyota Motors.

Workforce Solutions has designated computer and information systems managers, computer network architects, computer systems analysts, and networking and computer systems administrators as target occupations. Computer and information systems managers had the highest hourly mean wage at $77.69 in 2019, according to data from Workforce Solutions. 

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

TSTC Culinary Arts Students Put to the Baking Test

(WACO, Texas) -Students in Texas State Technical College’s Advanced Pastry Shop class in Waco presented their sweetest treats as part of a final exam on Thursday.

Students spent two days this week making multiple desserts of their choice. Students also had to turn in a portfolio of all their work for the semester, including product pricing, plating diagrams, recipes and other information.

Students took the class this semester in a hybrid format, with labs being done in-person and lectures and quizzes done online, per TSTC’s COVID-19 teaching plan.

“They (the students) persevered through the situation a lot of people would not have been able to,” said Michele Brown, lead instructor of TSTC’s Culinary Arts program.

Mikhaila Hoffman of College Station incorporated a Costa Rican theme for her desserts. The theme honors her father, who was born in the Central American nation and moved to the United States when he was seven.

“I did research, and my abuela (grandmother) does a lot of cooking,” Hoffman said.

Among the desserts she made was a brown sugar spice cake filled with dulce de leche.

Vickie Bradford of Corsicana used vanilla as her theme. And, she used one of her specialties for the final.

“I personally like the pound cake,” she said. “I get pound cake orders a lot at home.”

DeQuan Carter grew up in Barbados but now calls Waco home. He chose a French theme for his desserts.

“This was easy in planning ahead and setting up,” he said. “The hardest part was the action to make the items.”

He is taking away from the class more than a stack of recipes.

“I learned how to bake in general,” Carter said. “I learned to push past problems and fix them. And, I learned to have faith in myself.”

TSTC continues to follow mandatory guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including maintaining social distancing and wear face coverings at all times while on any TSTC campus. 

Registration for the fall semester continues. 

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

TSTC enrollment coach makes helping students her mission

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Last month, Rebecca Davila celebrated her eighth year with Texas State Technical College.

After earning her Associate of Applied Science degree in Business Management Technology from TSTC, she knew that she wanted a career in higher education. The Rio Hondo native said that her time as an enrollment coach has been filled with many wonderful memories and, most importantly, she gets to help students along the way.

What inspired you to work in higher education?

My Business Management Technology instructors inspired me. They took such a genuine interest in making sure I succeeded, and that dedication planted the seed in me of wanting to work for TSTC and in higher education.

What do you enjoy most about your career?

I enjoy the camaraderie that I have with my teammates and my supervisors. During my time with TSTC, I have been able to build friendships and create a network of staff and instructors from all over our Texas campuses.  We all share a common goal, which is to serve our students in the best way we can.

What is one of the best things about helping students change their lives?

The fact that we are able to play a part in this journey with them is one of the best feelings. Their time at TSTC will not only be able to help them individually, but it will also impact and open doors for their family.

What do you think makes studying at TSTC different from other colleges?

The personalized attention we give our students makes all the difference. I believe that effort shows the genuine personal interest that I, my teammates and my colleagues take with students who pass through our doors.

Fall registration is currently underway.  For more information, visit https://tstc.edu/admissions.