(WACO) – Sarah Elliott proves that the field of biomedical equipment technology is not just for men.

“It is kind of priceless to walk on-site and see the surprised looks on some of the technologists’ faces because they have never seen a woman in this business, and the sense of accomplishment you feel when you prove you are just as capable of doing the job as a man,” she said.

Elliott, a Texas State Technical College alumna, is a biomedical equipment technician at KEI Medical Imaging Services in Hutto.

“We do place (graduates) in the Austin area,” said Mark Plough, TSTC’s biomedical and medical imaging technology statewide chair. “The way it is growing, I am sure we will see more graduates going there. The companies that come and hire our students are particularly interested in females.”

Elliott graduated in 2017 from TSTC’s Biomedical Equipment Technology program. She said she was glad to think through technical scenarios on similar equipment she would see in the field.

“There were only three women in my graduating class,” she said. “Since I have been in the field, I personally haven’t met any other female biomedical equipment technicians or field service engineers.”

Elliott learned about her employer from an acquaintance. On a recent week, her work took her to the Dallas and Houston areas to troubleshoot and calibrate machines.

“Walk on-site with confidence, and nobody will ever question your abilities,” she said.

Elliott said it is a challenge balancing work and family. She lives in Hutto during the week and travels to Coolidge on weekends to see her family.

She is a 2007 graduate of Coolidge High School.

“I have always been fascinated with taking things apart and putting them back together to see how things work,” Elliott said.

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

(WACO) – Texas State Technical College’s Challenger Learning Center is ready to send students off on new adventures.

Lance Bush, president and chief executive officer of the Challenger Center for Space Science Education in Washington, D.C., visited the campus Wednesday to talk to administrators and give a presentation on the center’s future worldwide plans.

Bush said when he visits centers and sees students performing experiments or working in Mission Control, he senses the excitement they have for space science.

“Today’s students are tomorrow’s innovators,” Bush said.

Bush said new programs the national office is rolling out will inspire students in new ways.

The Aquatic Investigations program for third- to fifth-grade students and the Earth to Mars program for ninth- and tenth- grade students can be taught by teachers in classrooms using Challenger Center materials. These will be offered starting in the 2020-21 school year.

“Teachers are looking for content,” Bush said. “These are hands-on activities.”

The Challenger Center’s 43 locations in Canada, Great Britain, South Korea and the United States continue to offer a selection of eight on-site missions focusing on comets, Earth, Mars, satellites and other topics for elementary and middle school students.

“We have new missions at the center, including Mission to Mars starting in spring 2019, and are revamping and updating missions annually to keep up with the scientific and technological advances,” said Jeremy Hagman, a center coordinator. “Lance’s vision about helping support younger students through the Classroom Adventures project reinforces that we are indeed blessed to have him looking out for the organization.”

All of the lessons the Challenger Center offers to students are based on science data and align to current national education standards, Bush said.

Bush said students start deciding their career paths by fourth grade, but about half of them give up their interest by the time they enter eighth grade.

“Too many lose interest in STEM,” Bush said. “This limits opportunities in life and competitiveness abroad.”

Hagman sees potential opportunities for the local center catering to older children and adults.

“I see a place where companies can have retreats and learn trust, teamwork and communication just like the younger students,” he said. “I see a place where Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops can come and earn merit badges and work on projects. I see a place where home-schoolers can come on certain days and do missions.”

The center honors the astronauts who died Jan. 28, 1986, when a booster engine failed on the space shuttle Challenger space shuttle launching from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The initiative was founded later that year by the families of the seven astronauts tragically killed.

TSTC’s Challenger Learning Center held a public grand opening in September 2016 and hosted its first school groups in early 2017. The center is the third in Texas, joining locations at TSTC in Harlingen and in San Antonio.

“The Challenger Learning Center at TSTC in Waco is a tremendous resource for STEM education for our local school districts,” TSTC Provost Adam Hutchison said.

For more information on TSTC’s Challenger Learning Center, go to www.tstc.edu/challenger.

(WACO) –  Fabian Kiedels and Ethan Wood are ready to help fly Texas State Technical College to victory.

TSTC will compete against Central Texas College, Hinds Community College, LeTourneau University and Louisiana Tech University in the National Intercollegiate Flying Association Region 4 Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON) from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2 at Skylark Field Airport in Killeen.

Events include computer accuracy, landings, general safety, aviation knowledge, aircraft identification and navigation. All outdoor events and schedule changes are contingent on the weather.

Kiedels and Wood are returning competitors.

“It was overwhelming because it was new but exciting,” said Kiedels, 22, of The Woodlands.

Kiedels will compete in the power-off and power-on landing contest. He said being part of SAFECON enables him to learn and practice beyond the classroom, particularly on landings.

Wood, 20, of Dalhart will represent TSTC in the navigation event. Wood said taking part in the contest last year showed him what he needed to dedicate himself to in studying aviation. He said newer students have asked him lots of questions about what to expect from the intense competition.

The team has prepared in the classroom and in private ground school, with some practice days lasting until sunset.

Jessica Ogden, a TSTC flight instructor, was on last year’s SAFECON team as a student and is an adviser for this year’s group.

“I hope all the students are able to learn something new from their time spent in Killeen,” she said. “I hope they meet new people in aviation and make friendships that last a lifetime through this event. Even though it’s a competition, it never fails to be fun. I hope this team learns to enjoy their time as a student in aviation.”

Other TSTC students taking part include Grant Gonzales, Ken Hannes, Bebo Hudson, Michael Lairsen and Lauren Yates. Also advising the team is Shelby-Lynn Hubbard, a TSTC flight instructor.

The top three teams will be invited to compete at the 2019 national SAFECON.

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

(WACO) – Taylor Allen could not wait to meet as many as possible of the more than 250 high school students attending Thursday’s Women in Technology Day at Texas State Technical College.

Allen, 19, a TSTC Building Construction Technology major from Woodway, had a lot to tell and show.

“It meant being able to empower the high school students,” she said. “I want them to understand that hands-on work is 100 percent better than the book. Women are getting the jobs. Some of us are here to be No. 1.”

Students and faculty in Cloud and Data Center Management, Electrical Power and Controls, Laser Electro Optics, Visual Communication Technology and other TSTC programs showed off their skills and answered questions for the high school students. Students from the Connally, Itasca, La Vega and Waco school districts attended the event.

Tara Mulcahy, a health science technology teacher at Waco High School, wanted students to be exposed to different technical fields that female students are now pursuing at TSTC. She wanted to use the visit to boost the number of students participating in SkillsUSA and take that interest to the college level.

“It is extremely important to know they can do it and the opportunities are out there,” Mulcahy said.

Jessica Farmer, 18, a senior at Waco High School, enjoyed learning about electronics and digital forensics. Her career goal is to pursue film production.

One of the favorite parts of Farmer’s day was listening to a professional panel of employees from Tulsa-based natural gas and natural gas liquids company ONEOK.

“It really made me want to do technology in the future,” Farmer said.

Kaylee Payne, 16, a sophomore at Itasca High School, has an interest in space science and the medical field.

Payne and other students worked on picture frames while learning about the Building Construction Technology program. The students also learned about equipment safety.

“I liked the girls that were in there,” Payne said. “They were really nice, and it was cool seeing them doing everything.”

Payne also enjoyed touring the Col. James T. Connally Aerospace Center, home to all of TSTC’s aviation programs, and seeing the airplanes and helicopters. She also got to experience a flight simulator.

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

(WACO) – More than 850 Texas State Technical College students met potential employers from throughout Texas on Thursday at its Industry Job Fair.

Students were lining up to register about an hour before the 9 a.m. start of the event at the Murray Watson Jr. Student Recreation Center. Inside, students were treated to more than 100 companies looking to fill jobs for computer-aided drafters and designers, industrial maintenance technicians, aircraft mechanics and other technically skilled positions.

KEI Medical imaging Services of Hutto was appearing at its first TSTC job event. Gordon Schoppe, the company’s president, was on the hunt for Biomedical Equipment Technology majors. He said the kind of job candidates he likes are those who enjoy doing something different daily and long workdays.

The company provides parts and servicing on specific brands of MRI machines and CT scanners, along with inspections and insurance consultations. Schoppe said the business has about 10 employees.

SpawGlass, which has nine offices in Texas, was also making its first visit to TSTC in Waco. Lloyd Faver, a project executive at the construction company’s Fort Worth office, said he was looking for students interested in 3D design and all facets of building construction.

“I feel like the students at TSTC have more hands-on experience,” Faver said.

Some TSTC alumni worked at information tables, ready to talk to students about their professions.

Zachary McLeskey, a junior assistant superintendent at Galaxy Builders Ltd. in San Antonio, graduated in December 2017 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Building Construction Technology.

McLeskey learned about the company at a TSTC Industry Job Fair. He began work at the construction company in January.

His advice to students was simple.

“Maturity goes a long way in connecting with employers and clients,” McLeskey said.

Students asked questions, clutched company brochures and handed out resumes to company representatives.

Isaac Mendez, 18, of Mexia is in his first semester in the Diesel Equipment Technology program. He attended the job event to see what it was like.

“I learned what companies are looking for,” Mendez said. “Having the job fair shows students that TSTC is a good college to come to.”

Andrew Betts, 19, a fourth-semester Welding Technology major attending TSTC in Williamson County, traveled with a small group of students and a staff member to the job fair. Betts, from the Brushy Creek area of Williamson County, was interested in welding jobs.

“I get an idea of what companies are looking for and job opportunities,” Betts said. “I can ask about benefits and pay and what the real world looks like.”

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

(WACO) – Texas State Technical College’s Chef Mark Schneider returned earlier this month from Croatia as part of an Epicurean World Master Chefs Society culinary cultural exchange.

He could not help but be entranced by the sight in front of him at a Texas cooking lesson he was part of in Vrsar, Croatia. Schneider, director of decision support in the TSTC Culinary Arts program, was as amazed at the attendees’ interest in fish tacos as he was with the architecture and mountains shining in the daylight.

“They loved it,” Schneider said. “The fish was amazing.”

During that lesson, Schneider also taught people about using cantaloupe, jicama and pomegranate in slaw, as well as how to make pork carnitas empanadas, pickled red onions, tomatillo verde and tortilla chips.

Schneider said the 11-member delegation of American chefs cooked each day of the weeklong trip, except for a professional education day to learn about Croatian cuisine. As part of that day, Schneider enjoyed a white truffle-themed lunch at Konoba Mondo in Motovun in the Istria region of Croatia.

“They shaved them (the truffles) like parmesan,” he said. “The truffles were phenomenal. It was mind-shattering.”

The education day also included lessons on mussel and oyster packaging and a wine tasting at an area vineyard.

The trip’s highlight was an evening dinner for Vrsar dignitaries and residents. After the meal, the chefs celebrated and ate pizza they made at a nearby restaurant.

Schneider said he could sense the Italian influences in the cities he visited because of the Istria region’s proximity to Italy.

“The food we had was simple but incredible,” Schneider said. “I came back with new ideas and techniques.”

Chef Michele Brown, lead instructor in the Culinary Arts program, said the trip will have a long-lasting impact on Schneider’s career.

“A cultural exchange trip such as one that Chef Schneider went on is truly enriching and life-changing,” she said. “It opens up another level of dedication to the craft.”

TSTC’s Culinary Arts program has a student-operated restaurant at the Greta W. Watson Culinary Arts Center on Campus Drive in Waco. The restaurant is open to the public, and meals are served from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on select Wednesdays and Fridays each semester. For more information, go to tstc.edu/about/culinarydiningwaco.

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

(WACO) – Rosie the Riveter, the World War II symbol of a woman’s working world, is still important today to Texas State Technical College alumna Rhiannon Thurmond.

A small doll version of the icon is Thurmond’s travel companion on work assignments as a working manager for the regional branch of Ultimate Biomedical Solutions in Magnolia. Thurmond’s Rosie the Riveter carries a tool bag and is an inspiration for her work.

“I get in my truck and see her hanging there and say to myself, ‘We can do it,’” Thurmond said. “Be the example you would want your kids to see. This speaks to my heart as I have two girls. My youngest is in second grade and my oldest is in high school. I hope they see me doing great things and walk away inspired. I was a single mom when I started at TSTC.”

Some of Thurmond’s job duties include meeting monthly preventive maintenance and corrective quotas, negotiating contracts and helping to purchase new medical devices for clients. Her work is done at surgical centers, emergency rooms and imaging centers in the Austin, Dallas and Houston areas.

She recently received certification from Penlon, an international company specializing in anesthesia, intubation, oxygen therapy and suction equipment.

“Every day is a new opportunity to assist in the growth of my company,” Thurmond said. “I provide as much value as I can by offering new, dynamic ideas to improve our task management software, business processes and new account acquisitions.”

Jobs for medical equipment repairers are expected to grow to more than 49,000 through 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Woodlands – Houston – Sugar Land area has the highest number of medical equipment repairers in the state with about 850 workers.

Roger Bowles, a TSTC instructor in the Biomedical Equipment Technology program, is encouraged by the number of jobs available in the field for graduates.

“It’s wide open,” he said. “They just need to be flexible about where they need to go.”

Thurmond grew up in Bryan and San Marcos. She was influenced to pursue her career by her mother-in-law, an emergency room trauma nurse.

“I have always enjoyed tinkering with electronics,” Thurmond said. “I used to tear apart my brother’s fire engines for the LEDs to make flashlights so I could stay up late and read after my mom said it was lights-out.”

Thurmond graduated in 2006 from TSTC with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Biomedical Equipment Technology.

“When I went to TSTC, there were only a handful of us gals, and by the end of the semester, I believe there were only two in my graduating class,” Thurmond said.  “If you are a female interested in the Biomedical Equipment Technology field, don’t let that stigma that a woman can’t do well in the technology field stop you. Put on your boots, be confident and absorb everything like a sponge.”

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