Author Archives: Daniel Perry

Thrall Resident Overcomes Challenges En Route to TSTC Associate Degree

(HUTTO) – Jonathan Flores of Thrall was working in construction in 2014 when he was involved in an automobile accident in Williamson County.

Flores was thrown out of the vehicle he was in and found out soon afterward that he was paralyzed from the chest down. At the time, he said he did not think much about college. But while recovering and adjusting to his life’s changes, he said he knew he needed to further his education.

“If you want to do something, no matter what you want to do, you can do it,” Flores said.

Flores, 24, is a candidate for graduation with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Welding Technology at Texas State Technical College in Williamson County’s Fall 2018 Commencement at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7, at the East Williamson County Higher Education Center at 1600 Innovation Blvd. in Hutto.

“I got interested in welding because I like to build stuff,” Flores said. “After my accident, I couldn’t do much work.”

With some minor adapting, Flores is able to weld in EWCHEC’s first-floor labs. He enjoys fabricating the most.

“It was hard at first,” Flores said. “The instructors would tell you (to do it) a certain way, and sometimes I could not do it and I had to figure out a different way.”

Samara Flener, lead instructor of TSTC’s Welding Technology program, said she and faculty members admire Flores’ work ethic, attitude and determination.

“My priority became making sure he had access when he was in the booth and that he was as comfortable as all of the other students,” Flener said. “We will take 20 more of him.”

When he is not studying or working, Flores likes to play wheelchair basketball in Austin. He said it is good exercise and a way to connect with others.

Flores graduated in 2012 from Taylor High School, where he played soccer and took graphic design and engineering classes.

“I would see people weld and it looked cool,” he said.

His goal after graduation is to pursue a job in a fabrication shop in the Austin area.

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

Thrall Resident Overcomes Challenges En Route to TSTC Associate Degree

TSTC Computer Programming Technology Encourages Women to Code

(WACO) – Vicky Lackey, 60, of Teague first learned about programming languages, or coding, in the late 1970s on desktop computers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

“I fell in love with computers,” she said. “I started playing around with them myself.”

Lackey’s inspirations for continuing her education last year at Texas State Technical College were the excitement of technology’s evolution and her children. When she enrolled to pursue the Associate of Applied Science degree in Computer Programming Technology, she learned a new set of programming languages like C# (C Sharp) and Java.

“The logic is kind of the same,” Lackey said. “You just have to use the script and terminology with each language and then learn the code.”

Lackey’s goal after graduation is to work in computer programming and then be self-employed.

There are more than 77,100 women who are computer programmers, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The number of men in the field is more than 370,000.

Texas had more than 20,800 computer programmers as of May 2017, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Texas had an annual mean wage of $86,200, which is higher than its border states, according to the labor statistics agency.

“The industry looks for competent programmers,” said Casey Jones, a TSTC Computer Science instructor. “That comes down to those students who come in and work and grow with the complexity of coding.”

TSTC’s Computer Programming Technology pathway gets a variety of students who are interested in video games and those who are new to learning about coding and technology.

Some of TSTC’s Computer Programming Technology majors choose also to study Cloud and Data Center Management to broaden their job potential.

Jones pointed to the construction field as needing competent coders in the future, especially as 3D printing is adapted for projects.

“When you look at getting the jobs, it is how good a programmer you are,” Jones said.

TSTC’s instructors try to make the process of learning coding and solving problems as interactive as possible.

“You write a lot of dead code starting out,” Jones said. “You learn to modify and fix.”

Twenty-six percent of professional computing jobs in the United States were held by women in 2017, according to the National Center for Women and Information Technology.

Kaitlyn Lyons, 25, of Hillsboro had computer experience before attending TSTC, but learning the coding language was new to her. She said she gets tutoring when needed to better understand programming concepts.

After graduation next year, she wants to work for a company and return to college for a business degree.

“I think it’s encouraging to have more diversity in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields,” Lyons said. “A lot of them are male-oriented.”

Lyons’ advice to primary and secondary school girls is to pay attention to the classes they take.

“Do some more mathematics and logic-based classes,” she said. “The syntax is pretty easy, but the logic can be a little challenging. Pick up a coding book, and read it and research.”

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

TSTC Computer Programming Technology Encourages Women to Code

 

San Antonio Resident Electrifies His Goals at TSTC

(WACO) – After Esteban Hernandez graduated in 2012 from Louis D. Brandeis High School in San Antonio, his parents lobbied for him to attend Texas State Technical College because of family ties to Waco.

Instead Hernandez worked at a restaurant, a land-surveying business and a warehouse. He also dabbled in studying radiography.

“Wow, I wasted so many years,” he said.

Six years after his high school graduation, Hernandez is realizing his dream of being a college graduate with a transformed life.

He is a candidate for graduation with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Avionics Technology at Texas State Technical College’s Fall 2018 Commencement at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7, at the Waco Convention Center.

“Esteban is an amazing student,” said Marty Segraves, chair of the Avionics Department. “He is such an adept student that he has nearly maxed the program. His only B was in an electronics course. When he takes a test, I’m almost disappointed  if he doesn’t make a 100.”

Hernandez began working part time earlier this year at JAG Aviation in McGregor. He gets to work with employees on older and newer plane radio systems. He said the work is a way to use what he learns at TSTC.

Hernandez enrolled at TSTC in 2017 and moved in with his grandparents. His inspiration for studying aviation was his cousin’s husband who is employed at Southwest Airlines and his own fondness for hands-on work.

“I like the group we have in the program,” he said. “They are really fun and awesome. Learning how electronics work is really interesting.”

Hernandez will not wait long to pursue his next goal. In January, he will start taking classes in the Aviation Maintenance program at TSTC.

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

San Antonio Resident Electrifies His Goals at TSTC

TSTC and Colorado High School Work Together to Keep Students Moving

(SWEETWATER) — From horse-drawn carriages to vehicles that reach upwards of 160 mph, the transportation industry is constantly moving forward. To help students keep up with the evolving industry, Texas State Technical College hosted a program highlight day that allowed high school students from Colorado City to learn about transportation jobs in a hands-on environment.

“We’re trying to bring in the new age of mechanic-technicians and give them the skills they need to succeed,” Mike Myers, head automotive instructor at TSTC in Sweetwater, said.

The automotive industry employs over 749,900 technicians and mechanics nationally and is expected to grow to 795,800 by 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Automotive technicians are a dying breed,” Myers said. “We hope these students will stay in the program because it gives them an option to stay local and learn in a very strong program.”

For some students in attendance, the automotive industry runs in their family. Nathan Read, 17, a senior at Colorado High School, said his father has been a mechanic for over 20 years and he hopes to follow in his footsteps.

“I want to build my own shop someday,” Read said. “This a great experience because I really enjoy the hands-on training TSTC has to offer, and I plan on coming here after graduating high school.”

Students had the chance to change headlights, clean parts and explore different job opportunities available in the industry.

“This was great because I wanted to learn how to replace a headlight and got to do it,” Brandon Myers, 18, a senior at Colorado High School, said. “I like TSTC, and love that the school sponsored us to visit. I’m planning on coming to the automotive program after I graduate.”

For those interested in the automotive industry, TSTC offers associate degrees and certificates of completion at campuses located in Harlingen, Sweetwater and Waco.

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

TSTC Auto Collision and Management Technology Program Receives National Grant

(WACO) – Texas State Technical College’s Auto Collision and Management Technology program will soon buy new equipment because of a recently awarded national grant.

The program has received a $1,000 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover Grant from the Collision Repair Education Foundation. The announcement was made in late October at the 2018 Speciality Equipment Market Association Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The money will be available in January.

High school and college auto collision programs undergo a rigorous application process to be considered for the grants.

Clint Campbell, TSTC’s statewide Auto Collision and Management Technology chair, said it took two months to complete the application, which includes information on the program’s budget and student job placement, as well as recommendations from industry representatives.

“It’s a good deal for the program,” Campbell said. “It makes sure you are doing things correctly and for the right reasons.”

Campbell said it is not only critical to the auto collision industry to teach students how to repair dents and paint, but also to use technology to reset collision avoidance systems being built for new vehicle models. Securing grants to purchase new equipment enables the program faculty to use money in areas where it is most needed.

John McIntyre, 33, and Blake McIntyre, 28, both of San Angelo, are working toward Auto Collision Refinishing certificates and are scheduled to graduate next summer.

The brothers chose to attend TSTC to learn techniques to use for a restoration shop they want to open in their hometown after graduation. They want to purchase older models of trucks, rehabilitate them and sell them at automotive auctions.

“Automotives are a passion,” John McIntyre said.

Blake McIntyre said he had an extra motivation for pursuing the certificate: He has been dissatisfied with past automotive paint jobs. He said his favorite class so far has been Automotive Plastic and Sheet Molded Compound Repair.

TSTC in Waco has about 90 students pursuing the program’s associate degrees and certificates.

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

TSTC Auto Collision and Management Technology Program

 

TSTC Student Takes Degree Overseas

(SWEETWATER) — Living in a foreign country is a dream to most, but getting paid to live in a foreign country is the way Texas State Technical College student Kaitlin Sullivan is realizing that dream.

Sullivan is expected to graduate this fall from TSTC in Sweetwater with an associate degree in Wind Energy Technology and has already accepted a job with Koenig & Bauer, the oldest functioning printing press manufacturer in the world. She will complete her apprenticeship in Germany for two six-month terms, then train with a technician in Dallas for three months until being upgraded to a technician job herself.

“This is an amazing opportunity,” Sullivan said. “I am so excited to travel and learn more about the culture and lifestyle in Germany, all while doing something I’m genuinely interested in.”

Although this is not the path Sullivan ever expected to be on, she is not looking back.

“I did the traditional four-year college, how ‘society’ expects you to, and I couldn’t find a job I liked,” Sullivan said. “So after a year of job searching, I decided I needed something different and came to TSTC.”

Sullivan completed her bachelor’s degree at Tarleton State University, but after having trouble finding a job she was interested in, she took some inspiration from her hometown and made a change.

“I’m from Dumas in North Texas, where there are tons of wind turbines,” Sullivan said. “They’re fascinating to me. So I did some research, and TSTC popped up with the right program.”

Upon arriving at TSTC, Sullivan immediately impressed her instructors with her drive and dedication to education. Wind Energy Technology instructor Billie Jones taught Sullivan in at least one class each semester and recognized her ambition.

“There is nothing Kaitlin can’t do once she dedicates her mind to it,” Jones said. “One of the first things she said to me was that she was in competition with everyone else, just that no one knew it yet. I believe it was that mentality and her willingness to learn that got her where she is today.”

While the job Sullivan accepted is not in her degree field, it is associated with the sister program, Electromechanical Technology. Since there was only a five-course difference between it and Wind Energy Technology, Electromechanical Technology instructor Ron Rendon agreed to meet with Sullivan and help her cross-train.

“Kaitlin is a great leader and very willing to learn. She doesn’t like not knowing,” Rendon said. “She will be a huge asset wherever she works, and I think she’ll do amazing things.”  

For anyone hesitant to take the alternative route from a four-year degree, Sullivan says don’t be afraid.

“People told me I shouldn’t or couldn’t do it,” Sullivan said. “And I’m glad I didn’t listen because I got this job offer two semesters before graduation. Don’t let them tell you you can’t, and if they do, prove them wrong.”

Sullivan is expected to graduate on Monday, December 10, at 7 p.m. in the Abilene Convention Center.

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

TSTC Student Takes Degree Overseas

TSTC Alumna Uses Degree, Experience to Help Heal Others

(BROWNWOOD) — Battling addiction takes determination, drive and a support system. Texas State Technical College alumna Stephanie Narramore used these tools in her own recovery and now uses them to help others.

Narramore graduated in 2015 from TSTC in Brownwood with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Chemical Dependency Counseling and is now Associate Director of Clinical Services at Starlite Recovery Center in Center Point, Texas.

“TSTC was a really important part of me changing and my recovery. I suffered from a (drug) addiction for 14 years, and it was time for a change for my daughter and for me,” Narramore said.

When Narramore arrived at TSTC, she was nervous to be going back to school as a nontraditional student but was surprised by the support she found.

“I was scared,” Narramore said. “I was really scared to be going to school at my age, 38, but my instructors and the staff were amazing. They helped me to see something in myself that I didn’t at the time. They put in just as much work as I did.”

Elizabeth Jones, a Chemical Dependency Counseling instructor, recognized the willingness to change in Narramore.

“Stephanie came to school determined, prepared and totally ready to make a change in her life,” said Jones, who was also a mentor to Narramore. “She knew that hard work was in her future, and she never walked away from a challenge. She is a role model for other students in the Chemical Dependency Counseling program.”

Driven by her desire to create a better life as a single mother, Narramore earned not only her degree, but also a list of honors along the way.

“I was the guest speaker at my graduation, the Board of Regents Medal of Honor recipient and president of the honor society Phi Theta Kappa. It was very validating,” Narramore said.

Narramore’s attitude and will to succeed left a lasting impression on the people she encountered at TSTC.

“Stephanie is hardworking and determined. She sets goals and doesn’t let hurdles get in her way.” Raquel Mata, associate provost of TSTC in Brownwood, said.

In her current position at Starlite Recovery Center, Narramore says she has found a way to help heal others.

“I’ve been where these patients have been, so I know exactly what they’re going through,” Narramore said. “I found my purpose, and it’s being able to make a difference in someone else’s life.”

The TSTC Chemical Dependency Counseling program is available at the Abilene, Breckenridge and Brownwood campuses.

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

TSTC Alumna Uses Degree, Experience to Help Heal Others

TSTC Nursing Graduates Needed to Fill Home Health Jobs

(BRECKENRIDGE) – As Home Care and Hospice Month is commemorated nationwide in November, the Big Country has a need for qualified nurses to aid patients who want health care in the comfort of their homes.

Marchelle Taylor, a vocational nursing program director at Texas State Technical College, said graduates are encouraged to work in clinical settings first before moving into home health.

“Home health care is pretty independent, and new graduates don’t have the experience to work independently,” Taylor said. “Many do after getting some experience in clinics, nursing homes and hospitals.”

In Texas, there are more than 319,000 Medicare beneficiaries who use home health, according to the Alliance for Home Health. More than 60 percent of them have at least five chronic conditions.

In early November, Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas in Abilene had more than 80 openings in the 19-county region for nurses to work in home health, hospitals and other medical facilities. Steve Collins, a business and resource consultant at Workforce Solutions, said there is a nursing shortage in the region indicated by the number of open job positions.

Job experience is important, said representatives of two Stephens County home health agencies.

James Curtis, a TSTC nursing alumnus and branch office manager at Renew Home Health in Breckenridge, said knowing the county’s nurses helps him fill job openings when needed. The business works with clients in a 45-mile radius of Breckenridge.

“I require one year of experience,” Curtis said. “You never know what kind of situation you can get into.”

Kim Mahan, an administrator at Beyond Faith Homecare and Rehab in Breckenridge, has hired TSTC alumni in the past. The business is a branch of the Graham location, which serves clients in a 50-mile radius.

“One of the struggles with the staff coming here, especially on the home health side, is the documentation,” she said. “It is extremely stringent. There is a lot of documentation that is involved in home health.”

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

TSTC Technical Program Receives Recognition

(WACO) – An information clearinghouse for higher education rankings has put Texas State Technical College at the top of the power pole in Texas.

Universities.com has named TSTC as having this year’s best Electrical Lineworker Technology program.

“We want to maintain our current ranking in Texas, but we have aspirations to be No. 1 in the nation,” said Eric Carithers, TSTC’s statewide Distribution and Industrial Electrical Systems department chair. “TSTC never wants to be complacent as a technical college, as technology is changing every second.”

The TSTC program has 80 certificate and associate degree students this fall. The program accepts 35 new students each semester.

Some of the classes students take include Climbing Skills, Distribution Operations, Live Line Safety and OSHA Regulations – Construction Industry. The program mixes classroom lectures and hands-on learning at its on-campus pole lab. Program faculty teach the students about professionalism, teamwork and safety.

“If they are not good at the skills, they do not make it through this program,” said Cheryl Lloyd, a TSTC program maintenance specialist.

Eric Cobb, 32, of Copperas Cove is studying for the program’s associate degree and is scheduled to graduate in 2019.

Cobb learned about the career field by watching YouTube videos. Some of his favorite things about the work are troubleshooting and maintaining high-voltage electricity.

“I liked it because it is fun, dangerous and exciting,” he said. “There is more brain work that goes into it than people think.”

After graduation, Cobb wants to work in the Austin or Copperas Cove areas.

Theodore Lozano, 31, of Waco is scheduled to graduate with a program associate degree next year. He was attracted to the electrical field because of the physicality and not having to spend hours behind a desk.

“I definitely made the right decision career-wise,” Lozano said.

Lozano’s job plans are to relocate where he can make the best salary for his family.

Lloyd said students garner at least one job offer upon graduation. Some of the companies that have hired students include Austin Energy, Oncor and Pike Electric Corp.

“We are very lucky to have support from major power companies, cooperatives, municipalities and contractors that support us on our statewide advisory board committee that provides feedback on current curriculum needs and upcoming changing policies in the industry,” Carithers said.

TSTC also offers the Electrical Lineworker Technology program in Fort Bend County and Marshall.

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

TSTC Technical Program Receives Recognition

 

TSTC Hosts Underclassman Day

(WACO) – Several middle school students received their first look at college life on Wednesday during Underclassman Day at Texas State Technical College.

More than 200 students from the Cleburne, Lockhart and McGregor school districts learned about technical programs, including Architectural and Civil Drafting Technology, Building Construction Technology and Industrial Maintenance.

“We had a good turnout,” said Melinda Calvillo, a TSTC student recruitment representative. “I think the early exposure for the students is really good.”

Kristina Cron, a mathematics teacher at Wheat Middle School in Cleburne, traveled with her school’s Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), students.

“My hope is for them to find an interest or careers they never knew about,” she said.

Jolee McGuire, 14, and Erin Ramirez, 14, are eighth-grade students in the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) in Lockhart. The students liked what they saw in the Biomedical Equipment Technology program.

“It was cool to see inside all of the equipment,” said McGuire.

Ramirez said she enjoyed seeing how TSTC’s Biomedical Equipment Technology students fixed medical equipment.

The two students were impressed with their visit to the campus store. McGuire also appreciated seeing the small classes.

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

TSTC Hosts Underclassman Day