TSTC Students Bused to Waco for Job Fair

(HUTTO) – More than a dozen Texas State Technical College students from the East Williamson County Higher Education Center made their way to TSTC in Waco Thursday, March 22, for the college’s annual Industry Job Fair.

Over 100 employers attended the event looking to meet, interview and possibly hire students from TSTC’s programs.

This was the first year that the college’s Williamson County campus had bused students to the job fair.

“For years now, it’s been an issue of transportation,” said TSTC Provost Edgar Padilla. “We’re trying to do what we can for our students.”

TSTC field development officer Michael Smith echoed those sentiments.

“I heard from several different instructors over the year that either they had to drive them up there or they (students) had to drive on their own, and how it would be neat if we had a bus,” Smith said. “I heard that over and over, and so I told Edgar, ‘I think we should do a bus this year,’ and we started researching the cost.”

Ellis & Salazar Automotive & Collision volunteered to sponsor the bus to help the students reach more opportunities.

“We’re working with Ellis & Salazar on a different project, so I mentioned it to them and said this would really help us,” Smith said.

Smith hopes the students had a positive experience at the event.

“They’re getting to meet with these companies and see the full range of services that TSTC offers,” he said. “It’s not just coming to class and going home. Career Services will be out there to help and answer resume questions, and all the other pieces that go into making sure they’re prepared for a job when they leave. Ultimately the goal is for them to leave with a job.”

Cyber Security student Jeremiah Southern was well prepared for the event.

“I had my resumes ready and researched the companies that were there to see what positions they had open and learn about their backgrounds,” Southern said. “Some of the companies that were there, even though they weren’t there specifically looking for what my particular field will be, it just takes asking. In IT and networking, there’s always something that could be available. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know.”

Southern enjoyed the event overall and found some promising opportunities to follow up on.

“There were a lot of companies and a lot of students,” he said. “It was my first time going to a job fair, and I look forward to going to more. There were some great opportunities with the Civilian Air Force and Aerotek. Aerotek specifically said they need Cisco people, so that was really promising.”

TSTC will begin registering students for the summer and fall semesters on Monday, April 2. For more information on the college, visit tstc.edu.

TSTC hosts annual counselor update

(HUTTO) – Texas State Technical College hosted its annual Dual Enrollment Counselor Update and Luncheon Wednesday, March 21.

High school counselors, administrators and teachers from the surrounding area attended the event, which was held at the East Williamson County Higher Education Center.

Megan McBride, dual enrollment advisor at TSTC, stressed the need for the updates.

“It’s important that we hold these events so we can educate the counselors about dual enrollment statewide, not just for TSTC, but from the TEA (Texas Education Agency) and the Higher Education Coordinating Board standpoints also,” she said.

Marina Wilcox, TSTC vice president of dual enrollment, spoke about the importance of two Texas House bills: one that impacts the way high school students choose courses with a career goal in mind, and another that requires high schools to improve student performance.

Wilcox also elaborated on some of the dual enrollment programs offered by the college.

“If you go to the Texas Workforce Commission website, there’s this really cool thing called Career Check,” Wilcox said in her presentation. “If you look at Industrial Maintenance with a Certificate I, you start out with a salary of $53,000. It’s a high-tech field that’s very skilled, and we offer pathways in that.”

TSTC representatives also covered new forms and changes in the admissions process and general business for the 2018-19 academic year.

“We’ve simplified our processes,” McBride said. “We’re also working more closely with admissions to streamline those processes. Most importantly, we’ve updated the dual enrollment website, and that’s a huge improvement for us.”

Earlier this year, TSTC announced new, fully online pathways in Cyber Security, Digital Media Design, and Computer-Aided Drafting and Design. Health Information Technology was the first program to go completely online.

“Pretty much all of the West Texas high schools that partner with us have opted for these programs since they’re so spread out,” McBride said. “With us, the majority are opting in for these online pathways as well.”

For more information on TSTC and its dual enrollment program, visit de.tstc.edu.

TSTC in Waco Hosts Industry Job Fair for Students

(WACO) – More than 650 Texas State Technical College students met potential employers from throughout Texas on Thursday at its Industry Job Fair.

Two lift trucks provided by Versalift in Waco were parked at the corner of Campus Drive and Scott Circle in front of the Murray Watson Jr. Student Recreation Center, where more than 100 businesses set up tables and displays. This was the largest Industry Job Fair the campus has ever held.

Bruce Hardt, Versalift’s human resources director, said the company was looking for students to fill welding, production assistant, service technician, warehouse parts puller, panting and other positions that are available right now.

“We are a local company and TSTC is local, and we need to capture people to keep them here,” Hardt said. “We have had a lot of traffic today. It’s been good.”

Representatives of Austin-based Aerotek were seeking to meet students to fill technology, manufacturing, maintenance and engineering positions. Jaime Valdez, an Aerotek commercial account manager, said he was collecting resumes from students throughout the morning.

“We try to get to a lot of the job fairs to find fresh students,” said Valdez. “The tech schools are our niche.”

Jacob Matson, an instrumentation department supervisor at Samsung Austin Semiconductor, was looking to meet instrumentation students. The Austin company has more than 3,000 employees and is one of the largest semiconductor manufacturing facilities in the United States.

“Emerging technology requires emerging talent,” Matson said.

Tractor Supply Co., which has locations throughout Central Texas, has openings for material handlers and maintenance mechanics. Ashley R. Willis, a company human resources specialist in Waco, said there are plans to expand to at least 2,000 stores nationwide in the next five years.

“We have positions that need to be filled,” Willis said. “We are a rapidly growing company. We open a new store every four days around the country. We would like to build a great connection with TSTC.”

Sara Mardanbigi, a traveling recruiter for Torchy’s Tacos in Austin, did not bring samples of the restaurant’s popular gourmet tacos. But, she did bring details of supply chain, information technology and maintenance technician positions available. Torchy’s Tacos has 60 locations in Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas and has plans to move into other states.

Some TSTC alumni worked at tables representing B&W Energy Services in Deer Park and ProPetro Services Inc. in Midland.

Jason Lehrmann graduated in 2017 from TSTC with associate degrees in Environmental Technology Compliance and Occupational Safety Compliance Technology. He began an internship with Manitou Group in May and was hired full time as soon as he graduated in August. Lehrmann is a safety supervisor and human resources assistant at the company that produces telehandlers, backhoe loaders, aerial work platforms and other heavy equipment.

“It feels really good seeing the students I went to school with and coming to the table,” Lehrmann said.

Some students planning to graduate this semester were figuring out their future work plans.

Ann-Marie Garza, a Web Design and Development Technology major from McGregor, said she became interested in web design after being encouraged by a high school teacher to pursue the field to study.

“Right now, I’m just trying to get an idea of where I want to work, so any job will do,” she said. “But, this is really helpful in getting started.”

Jaren Gillis, 24, of Waco is studying Cyber Security and has attended previous campus employment events. He said he always starts out walking around the student recreation center and then zeroing in on specific businesses.

“I think it’s always good seeing what the market looks like and to talk to the employers and seeing what they look for,” Gillis said.

William Hammond, an aviation maintenance student from Groesbeck, said the companies represented know TSTC’s students come with ample hands-on experience that sets them above others.

“I’m looking for a job that pays well and offers good benefits and retirement,” he said. “I have to start thinking long term, and these companies here are ready to offer that.”

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

Waco Transit System Utilizing TSTC Diesel Equipment Technology Students

(WACO) – When people wind down at home or lift reps at the gym after a long day at work, the Waco Transit System’s maintenance department livens up with its own activity.

And, some of the employees making this happen have ties to Texas State Technical College’s Diesel Equipment Technology program.

“We always keep six to 10 of the kids on board,” said Waco Transit System Director of Maintenance Steve Edgar. “We work late evenings and it is flexible with their classes. If it wasn’t for the tech students, I would be in a bind.”

Caleb Hensley, 19, of Waco and Malaci Moore, 19, of Elm Mott are two of the TSTC students who work in the maintenance shop in downtown Waco. Both students are scheduled to graduate in April from TSTC. The students work with preventive maintenance along with repairing air and fuel leaks and hydraulics.

“I like the controlled environment,” Hensley said. “This is my first shop. I have always worked on vehicles, but I liked heavier equipment.”

Moore came to Waco Transit with knowledge accumulated from his relatives working in the oil fields. He said laboring at the transit agency has been a good experience and one to help him as he secures a job working on mechanical equipment in the oil fields after graduation.

“There are some things you can’t teach in a classroom compared to a shop,” Moore said.

Edgar said Waco Transit has worked with the Diesel Equipment Technology program for more than two decades, hiring students and enabling them to get professional work experience. He said while the technical college provides the industry knowledge for students, it is businesses like Waco Transit that can provide the hands-on work to fine-tune skills.

“Steve and them are a blessing,” said Richard Stranacher, an instructor in TSTC’s Diesel Equipment Technology program. “The students get the exposure, and he critiques and hone their skills over there.”

Waco Transit is not just city buses and trolleys circling downtown. The agency provides bus service for Baylor University, shuttles for Baylor football games, shuttles to and from Waco Regional Airport, services for McLennan County Rural Transit, and vans for Americans with Disabilities Act and Medicaid patients.

New employees typically start as mechanics’ helpers, Edgar said. He said some of the traits he looks for in potential employees include common sense and flexibility. He said the first test for applicants is to see if they follow directions in filling out the employment application.

“If they show will and determination to learn, they move into the shop to do preventive maintenance,” he said. “With these kids, I always encourage school, No. 1; work is No. 2. We have to pace them.”

David Villatoro, 28, of Robinson began work at Waco Transit while he was a TSTC student and was hired fulltime after graduation in 2009. He is a technician who started working evenings and eventually moved up to a daytime shift. A lot of his work involves preventive maintenance, heating and cooling systems and wheelchair lifts.

“When I started, I was doing tires,” said Villatoro. “I got familiarized with the vehicles and preventive maintenance and then worked on the electrical side. I caught on really fast.”

Villatoro, a 2007 graduate of Stony Point High School in Round Rock, said he grew up with an interest in cars.

“But, everything in diesel is bigger,” he said.

Further training beyond daily work is done by vendors contracted to provide purchased vehicles, Edgar said.

Edgar said the transit agency could also use current students or graduates in other fields, including automotive technology, auto collision and welding, to fill work gaps.

The Waco Transit Authority is a wholly owned subsidiary of RATP Dev and contracts with the city of Waco. The agency has 140 employees in administration, maintenance and operations.

TSTC in Waco offers the Associate of Applied Science degree in Diesel Equipment Technology with specializations in Off-Highway Equipment, John Deere Construction and Forestry, or Heavy Truck. TSTC in Waco also offers certificates in Diesel Equipment Technology – Heavy Truck and Off-Highway Equipment.

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

TSTC in Abilene Seeking Faculty for New Technical Programs

(ABILENE) – Texas State Technical College is looking for team members.

With a reputation for hiring faculty who have real-world industry experience, TSTC in searching for teaching candidates to teach in Abilene.

TSTC’s Industrial Technology Center is currently under construction on Loop 322 next to Abilene Regional Airport and will house three new TSTC programs: Electrical Power and Controls, Industrial Maintenance and Welding Technology.

Quality faculty are key to helping students become well-trained employees.

“The knowledge the faculty brings to the classroom and labs is hard to quantify,” said Rick Denbow, provost of TSTC in Abilene, Breckenridge, Brownwood and Sweetwater. “You are conveying that information to the student that has maybe limited knowledge. They are preparing those students upon graduation to get into industry and get those great paying jobs.”

TSTC will hire for four full-time instructors and two adjunct instructors in Electrical Power and Controls and Industrial Maintenance. There will also be two full-time instructors hired for the welding program. A program maintenance specialist will be hired who will help instructors prepare classrooms and equipment for labs, grade papers and other tasks needed by instructors, said Rhiannon M. Hastings, lead statewide recruiter in TSTC Human Resources.

People interested in the jobs need to have at least an associate degree in one of the fields and at least three years of professional field experience. Applicants should also have professional certifications as needed for their fields, Hastings said.

Dan Bateman, a senior instructor in the Electrical Power and Controls program at TSTC in Waco, is leading the creation of the new associate degree program in Abilene.

“What we need is someone with utility or testing and maintenance experience along with utility design,” he said.

The number of electrical engineers is expected to grow by more than 16,000 through 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. West Texas had more than 400 jobs in May 2016, according to the federal agency.

David A. Junek, TSTC’s statewide department chairman for Industrial Systems and Engineering Technology, said he wants to see Industrial Maintenance faculty members who have the academic experience and have gotten their hands dirty in the workplace. Faculty will teach students earning the program’s associate degree which has an electrical specialization.

“Industrial Maintenance graduates are maintenance technicians that can not only make repairs to mechanical equipment, but are also trained to troubleshoot electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic systems as well.”

Jobs for industrial machinery mechanics are expected to increase by more than 23,000 jobs nationwide through 2026, according to the federal labor statistics agency. In May 2016, there were more than 4,000 industrial machinery mechanics jobs in West Texas, with the most being centered in Odessa and Midland, according to the federal agency.

Faculty in Abilene will teach classes in the first Associate of Applied Science degree in Welding Technology being offered at the TSTC campuses in West Texas.

The number of welders, cutters, solderers and brazers in the United States is expected to grow by 22,500 jobs nationwide through 2026. West Texas had more than 4,700 jobs in these fields as of May 2016, according to the federal agency.

The Electrical Power and Controls and Welding Technology programs are part of TSTC’s Money Back Guarantee initiative. Students in these programs who do not get a job in their field within six months of graduation will get their tuition back.

Hastings said Human Resources’ goal is to have the new faculty hired by early summer so they can set up classrooms and labs with new equipment in the building. Students in the programs will be able to take classes from faculty members and adjuncts in the daytime and evenings.

TSTC is a state institution offering Health Select of Texas administered by Blue Cross Blue Shield, paid vacation, sick leave and state holidays, dental insurance, vision insurance,  life insurance, flexible spending accounts and retirement. In addition, the technical college offers employee development and employee appreciation events as part of its overarching goal to make TSTC a great place to work.

For more information on employment at Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu/about/employment.

 

TSTC to Host Program Highlight Day

(RED OAK) – Texas State Technical College in North Texas will host Program Highlight Day for its Electrical Power & Controls program from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 22.

Prospective students will be able to participate in hands-on activities directed by Electrical Power & Controls faculty and learn more about the program, which covers engineering, design, installation, calibration, testing, troubleshooting, computer instrumentation, robotics interfacing, and electrical construction.

An associate degree in Electrical Power & Controls is also covered under TSTC’s Money-Back Guarantee program. If graduates of the program do not find a job in their field within six months of graduating, they will receive their tuition back.

Those interested in attending the event can register at http://bit.ly/tstcepc.

Who: Texas State Technical College
What: Electrical Power & Controls Program Highlight Day
When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, March 22
Where: TSTC in North Texas, 119 N. Lowrance Road, Red Oak, Texas 75154

TSTC in Marshall Hosts Annual Job Fair

(MARSHALL) – Students at Texas State Technical College walked into the college’s annual job fair Tuesday with resumes in hand, hoping to leave with the promise of a job.

More than 30 employers set up at the job fair to meet with, interview and possibly hire students from TSTC’s 12 programs offered at the Marshall campus.

Hannah Luce, coordinator of Career Services at TSTC, said the event went well.

“It’s probably near the same turnout we usually have,” Luce said. “The job fair gives our students a good showcase of the variety of companies that are out there hiring them. It gives them networking opportunities.”

Luce said many employers were anxious to set up interviews with the students.

“Tons of students were handing out their resumes and the employers were asking for them, ready to get them in and interviewed,” she said.

Dustin Deberry, remote operations project supervisor for Matheson Gas, said the company came looking to fill positions in industrial maintenance and process operations.

“We had come and done some interviews about a month or so ago, and we liked everybody we talked to,” Deberry said. “We’ve had some promising candidates today. We want them to come to the plant that they’d be interviewing for and speak directly with the plant manager and the zone manager.”

Joe Razza, regional recruiter in Texas and Louisiana for Crown Lift Trucks, said the company does a lot of work with TSTC.

“I’ve had an ongoing relationship with the diesel and industrial maintenance programs and the instructors, so a lot of these individuals I’ve spoken with in the past,” Razza said. “Today is more of a networking event, answering any questions they might have. For the most part they’ve come up pretty prepared with resumes and things like that, so it’s been pretty good.”

Razza said the quality of individuals the college is producing is one of the many reasons why Crown maintains a great relationship with TSTC.

“We also see the passion and drive of the employees that are training those individuals, and that makes it rewarding for us,” he said.

Crown Lift has also offered workshops at TSTC’s campuses statewide to help better prepare students for the workforce.

“We’re not only offering the soft skills workshops and things like that to programs that pertain to us,” Razza said. “We’re offering them campus-wide at all the locations, to kind of give back to TSTC. The students are obtaining all of the things that they need to be successful in their career from the campuses. The soft skills give them an edge up on the competition, and we want them to be successful whether they pursue us or somebody else.”

TSTC will begin registering students for the summer and fall semesters on Monday, April 2. For more information on the college, visit tstc.edu.

TSTC recruiter serves as inspiration to students

(FORT BEND) – Yulonda Durst, who survived a childhood of poverty and overcame personal hardships as an adult, is now at Texas State Technical College as a student recruiter hoping to help young people find a better life through education.

Durst was raised in Beaumont and as a young girl, along with her four siblings, was homeless, usually forced to spend days apart from her family.

“We were a large family, and it was difficult for family to take all of us in,” she said. “But through it all my mom remained positive, kept us praying and reminded us that struggles were temporary.”

And temporary they were.

Durst and her family slowly moved up from homelessness to a house with no electricity to the projects and finally to a house they could call their own after Durst’s mother married.

The Beaumont native grew up to be a licensed cosmetologist, a youth pastor for New Hope Deliverance Ministry, a church in her hometown, and a college graduate.Yulonda Durst - TSTC Student Recruiter

She earned an associate degree from a technology school in Beaumont in Business Computer Information Systems in 2012 while working and raising her seven children.

“It wasn’t easy, but I wanted more for me and my family. So I pushed forward,” she said.

While juggling her salon, Graceful Hands Beauty Salon, established in 2005, a newfound career as a financial aid representative at her alma mater, and her family, more life challenges were thrown her way.

A fire, which was ruled arson, destroyed her salon on Thanksgiving Day 2016 and a divorce left Durst in pieces and feeling discouraged.

“I didn’t rebuild. I wanted a brand new start,” she said. “And it was while looking for a place to live in the Houston area that I drove by TSTC and told my children, ‘I’m going to work there someday.’”

It was only two weeks before Hurricane Harvey that Durst and her children began a new life in Houston. She said she is thankful that her family was okay and their properties did not suffer damage.

“We were blessed, but many weren’t so lucky,” she said.

Knowing this is what encouraged her to volunteer at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston and work as a FEMA contractor for four months before getting a job at TSTC.

Durst is now the newest student recruiter at TSTC’s Fort Bend County campus and said she was immediately impressed with the campus and its employees.

“At TSTC I feel like we’re all equal. I’m part of one great, big family,” she said. “It’s all hands on deck, no matter your position. There’s so much unity.”

Durst has many goals for her new position, but her main one is to encourage higher education in students who don’t see it as a possibility.

“I always tell students that education is the key that opens doors,” she said. “I believe everyone has the potential of getting a college degree.”

Durst added, “TSTC is a two-year college that places students on a career path,” she said. “When a student enters TSTC they are taking steps toward a new career and life.”

Durst, who is still a youth pastor, said she hopes to grow with the college by being the continued support TSTC students need.

For more information the programs offered at TSTC’s Fort Bend County campus, visit tstc.edu.

Registration for Summer and Fall 2018 begins April 2.

TSTC alum has healthy career at Valley Baptist

(HARLINGEN) – It all started at Texas State Technical College for Linda Gonzalez, director of Health Information Management at Valley Baptist Medical Center, where she has been for three decades.

The Harlingen native graduated with an associate degree in 1993 from TSTC’s Health Information Technology program.

“If not for TSTC, I wouldn’t be where I am now,” she said. “To move up the ladder I needed a degree and I am thankful that TSTC gave me that opportunity.”

Gonzalez’s first experience in the health information and medical records field started in high school when she worked for a local doctor’s office. After high school she continued working there and tried university life.

“A four-year university wasn’t for me at the time. I was fresh out of high school and needed a break,” she said. “Plus I was really enjoying my work.

In 1987, while still working full-time for the doctor, she joined the Valley Baptist Medical Center family as a part-time birth certificate clerk. She eventually moved up to assembly and analysis clerk and healthcare statistics clerk.Linda Gonzalez - TSTC Health Info. Tech alum

“By this time I knew I wanted to make this my career and I wanted the chance to become a manager or director, so I knew what I had to do,” she said.

That’s when she enrolled at TSTC after hearing about the program from her then colleague Ana Gonzales. Gonzalez is now a Health Information Technology instructor at TSTC.

“I would go to work at 3 a.m. every morning so I could complete my work by the time I would leave for school,” she said. “Was it hard? Yes, I was always sleepy and would find myself dozing off in class, but so worth it.”

Immediately after receiving her associate degree she applied for and appointed to a manager position overseeing the statistic clerks, beginning the next journey on her career path.

Gonzalez went on to receive her bachelor’s degree from the University of Phoenix in Healthcare Administration to move up as director at Valley Baptist.

The 52-year-old now oversees a staff of 51 employees, 24 of which are also TSTC graduates, and she sits on the TSTC Health Information Technology advisory board, providing updates and recommendations to program instructors.

“TSTC graduates have always been top picks for Valley Baptist,” said Gonzalez. “We recognize their skills and the fact that they come on board ready to hit the ground running.”

Gonzalez added that over the 30 years she has been at Valley Baptist their support for TSTC students and graduates has never faltered, even allowing students to complete their clinical rotations at both Valley Baptist locations in Harlingen and Brownsville.

“I’m here to support and to encourage all of them (students) to be the best they can be and to continue pursuing specializations in their field,” she said. “They all have so much potential.”

Students who pursue an associate degree in Health Information Technology will learn the skills needed to manage health information across computerized systems and its secure exchange between consumers, providers, government entities and insurers and will also be trained in billing and coding.

TSTC’s program is also accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIM), allowing TSTC graduates to take the national exam needed to obtain the credentials of a Registered Health Information Technician improving career possibilities and increasing salaries.

Health Information Technology is offered at TSTC’s Harlingen campus and is also offered 100 percent online.

Registration for Summer and Fall 2018 begins April 2.

For more information on the program, visit tstc.edu.

TSTC Biomed student finds opportunity in booming medical industry

(HARLINGEN) – Richard Ruiz, a Biomedical Equipment Technology student at Texas State Technical College is expected to graduate next month with his associate degree, but already finds himself working in the field.

“It all happened so quickly,” he said. “I was only looking for an internship, but ended up with so much more.”

The La Feria native is completing his internship work and has a permanent position at XOtech, LLC, a Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business federal contracting company in Utah that focuses on providing services to the Department of Defense.

The 28-year-old is contracted by the Medical Equipment Concentration Site 88th area as a Biomedical Electronic Technician 1 overseeing the maintenance and repair of medical equipment in the healthcare setting.

Richard Ruiz - TSTC Biomedical student

“I am so blessed to have been given this opportunity,” said Ruiz. “This is a huge stepping stone for me.”

Prior to pursuing a career path in Biomedical Equipment Technology, Ruiz enrolled at TSTC as a Dental Hygiene student, but realized it was not the path he wanted to follow.

So, he applied to TSTC’s Vocational Nursing program and unfortunately did not get accepted.

“I’ve always loved the medical field and anatomy and physiology, but I was lost,” he said. “I had no idea what to do.”

Ruiz ended up taking a summer semester off to work and earn money, and then stayed out longer than expected.

“I lost momentum and enjoyed the money I was making, but when my fiancé and I learned we were expecting a baby everything shifted,” he said.

The jobs he was working at places such as Peter Piper Pizza, Dollar General and in the oil field suddenly were not enough for Ruiz.

“I needed to do more for my family and I knew I could only do that with an education. And that’s when I found TSTC’s biomed program. I immediately fell in love,” he said.

He credits God and all of the instructors in the Biomedical Equipment Technology program for his success and doubled income.

Richard Ruiz - TSTC Biomedical student

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without God, TSTC and the training I have received,” he said. “Everything got me ready for something amazing.”

Ray Longoria, TSTC Biomedical Equipment Technology instructor, said he was not surprised when he learned about Ruiz’s placement.

“Richard is an excellent student always demonstrating great initiative, leadership and teamwork,” said Longoria. “He has a bright future and I see him becoming a lead technician and even opening his own business one day.”

Longoria said when students like Ruiz move on, which they rightfully should, it’s a bittersweet moment.

“Ruiz did so much for us. He always helped other students, helped us around the lab and even with recruiting,” he said. “We’re so proud of him, but we’re going to miss him.”

Students like Ruiz get extensive hands-on training during their time in the program with the latest technology and equipment being used in the healthcare field.

The program currently works closely with TSTC’s Allied Health and Emergency Medical Technician departments, Culture of Life Ministries’ free health clinic, Loaves and Fishes and Ace Medical, maintaining and repairing their medical equipment.

As for Ruiz, who now lives in Utah with his family, he said it is this training that prepared him for his new career and gave him the confidence to pursue it and dream big.

Ruiz hopes to one day open his own biomedical business.

For more information on Biomedical Equipment Technology at TSTC’s Harlingen and Waco campuses, visit tstc.edu.

Registration for Summer and Fall 2018 begins April 2.