Author Archives: Daniel Perry

TSTC Welding Program Receives Donation

(MARSHALL) – The Welding Technology program at Texas State Technical College recently received equipment from the family of a Hallsville resident.

The in-kind donation included three oxygen bottles, three acetylene bottles, three torch rigs, two cutting torch buggies, a toolbox, a welding machine and three worktables. The equipment was valued at $2,000, according to information from The TSTC Foundation.

The equipment belonged to Hallsville business owner Hugh Lee Morris II.  Morris, who was born in Cuero, died at age 86 on Aug. 26 in Longview.

“His daughter and son wanted to give back to the program by donating his equipment to the welding program in honor of their father so it could be used to let others learn about the welding trade,” said Daniel Nixon, an instructor in TSTC’s Computer Aided Manufacturing program in Marshall.

Morris’ daughter, Rebecca Freer of Fort Worth, said her father took welding classes at the Marshall campus.

“He was kind of a pack rat,” she said. “We wanted to declutter. It was just faster and easier and much more beneficial to donate to some people who could use it than let it rust and sit there or try to sell it. Dad would have liked his welding equipment to be used to teach other welding people.”

Freer said her father made cattle guards, upright fence posts and horse wash stalls on his 32-acre property between Hallsville and Marshall.

“He loved doing it himself rather than hiring it to be done,” she said.

More than 50 students are enrolled during the fall semester in TSTC’s structural welding certificate program.

For more information on how to make a gift, go to tstc.edu/tstcfoundation/giving.

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

 

TSTC in West Texas Holds Fall Commencement

(ABILENE) – More than 120 graduates received certificates and associate degrees at Texas State Technical College’s Fall 2017 Commencement held Monday, Dec. 11, at the Abilene Convention Center.

Students from TSTC’s campuses in Abilene, Breckenridge, Brownwood and Sweetwater took part in the ceremony.

Many of the graduates already have jobs.

Arnulfo Leyva, 19, of Kermit earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Diesel Equipment Technology. He began work in the summer repairing bulldozers, backhoes and excavators at Warren CAT in Odessa.

Leyva was a member of Phi Theta Kappa. He said his pride gave him motivation to work hard to become an honor graduate.

“It was fun at TSTC,” Leyva said. “I met new people and had a good time.”

Some graduates are preparing to job hunt.

Eric Collins, 25, a U.S. Air Force veteran, earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Aviation Technology. The Laurinburg, North Carolina, native and Abilene resident said he chose his major because of the work he did in the military.

Collins, a Phi Theta Kappa graduate, said he will take Federal Aviation Administration written and practical tests and apply for airplane maintenance jobs in the Abilene area.

Some graduates will continue on with academic work.

Karli Bernal, 26, of Anson graduated with a certificate in Vocational Nursing. She plans to work on her Associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing in Sweetwater.

“It took a lot of dedication and sacrifice,” Bernal said about her studies at TSTC. “I have three kids so it takes a lot.”

For more information, log on to tstc.edu.

 

TSTC Alumnus Gives Back with Financial Gift

(ROSENBERG) – Steve Hefner knew the time was right in his career to give a financial helping hand to students.

Earlier this year, Hefner donated $10,000 to the Texan Success Scholarship for students attending TSTC in Fort Bend County.

Hefner, senior vice president of construction at Camden Living in Houston and a graduate of Texas State Technical College in Waco, is familiar with the statistics: more than 1.1 million carpentry workers will be needed by 2026 and more than 27,000 brickmasons will be needed in the same period, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roofers, managers, drywall and ceiling tile installers and others will also be needed in the construction field as workers retire in the upcoming years.

“You have less people wanting to get into our business and more people exiting,” said Hefner. “Tenacity and drive will always outshine people and a good work ethic is key. I have seen our generation change and the millennials today are different. They work smarter and multitask a little better.”

“We so appreciate our alumni giving back to our college,” said John Kennedy, a field development officer for The TSTC Foundation at TSTC in Fort Bend County. “Supporters such as Steve not only help our current and future students, but it shows how much they value the education they received at TSTC. Steve is a shining example of how one can be very successful as a result of the knowledge gained through technical education.”

Hefner hopes the money can help students whose financial means are not the most abundant.

“The thing I’m seeing today are the kids we are hiring have $100,000 debt at 6 percent interest,” he said. “They can’t get a break to get ahead.”

TSTC in Fort Bend County Provost Randall Wooten encouraged TSTC alumni to visit and see the technology that students work with.

“There are numerous TSTC alumni in the greater Houston area who are making a difference every day by applying their skills in a multitude of industries,” Wooten said.

Hefner grew up in Lubbock and briefly attended two universities before switching to TSTC in Waco.

“I could not find my way of what I wanted to do and my passion,” he said. “My dad was in banking and my family was in farming. I always had a passion and worked in the lumber industry and loved lumber.”

Hefner graduated in 1985 from TSTC in Waco with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Building Construction Technology. He said it was a special time to be part of the program because of being able to travel with other students to competitions and the national construction industry boom in the 1980s.

“I remember the day I graduated I had 21 job offers and it was amazing,” said Hefner, a resident of Kingwood. “Luckily, I made a choice to do multifamily.”

Hefner has been at Camden Living for more than 20 years.

For more information on how to give to TSTC, go to tstc.edu/tstcfoundation/foundation.

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

TSTC Holds Fall Commencement

(WACO) – More than 550 graduates received certificates and associate degrees at Texas State Technical College’s Fall 2017 Commencement held Friday, Dec. 8, at the Waco Convention Center.

Students from TSTC’s campuses in Waco, North Texas and Williamson County took part in the ceremony. The Waco campus had 479 graduates, Williamson County had 46 graduates and North Texas had 27 graduates.

Many of the graduates already have jobs and are ready to work.

Anthony Warren, 22, of Gatesville graduated with a machining certificate. He has been working the last few months at Unique Machine Shop in Oglesby as a CNC operator/machinist.

During his time at TSTC, he had a son.

“I did what I set out to do and I will do what I need to do for me and my son,” Warren said. “If you pursue what you are good at, you will succeed.”

Some graduates are preparing to go to work.

Khadeeja Qurashi, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y. living in Waco, received an Associate of Applied Science degree in Laser Electro Optics. She will start in January her new job as a wafer fabrication technician at Texas Instruments in Dallas.

“I’ve made it,” Qurashi said. “It’s amazing and I’ve learned so much. I’m confident in my abilities and I get to show everyone that when I am walking across the stage to get my degree. TSTC was a learning experience, and it was more than math and science.”

For more information, log on to tstc.edu.

 

TSTC and Norbord Inc. Celebrate TWC Skills Development Grant

(MARSHALL) – Leaders from Texas State Technical College, the Texas Workforce Commission and Norbord Inc. of Jefferson gathered Wednesday to commemorate a $223,939 Skills Development Fund grant aimed at improving workers’ skills.

The grant will provide technical training to upgrade 93 workers’ skills in production, maintenance, electronics and manufacturing. The on-site training began in August and is scheduled to end in January, said David Golden, Norbord’s human resources manager.

“It is a partnership we try to take full advantage of,” said Golden about his company working with TSTC. “The training adds to the value of our plant and community.”

Aaron Demerson, director of employer initiatives for the Texas Workforce Commission, said he and state leaders want Norbord to stay competitive globally.

“We want you to come back for more to train the next generation of Texans,” Demerson said.

Norbord and TSTC have worked together before on training. Twelve employees attended two sessions earlier this year to learn basic Excel at the company’s training center.

“Partnerships like this are a continued affirmation of the great investment Texas continues to put into workforce development,” said Barton Day, provost of TSTC in Marshall.

Norbord is based in Toronto, Canada, and is a global manufacturer of wood-based panels, particleboard, oriented strand board and medium-density fiberboard. The company has 2,600 employees at 17 plants in Canada, Europe and the United States. The Jefferson plant on Nexfor Boulevard has 108 employees, some of whom are TSTC graduates working as millwrights and electricians.

For more information on Norbord, go to Norbord.com.

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

TSTC Student Sees Bright Future in Construction Industry

(WACO) – Bradley Castanon is eager to use his creative energy to make homes environmentally friendly and cost efficient.

Castanon, 23, of Bryan is a candidate for graduation for the Associate of Applied Science degree in Solar Energy Technology and a certificate in Energy Efficiency Specialist at Texas State Technical College’s Fall 2017 Commencement at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8, at the Waco Convention Center.

One of the concepts he learned about was passive solar energy, a way to use the sun’s natural path to heat and cool structures through the use of building materials. He also became familiar with the International Energy Conservation Code, which is used in worldwide construction.

“He has been a good student, but more than that he has shown an interest in understanding the complete subject matter,” said Tony Chaffin, an Energy Efficiency Specialist instructor in TSTC’s Building Construction Technology program.

Castanon was home-schooled starting in seventh grade. In ninth grade, he joined a homeschool co-op where he took classes and did assigned work at home.

Some of Castanon’s relatives worked in the heating, air conditioning and ventilation field. He said relatives built two family cabins near Hearne. But when it came time for college, Castanon started studying kinesiology and later business.

“I am a kinetic learner,” Castanon said. “I have to be doing something to learn it. I could not see myself sitting behind a desk all day looking at a computer.”

He found TSTC’s Building Construction Technology program through online research.

“It was more out of personal interest in a new technology to produce my own energy,” Castanon said about choosing his majors. “I also know it is a slightly growing industry in power and electrical generation. I figured it would be a good way to make a living.”

Castanon worked two semesters as a resident advisor at Lavaca Hall at TSTC in Waco.

“What he brings to the job is consistency and reliability and attention to detail,” said Shane Hill, a TSTC campus housing coordinator.

After graduation, Castanon wants to work in the Bryan area apprenticing in the plumbing and heating and air conditioning fields. He wants one day to be a general contractor.

For more information on TSTC’s Fall 2017 Commencement, go to tstc.edu/about/graduation.

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

 

TSTC Student Plants Career with Family Roots

(WACO) – The first steps on the mountain that Talgat Pate continues to climb started in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Pate, 23, of Brenham and a student at Texas State Technical College in Waco, spent the first 10 years of life at an orphanage in the former Soviet republic.

“My mom had me at maybe 13 or 14,” he said. “I have biological siblings in Kazakhstan I have never met. I was schooled at the orphanage, where they would throw algebra problems at us.”

Pate will finish classes for his Associate of Applied Science in Biomedical Equipment Technology in December and quickly begin work at his family’s company, CardioQuip, in Bryan. His job as a biomedical field services technician will count toward the degree’s required internship, which means he will receive his degree in the spring.

“I’ll be traveling many places across the United States and other countries troubleshooting and calibrating cardiovascular medical equipment,” Pate said.

Michael Overcash, lead instructor in TSTC’s Biomedical Equipment Technology program, said he was impressed with Pate’s positive attitude. Pate took three classes with Overcash.

“He is very teachable,” Overcash said. “To me, it is amazing to see what he has come from and what he has done and how his future is very bright.”

Pate met the couple that would eventually adopt him when he was 8 while on a two-week visit to Texas as part of the Here I Am Orphan Ministries nonprofit Christian ministry. The adoption took two years and included securing a birth certificate, Social Security number, a passport and other legal paperwork.

“I never received love from anyone,” Pate said. “I lived an orphan life by following the rules and working a lot as a kid. When I was adopted, my parents showed me the compassion and love that I never had. That was when I turned my life around.”

He grew up with three siblings that were born to his parents and five adopted sisters from Colombia, along with an adopted brother from Kazakhstan. The family is in the process of adopting an American foster child. Their ages range from 14 to 36.

“Honestly it is a lot of fun seeing the variety of cultures and to understand each other,” Pate said. “We have problems and fight over things, but we care for each other and help each other out.”

Pate grew up speaking Russian and Kazakh. When he came to Brenham to live permanently, he was home-schooled for the first year so he could grasp the basics of English.

“My mother would help me read baby books and help me pronounce words,” Pate said.

Pate was enrolled at Grace Lutheran School in Brenham for third grade and later jumped to fifth grade because of his age. He eventually moved on to Brenham Christian Academy, where he graduated in 2014.

He attended Blinn College for two years to improve his reading skills and take academic courses. Pate researched online and found TSTC after relatives encouraged him to pursue biomedical equipment technology as a career.

“I have enjoyed the hands-on work and not just sitting at my desk,” Pate said. “The technical college has taught me discipline and how to work with people.”

TSTC offers the Biomedical Equipment Technology program at the Harlingen and Waco campuses.

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

 

TSTC in Waco Student Q&A with Ian MacFarlane of Temple

(WACO) – Veteran Ian MacFarlane, 39, of Temple is about to get an Associate of Applied Science degree in Avionics Technology from Texas State Technical College.

MacFarlane grew up in Sidney, Montana and is a U.S. Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient.

MacFarlane is scheduled to graduate at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8 at the Waco Convention Center and return to TSTC in January to begin work on an Associate of Applied Science degree in Aircraft Airframe Technology.

When did you join the Army? “I enlisted in May 2005. I was a power generation equipment repairman. I did that for 10 years. I made sergeant in three-and-a-half years. I was deployed twice to Afghanistan and Iraq. Then, I medically retired in December 2015.”

How did you learn about TSTC? “There was a counselor at Fort Hood that used to work at TSTC and she pushed me in that direction. Fort Hood was my last duty station. I applied to TSTC first, then visited the campus.”

How have you enjoyed being in the Avionics Technology program? “This was a great learning experience. It taught me more in-depth about electronics than I knew. It is smaller components to work with for radio systems. The instructors are very knowledgeable.”

Have you had a job on the Waco campus? “I was a student-worker in the Veteran Center. You see how academics and veteran benefits go hand-in-hand. It was a good experience to talk to the veterans and see them every day.”

What advice would you give to high school students? “Go to colleges and check out what they have. Do your research and find out which school suits you the best.”

What is your career goal? “I want to work with unmanned systems in the military.”

There were more than 18,600 aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians in Texas as of May 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of jobs in the fields are expected to rise nationally to 157,000 through 2026, according to the federal labor statistics bureau.

TSTC in Waco offers the Associate of Applied Science degree in Avionics Technology.

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

TSTC in North Texas to Host Registration Rally for Spring Semester

(RED OAK) – Texas State Technical College will host a Registration Rally for the 2018 Spring Semester from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at the Jim Pitts Industrial Technology Center on North Lowrance Road in Red Oak.

“We are looking forward to meeting our new students and helping them get one step closer to earning their associate degrees,” said TSTC Provost Marcus Balch. “Registration Rally days are set up to make the registration process as smooth as possible.”

Visitors can take campus tours and talk to faculty members about the 10 technical programs offered at the North Texas campus, including Computer Aided Drafting and Design Technology, Cyber Security and Welding.

People interested in enrolling should bring a copy of their driver’s license, high school transcript or GED, any college transcripts, proof of bacterial meningitis vaccination, housing application and TSI scores.

TSTC is having registration events at its 10 campuses throughout the state this fall. For information on the closest Registration Rally, log on to tstc.edu/rally.

For more information, contact TSTC in North Texas at 972-617-4040.

TSTC in Marshall to Host Registration Rally for Spring Semester

(MARSHALL) – Texas State Technical College will host a Registration Rally for the 2018 Spring Semester from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5, in the Administration Building on East End Boulevard South in Marshall.

“The spring Registration Rally will be a one-stop shop for students that are ready to register for the spring semester,” said Patty Lopez, a TSTC student recruitment coordinator. “This event will make the registration process as easy as possible for incoming and current students.”

Visitors can take campus tours and talk to faculty members about the 12 technical programs offered at TSTC, including Computer Aided Drafting and Design Technology, Cyber Security and Process Operations.

“TSTC is an affordable college that caters to placing more Texans in great-paying jobs,” Lopez said. “The first step is to visit the campus.”

People interested in enrolling should bring a copy of their driver’s license, high school transcript or GED, any college transcripts, proof of bacterial meningitis immunization, housing application and TSI scores.

TSTC is having registration events at its 10 campuses throughout the state this fall. For information on the closest Registration Rally, log on to tstc.edu/rally.

For more information, contact TSTC in Marshall at 888-382-8782.