Author Archives: Ben Barkley

TSTC student follows family tradition of entering medical field

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Seth Johnston is following other members of his family’s career path into the medical field.

The 18-year-old is a first-year student in Texas State Technical College’s Emergency Medical Services program. Johnston plans to join his mother, who is a registered nurse, father, a computerized tomography technician, and brother, an X-ray technician, in the field of medicine.

“I decided to follow in their footsteps,” he said. “They were really excited for me when I told them I was going to go to school.”

He chose the EMS route after a family member was injured.

“I decided on EMS because my cousin was in a car accident after football practice and they transported him to the hospital,” Johnston said. “I really caught on to what they were doing to help him and decided I wanted to do the same for others.”

He plans to further his education at TSTC by completing the paramedic program after the emergency medical technician certification.

Johnston admitted he did not know what to expect when beginning classes this fall.

“I was in awe when I saw the ambulance simulator,” he said. “I am ready to train in the simulator.”

Johnston said he is looking forward to the portion of the program where he will ride with paramedics in the field.

“I know there will be some anxiety and scary parts to see,” he said. “But it will be interesting to see how things are done in the field.”

Johnston said the hands-on approach is the best way he can take in information.

“I like to see something get done, and then I can get with it,” he said.

Being the youngest member of the class does not stop him from doing his best.

“It is a great environment to work in. My classmates pick me up when they see I am having a bad day,” Johnston said. “I feel included in everything we do. When someone else is down, I am right there to pick them up. Everyone in our class is a team.”

Johnston also said the instructors play an important role in the learning environment.

“They push all of us to do our best. They are always by your side, making sure you know what to do,” he said. 

For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

Red Oak IDC provides scholarship opportunity to TSTC

(RED OAK, Texas) – A new scholarship is available for students living in Red Oak and who are planning to attend Texas State Technical College’s North Texas campus.

The Red Oak Industrial Development Corp. board of directors recently approved a resolution donating funds to TSTC’s Red Oak IDC scholarship. Scholarships in the amount of $1,000 will be awarded to students.

“The Red Oak IDC Scholarship available at TSTC will provide financial assistance to our students for attaining upward mobility and improve the quality of life for our students and their families,” said Lee McCleary, economic development director for the city of Red Oak. 

“In addition, the TSTC North Texas campus provides our students the opportunity to receive state-of-the-art higher education technical and vocational workforce training in Red Oak so they may be better prepared for success well into the future,” he said.

Rusty Hicks, TSTC’s corporate development officer, said the gift will help Red Oak’s workforce.

“We are excited to receive this type of commitment,” he said. “Not only will we have students coming to our North Texas campus, but it will get them back into the Red Oak workforce.”

The scholarship will be available to students living within Red Oak’s city limits and may be used for TSTC school-related expenses. Recipients must attend the North Texas campus to be eligible.

Recipients may be traditional or nontraditional students and attend school on a full-time or part-time basis. The scholarship is open to new and current students, and all students must be in good academic and behavioral standing to be eligible.

The college’s staff will award the scholarship, which may be presented to recipients in multiple semesters. 

For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

City of Red Oak and TSTC officials signed an agreement to provide scholarship opportunities to Red Oak residents. Pictured from left to right are Rusty Hicks, TSTC’s corporate development officer; Lee McCleary, Red Oak’s director of economic development; Ben Goodwyn, president of the Red Oak Industrial Development Corp. board; Jessica Toney, chair of The TSTC Foundation board; Beth Wooten, CEO of The TSTC Foundation; Dr. Mark Stanfill, Red Oak’s mayor; and Marcus Balch, provost of TSTC’s North Texas campus. (Photo: TSTC)

TSTC student not letting setback stand in his way

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Like many people, Wesley Kite did not let a work layoff stand in his way.

Kite enrolled in Texas State Technical College’s Welding Technology program this fall to increase his “workmanship.” The Brownwood native has stayed in touch with his former employer, saying his prospects of being rehired after completing the program are “looking good.”

“I was originally a machinist, but with COVID, I was laid off,” he said. “I always wanted to do some welding. I am working toward improving my workmanship for possible jobs.”

He has continued to talk to his former employer, specifically to tell them he is in school broadening his resume.

“They like that I am in school right now,” he said, adding he was let go because production slowed at his former company.

Kite said he enrolled in TSTC 10 years ago, studying Mechatronics Technology. Even though he did not finish the program, he knew the college had a respected welding program that provided hands-on learning.

“The hands-on approach is great. I learn better by doing things,” he said of the three days students are able to spend socially distanced in the lab.

He credits new instructor Daniel Aguirre with helping him and other students learn proper welding techniques.

“He will sit right there and tell you how you are doing things wrong,” Kite said. “He is good about letting you know how to do things.”

Kite said he is working on obtaining a certificate in the program, but is leaving his options open.

“I may look to come back and finish the associate program,” he said. “I know TSTC offers a good education, and it is here in my hometown.”

With experience in machinery, Kite said welding could become a new career opportunity.

“This is something I like to do. I can see myself doing this for a long time,” he said.

He recommends that people look at the different programs offered by TSTC.

“This is a really good college and offers a lot of options for people,” he said. “I like it so much I keep coming back.”

For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

Longtime employee knows importance of TSTC

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – Joni Coons knows how important Texas State Technical College is to West Texas and beyond.

Coons was recently honored for 30 years of service to TSTC, but her time with the college goes back even further.

While serving as a secretary for an ambulance company in Ballinger, Coons was asked to help on a call.

“I knew after that first ambulance run I wanted to do this for a living,” she said.

In order to become a paramedic, Coons knew that college would be in her future. She enrolled in the Emergency Medical Services program that was offered at TSTC in Sweetwater. She served as a lab assistant, and after graduating she became an instructor in the program. 

She later served as the EMS program chair for the West Texas campuses, and when the program transitioned to Abilene, Coons worked as the Sweetwater campus nurse.

Eventually Coons became coordinator of intramural programs at TSTC’s Student Center.

“Every one of my positions was a stepping stone to the next,” she said. “I knew I would do better in my next position.”

In addition to working at TSTC, Coons is an American Heart Association licensed first aid and CPR instructor.

Coons said her biggest accomplishment was helping TSTC become one of the first colleges to own a fully operational ambulance for the EMS department in the mid-1990s.

“Our program chair at the time, C.L. Meeks, told me to go for it. So I wrote up the proposal, and we got it,” she said.

Coons is most proud of her time as an instructor and helping students succeed.

“I am proud of what TSTC stands for and all of the students we have helped through the years,” she said.

She stays in contact with many of her former students, including a single mother who was in an abusive relationship.

“Everything was going against her. We got her into counseling and helped with expenses for child care,” Coons said. “We even helped her get food stamps.”

Coons said the student worked hard to achieve her goal of graduating and getting a job.

“She came in at the end of her final semester and said, ‘I have something for you,’” Coons said. “She slid her food stamp to me and said, ‘This is the last one of these I want to see.’ I still hear from her today, and she is a successful EMT.”

Coons said some TSTC students have played important roles outside of Texas. One of her former students helped victims at the Alfred P. Murrah Building explosion in Oklahoma City, and another graduate helped counsel people in New York City following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“We have had a nationwide impact with our students,” she said. “Watching the professionalism of our students and graduates gives me the greatest joy.”

 For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

Phillips 66 donation provides TSTC students with scholarship opportunities

(WACO, Texas) – Students from Texas State Technical College campuses across the state can take advantage of scholarship funds donated by energy company Phillips 66.

The TSTC Foundation was recently awarded $50,000 from Phillips 66 to assist students with scholarships and student aid funds. 

“The Phillips 66 scholarship is an example of an ideal partnership with TSTC because it provides students with financial opportunities to lessen the financial burden of college tuition,” said Beth Wooten, chief executive officer of The TSTC Foundation. “Because of their investment in TSTC and our students, we are able to fulfill our promise to provide Texas with a highly skilled workforce. We are incredibly thankful to Phillips 66.”

Since 2018, more than 30 TSTC students have been awarded these scholarships.

“We recognize this is a trying time for our college partners, and Phillips 66 remains a proud and committed partner to TSTC,” said Leigh Harris, talent acquisition manager at Phillips 66. “We hope that our contribution for the 2020-21 academic year will continue supporting our shared vision of building an inclusive and diverse community that inspires innovation to provide energy and improve lives.”

The scholarships help students in programs that include Diesel Equipment Technology, Electrical Power and Controls, Industrial Systems, and Instrumentation Technology.

Diesel Equipment Technology is available at the Fort Bend County, Marshall, North Texas, Sweetwater and Waco campuses. Different educational opportunities are available to students and vary by campus. Students have access to labs to work on vehicles that will prepare them for the workforce.

The Electrical Power and Controls program is offered at the Abilene, Fort Bend County, North Texas and Waco campuses. It is the only two-year Associate of Applied Science degree program in Texas specifically focused on the many aspects of electrical power technology.

Industrial Systems is available at the Abilene, East Williamson County, Fort Bend County, Marshall, North Texas, and Waco campuses. Students learn industry-standard safety procedures, mechanical and electrical skills, and diagnostic techniques, and they work with motors, pumps, chillers, boilers, and other equipment.

The Waco campus offers Instrumentation Technology. Students are trained on everything from basic electronics to programmable logic controllers.

 For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

TSTC Industry Job Fair is going virtual

(ABILENE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College students will meet potential employers virtually on Thursday, Oct. 29.

Due to COVID-19 recommendations covering social distancing, TSTC will host its annual Industry Job Fair virtually this year. More than 100 businesses will have representatives available to meet with TSTC students statewide.

Six West Texas companies are among those scheduled to have representatives available. They are Bruner Motors in Stephenville, Cogdell Memorial Hospital in Snyder, Eastland Memorial Hospital, Hendrick Health System in Abilene, Ludlum Measurements in Sweetwater and Mesa Springs Mental Health in Abilene.

Students will have access to a variety of companies, including health care, construction, engineering firms, public entities and utility companies.

With the job fair going virtual, West Texas students will have more opportunities to meet prospective employers, said Julia Humphrey, director of TSTC Career Services.

“One of our disadvantages in West Texas is we are so spread out. Being able to do our job fair virtually will eliminate that distance,” she said. 

In addition to Texas, companies from California, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma and Oregon will be available to speak with students.

Humphrey said current students are training on how to access the fair through their computers, as well as updating resumes. Career services representatives are also helping students with interview skills.

“We are getting the students ready to enter the workforce,” Humphrey said. “The companies are excited to be part of this virtual experience, and so are the students.”

This is the first time TSTC has held the event virtually. In the past, company officials set up booths in the Student Center on the Sweetwater campus. Humphrey said with the virtual event, students may visit with potential employers anytime during the fair.

“We want them to be successful with the process of talking to potential employers,” she said.

Students will have access to the fair through their hireTSTC accounts.

For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

TSTC student knows options will be open following graduation

(ABILENE, Texas) – Mandy Jenkins, a mother of five, knows that her options will be open when she completes the Computer Networking and Systems Administration program at Texas State Technical College next year.

“There is so much you learn in the program,” she said. “I know that I will have a lot of options. But until then, I want to learn as much as I can.”

Jenkins, of Merkel, is pursuing an associate degree and said it took her some time to begin college. After earning a GED, Jenkins looked at the TSTC program but waited until her 40s to get started.

“I decided I wanted to learn something that I did not know anything about,” she said. “I had previously worked in the medical field but decided I wanted to do this.”

Jenkins said that led her to TSTC’s Abilene campus. With the program being available online, she said it has helped her juggle classwork and home life.

“Being at home, there was a lot less stress. It seemed things were going easier for me,” she said. “I did have that first-semester stress like a lot of people, but everyone was there to help me.”

That included her fiance, Cary, and children.

“They have been supporting me throughout school. I could not have asked for anything else from them,” she said.

One of her biggest worries prior to starting the program was her lack of computer networking experience.

“When I started classes, I assumed that my classmates would have known a lot about computers. Once we got started talking, I realized they were like me and did not have that much experience,” she said. “I felt better knowing we were all in the same situation.”

Throughout the program, Jenkins said she has learned things that many people take for granted.

“When we were learning how to design a webpage, I had no idea all of the details that went into it,” she said. “What I have been learning is really cool. I never thought I would be the one behind the screen doing these kinds of things.”

 For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

Medical student increases knowledge in TSTC’s EMS program

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Before she begins medical school, Mackenzie Brigman decided to spend part of her gap year attending Texas State Technical College.

Brigman, originally from Jacksonville, Florida, said she wanted to gain paramedic experience and enrolled in the Emergency Medical Services program.

“I have always had an interest in the medical field,” she said. “I wanted to spend part of my gap year between college and medical school getting additional experience.”

Brigman learned about the program through her family in West Texas. She said walking into the TSTC lab was “kind of a shell shock.”

“I was excited with what I saw and that everything is hands-on,” she said. “We did not have an ambulance simulator at my college, and I can’t wait to start training on it.”

Brigman said TSTC offers a “great learning environment” for students.

“This is going to help expand my passion for the field I am planning on entering,” she said. “I think coming here will give me a leg up during my first year of medical school.”

Brigman said her passion for the medical field came early in life. After facing medical complications as an infant, she wanted to learn more about it.

In middle school, her interest grew even more when she was able to tour hospitals and other medical facilities.

“It really piqued my interest then. I knew that I wanted to be an OB-GYN,” she said.

Brigman said taking courses this fall will help her “medical confidence.” She added that she has her instructors to thank for building that confidence.

“(Richard) Sharp has really taken us under his wing,” she said. “He invests a lot into making sure we are able to learn. (Timothy) Scalley is also very knowledgeable, and he is a flight paramedic. That adds to his knowledge.”

TSTC is currently accepting applications for the next group of emergency medical technicians and paramedic students, with classes scheduled to begin in the spring. The program is offered both online and with in-person lab sessions. Sharp said students will have opportunities for live discussions and lectures online each week.

Sharp said students interested in the program may contact him at 325-203-2458 to learn about the enrollment process.

For more information, visit https://www.tstc.edu/programs/EmergencyMedicalServices.

TSTC honors longtime employees with drive-thru celebration

(ABILENE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College honored 30 employees with service award drive-thru celebrations this month.

With COVID-19 restrictions limiting large gatherings, the celebrations were planned to honor employees with five to 35 years of experience. Celebrations were held at the Abilene, Sweetwater and Breckenridge campuses.

Lance Eastman, interim provost for the West Texas campuses, said the employees honored are appreciated by everyone at TSTC.

“Every position is important and about serving our students and industry,” he said. “These individuals have made sure that our buildings are clean and safe, food is provided, that equipment is in place and that instruction is relevant.”

Eastman was proud to be part of a creative way to honor employees.

“With the health restrictions, which we take seriously, we had to be creative of how we could distribute our service awards,” he said. “We are grateful for these individuals that have dedicated year after year of service.”

Each employee received a plaque, a yard sign noting their years of service, and a gift.

Sweetwater’s Maria Aguirre, the senior executive director of Communication and Creative Services, was honored for 35 years with the college. Joni Coons, the intramural programs coordinator in Sweetwater, was honored for 30 years of employment. Abilene’s Holle England, a learning and development trainer, received a plaque honoring her 35 years with TSTC.

Abilene employees honored for five years of service were Greg Nicholas, welding instructor; Amanda Suiters, library coordinator; Rikki Spivey, enrollment coach; Matt Briggs, Emergency Medical Services instructor; Susan Leda Cowart, English instructor; Randa R. Weeks, Health Information Technology instructor; Magaly Valdez, Drafting and Design instructor; and Miranda Thomas, technical physics instructor.

Mary Wilhite, a student services specialist, was honored for 10 years at the Abilene campus. Also honored in Abilene were Michael Soto, a Business Management Technology instructor, and Susan Hash, a testing administrator, both for 15 years with TSTC, as well as Pam Marler, a contract administration coordinator, and Julia Humphrey, career services director, for 20 years.

Sweetwater five-year employees honored were Frank Molini and Taylor Elston, welding instructors; Carla Becker, travel and expense specialist; Beth Hall, developmental math instructor; Brock Carter, chief of police; and Ray Carnathan, police officer.

Gloria Santiago, food service operator, and Jeff Olney, Electromechanical Technology instructor, received 10-year awards for their employment in Sweetwater. Fifteen-year awards were presented to Sweetwater’s Gail Lawrence, TSTC’s executive vice chancellor and chief of staff to the chancellor; Mark Hampton, resource development specialist; and Sandra Ortega, enrollment coach.

Brownwood’s Becky Jones, a licensed drug counseling instructor, received a 10-year plaque. Breckenridge’s Debra Bufkin, a developmental math instructor, and Vernon Akins, a building maintenance supervisor, received five-year awards.

For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

Sisterly advice leads Hitchcock to TSTC Vocational Nursing program

(BRECKENRIDGE, Texas) – Sisterly advice led Sally Hitchcock to Texas State Technical College’s Vocational Nursing program.

Hitchcock’s sister completed TSTC’s Vocational Nursing and Registered Nursing programs and recommended that she look into it as a career path. She is on track to graduate in December.

“I always wanted to be a nurse. The timing and finances were not always there for me,” Hitchcock said. “My sister gave me the push I needed to get started.”

In addition to the push, Hitchcock said her sister offered advice.

“She told me I would not be disappointed with the program or instructors,” she said. “The instructors want to see you succeed and do your best.”

One thing her sister did tell her was not to fear saying something most people do not like to say.

“My sister told me that it would be OK to say no to functions and other events,” Hitchcock said. “I knew that would be hard, but it is something I knew I would have to do.”

With studying taking up more time, Hitchcock has leaned more on her family.

“My husband has taken over the mom-and-dad duties around the house. He has been supportive of me while I am in school,” she said.

Hitchcock said TSTC’s instructors have helped her and her classmates throughout the semester in adjusting to online learning.

“The instructors have made this transition as easy as possible for us,” she said.

Having to adjust to online learning will also be a learning experience Hitchcock will use in the nursing field.

“It is going to help me deal with crisis management,” she said. “Many of the nurses we talk to during clinicals said day-to-day things are changing for them. It is fascinating to see all of the protocols they have to go through.”

Hitchcock noticed one consistency in the nursing field.

“The nurses are a patient’s main support system. There is no family around some of the patients,” she said. “They are not only nurses, but they are the patient’s companion. That is what I want to be to my patients.”

Hitchcock plans to continue her education and has a career goal of becoming a hospice nurse. Like her sister, she has some advice for anyone thinking about entering the nursing profession.

“I would tell people don’t wait until you are 37 to get started,” she said. “Still, this was one of the best decisions of my life.”

For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.