(HARLINGEN) – Daniel Avila recently shared with a room full of his classmates, their families and friends that he first realized he wanted to become a nurse when his son was in the neonatal intensive care unit after he was born.

“Author Mark Twain once said, ‘The two most important days in your life are the day you were born, and the day you find out why,’ and this is when I found my why,” he said.

Now six years later, Avila found himself telling his story as the salutatorian of the first registered nursing cohort at Texas State Technical College during the program’s first pinning ceremony.

“The feeling of helplessness, the fear of the unknown and seeing other families struggling in the NICU the way we were was my motivation,” said Avila. “I didn’t want to be clueless about my son and his care, so that’s when I told my wife I’m becoming a nurse and I’m going to work in the NICU someday.”

So the Avila family sold their possessions, moved in with Avila’s mother-in-law, he left his job as a customer service representative with United Health Care and went back to school.

The 26-year-old and father of two first graduated with a certificate as a vocational nurse from a local community college, but found himself left out of the registered nursing program three years in a row.

“There were so many bumps in the road and this was my biggest one,” he said. “I tried three times and each time was a no.”

After speaking with a friend, who told him about TSTC’s vocational nursing to registered nursing transition program, Avila called Shirley Byrd, the program’s director, and found out he had only 24 hours to take his entrance exam and apply.

And so he did.

“I’m so honored to be a part of this first cohort,” he said. “It’s been a great experience being able to pave the way for future classes and I can’t wait to come back and mentor students.”

Avila first became a nurse to work in the NICU, but along the way he found a new passion: working with cardiac patients. He has accepted an offer at Harlingen Medical Center in the Cardiac Care Unit and will start as early as September 1, contingent on him passing the National Council Licensure Examination.

“I’m so excited for this new journey. My family has sacrificed so much, but this job makes everything worth it,” said Avila. “Heart disease is prevalent in our area and with my parents growing older I want to understand the issue to help educate and advocate for my family and patients.”

Avila is one of 29 TSTC registered nursing students who recently graduated and pinned into the profession.

The pinning ceremony is a tradition the program will follow annually and dates back thousands of years. It is a rite of passage that represents sacred healing and the commitment to caring for others and the official welcoming into the profession.

“Pinning our students is an honor and sense of accomplishment,” said Byrd. “We’ve have good and bad times, ups and downs, but we all prevailed, they succeeded. I’m so proud of them and I’m excited to see where their futures take them.”

Perfect attendance awards, registered nursing club officer awards and student leadership awards were also presented.

“I hope this ceremony has been as important to you as mine was to me,” said Amy Flores, chief nursing officer at Harlingen Medical Center. “You are now reaping the reward, this pin is your gold medal. Always remember that patients are counting on you and will reap the benefit of your hard work. All patients need your caring touch, so be committed to doing it right and your mind open to learning.”

For more information the vocational nursing to registered nursing transition program at TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

(HARLINGEN) – Megan Trevino is a Digital Media Design student at Texas State Technical College. The 26-year-old expects to earn her associate degree in Summer 2019.

Although busy as a work study at the TSTC Print Shop, the social media chair for the Junior League of Harlingen and media team leader at Abundant Life Church, the Harlingen native has maintained a 3.7 grade-point average.

What are your plans after graduation?

After I graduate I plan on concentrating full-time on my business “Megan Monique Designs.” I already offer graphic design and marketing services to a few business owners and realtors.

What’s your dream job?

My dream job is to continuing growing my business, growing my clientele and being successful in my endeavors, especially because this is my second chance, second career choice after being unable to find a job with my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration.

What has been your greatest accomplishment while at TSTC?

My greatest accomplishment at TSTC has been maintaining my high GPA because balancing a full-time class schedule, my business, my work-study job and extracurricular activities has not been easy.

What greatest lesson have you learned about yourself or life?

The greatest lesson I have learned is that it is okay to take risks. I took a huge one coming back to school, but with the support of my family it has all been possible. I have found nothing but doors of opportunity opening in my favor.

Who at TSTC has had the greatest influence on your success?

All of my Digital Media Design instructors have influenced my success. They are always available to lend a helping hand and to share their knowledge. As experienced professionals who have also worked in the field, they have been able to advise me on my business also.

What is your advice for future TSTC students?

My advice for future TSTC students is to soak up as much information as they can, ask a lot of questions, remember that your instructors are there to help you succeed and never give up.

(HARLINGEN) – Johnny Rivera, a Computer Networking and Security Technology student at Texas State Technical College and U.S. Navy veteran, joined the Veterans Upward Bound program in Spring 2018.

Veterans Upward Bound is an organization aiding veterans in Cameron County and providing a way to level the playing field between those continuously pursuing education and veterans that serve and then return to school.

The program hosted by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley at TSTC’s Veterans Center also provides one-on-one tutoring services, equipment such as calculators and laptops, financial aid assistance and preparatory TSI tests.

Rivera described the program and his time at the Veterans Center as pleasant and accessible with many resources to meet his day-to-day tasks.

“They have thought of everything you could possibly need. It’s all under one roof,” he said. “I recommend the program to any veteran seeking to make the most out of their education.”

Rivera, who plans to graduate Summer 2020 with an associate degree, said the program has helped him tremendously.

“Here at TSTC I’m receiving the building blocks to transfer to a four-year university for a bachelor’s degree in business administration,” said Rivera. “And it’s the VB program that has helped me. It’s so beneficial having someone guide me through the process of re-entering college.”

Jose Villegas, TSTC Veterans Center program officer, said when UTRGV reached out to TSTC to establish a partnership with Veterans Upward Bound, they knew they had to accept.

“We were excited to see how it could benefit not only our students here at TSTC, but other veterans in our area,” said Villegas. “Not only does the program serve TSTC students, but also veterans throughout Cameron County.”

Villegas said the program is able to become more accessible now that it is at TSTC and grow in the number of veterans served  in Cameron County.

Lizette McNaine, a Veterans Upward Bound program representative, said she sees the partnership with TSTC and the program expanding in the future.

“We are aiming to increase our scope to reach more veterans,” said McNaine. “We are unbiased and work with veterans no matter their college or university degree of interest.”

The Veterans Upward Bound program grant began in 1999 and was recently approved for another five years.

For more information about the services offered at the TSTC Veterans Center, call 956-364-4386.

(HARLINGEN) – Joesaline M. Orta is one of two women studying Mechatronics Technology at Texas State Technical College. The Brownsville native rises to the occasion with an outstanding grade-point average of 3.7 and plans to graduate with her associate degree in Spring 2019.

What are your plans after graduation?

I am looking forward to working for three to five years after graduation.  I’m aiming to end up in the Houston or San Antonio area. Ideally, I’m interested in working for a company like Toyota or Tenaris in the manufacturing department. Eventually, I would like to come back to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

What’s your dream job?

I aspire to open a business where I can apply my knowledge in mechatronics. I have an idea of what this business would look like: it would be a one-stop shop where manufacturers are able to purchase parts usually only available online, immediately. It would be a quicker, more efficient way to shop.

What has been your greatest accomplishment while at TSTC?

My greatest accomplishment is obtaining my position as a work study where I am able to attend recruitment events where we reach out to high school students to spark their interest in mechatronics. It is important to reach out not only to high schools, but undecided students here at TSTC. I represent only one of two women in the program, so it is important to spread awareness.

What greatest lesson have you learned about yourself or life?

I have learned to never give up. I know that I have the capability to do something, even when it is challenging. In mechatronics, you often have to troubleshoot when your project isn’t functioning in the desired way. Repeating this process over and over becomes frustrating, but pushing through and finding the solution is the most rewarding part of the process.

Name a TSTC person who most influences your success.

The instructors at TSTC encourage me immensely. Mechatronics Technology Lab Assistant Adalberto Perez, in particular, helped me when I didn’t believe in my own abilities. He helped me find solutions and motivated me to push myself.

What is your advice for future TSTC students?

My advice to future TSTC students is to not procrastinate, accept help from your instructors, because they will always make themselves available to you, and most importantly, always believe in yourself and your abilities.

(HARLINGEN) – Mechatronics Technology students at Texas State Technical College will soon have labs equipped with two robotic arms to program and maintain as part of their hands-on training, all thanks to Toyota.

“Toyota’s donation is really important for our college, our program and our students,” said Lead Mechatronics Instructor Eldwin Leija. “This allows us to expand our training and create more marketable graduates.”

The donated robotic arms have been used to build more than two million Toyota Tundras and Tacomas over the last 10 years.

Toyota Human Resources Manpower Planning Specialist Albert Escamilla, who assisted in organizing the donation with TSTC, said the robots reached their lifespan at Toyota and were replaced with updated versions.

“These robots still have plenty of life left in them for use in a classroom setting,” said Escamilla. “And at Toyota, we feel that their introduction into the classroom will yield us a more capable graduate.”

Escamilla also added that Toyota recruits from TSTC statewide, but has hired more graduates from TSTC in Harlingen than any other campus.

“After learning on larger more versatile robots like these, students will graduate better prepared to enter the workforce,” said Escamilla.

Leija noted that the robots will be ready to use as early as Spring 2019, after installation and instructor training.

All training for the robotic arms will be provided by Toyota and will mirror the automotive manufacturer’s employee training.

“We are so thankful to Toyota, not only for the donation, but also for the training,” said Leija.

“They have saved us money and left room in our budget for other things that are also vital for our students. We are very grateful.”

While there is still work to be done in terms of installation and training, Leija said the hardest part of the process is over.

“This has been months in the making and although we still have a ways to go, the hardest part: pickup and delivery, is complete,” he said.

The pickup and delivery was organized and managed by TSTC’s Continuing Education Commercial Driver’s License instructor Juan Hernandez and Transportation Training Center Coordinator Adan Trevino.

“By using our own semi-trucks for this occasion and not outsourcing we not only saved the college more than $5,000, but we also had the opportunity to promote our program,” said Trevino.

“Our trucks are wrapped in TSTC branding and traveled through major cities like Kingsville, Corpus Christi and of course our final destination: San Antonio,” he added.

Leija said him and his Mechatronics Technology team have a lot of people to be grateful for in making this donation possible for the program and its students.

“We send a huge thank you to everyone from our TSTC Provost Cledia Hernandez, Trevino and his team from Continuing Education and our hard working staff from Facilities,” said Leija. “It is strong partnerships and teamwork like this that allow us to continue training students, increase skills and help fill the workforce needs across the state.”

For more information on Mechatronics Technology and other programs offered at TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

(HARLINGEN) – It was 1982. The United States President was Ronald Reagan, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album was released, E.T. The Extraterrestrial warmed the hearts of millions, a gallon of gas was 91 cents and Jose Salas began his career at Texas State Technical College.

The TSTC Welding Technology instructor was recently honored at TSTC’s Employee Appreciation Day for his 35 years of service to the college.

“I’ve had an amazing career and great opportunities at TSTC,” said Salas. “I wake up ready to work and leave fulfilled every day. TSTC has been good to me.”

The Harlingen native began as a part-time employee in the Central Receiving department.at what was then Texas State Technical Institute.

When he took the job he had just withdrawn from Pan American University, now the University of Rio Grande Valley, where he was studying kinesiology, to help his brother manage the grocery story their parents had left them when they died.

“By 11 years old I had lost both my parents to health issues and it was my grandmother who raised us six kids,” said Salas. “So it was only right that I help my brother out, but I wanted more.”

So, a year later, he took a full-time opportunity with Welding Technology in the tool crib issuing tools, supplies and equipment to welding students and decided to enroll as a welding student as well.

“My father was a welding fabricator in the 1940’s so that’s where my interest in welding comes from,” said Salas. “This was a perfect match for me.”

Salas is proof that it is never too late to earn a degree and make your dream come true.

He didn’t earn his associate degree in Welding Technology until recently in 2004, nearly two decades after he started.

Working by day and taking classes by night, Salas took his time, even gaining other opportunities during his career at TSTC as a maintenance mechanic, welding lab assistant and full-time faculty.

“TSTC is the ‘Jewel of the Valley,’ that’s what I call it,” said Salas. “We are in the business of changing students’ lives and their journey becomes ours.”

Salas said his favorite part of his job is watching his students grow and lead successful lives and careers.

“It’s my students who keep me going,” he said. “People tell me I’ll never be rich doing what I do, but I always tell them that I don’t need to be rich. I’m happy, I’m making a difference and to me that’s rewarding.”

TSTC Welding Instructor Kenny Moore has known Salas for nearly 30 years and has worked with him for at least two decades.

Moore first met Salas as a welding student in the 1980’s.

“Jose would issue us our tools. His care for us as students was always evident in the way he would go above and beyond,” said Moore. “Little did I know that I would get to work with him someday and I’m so happy to be able to work side by side a man of integrity who still cares so much about his students.”

Moore added, “I hope our department and TSTC is lucky enough to have him around for a few more years. I couldn’t ask for a better guy to work with.”

The 60-year-old Salas said his goal is to hit 40 years at TSTC.

“I plan on staying around as long as I am able to and there is room for me,” said Salas. “I’m not done doing my job just yet.”

Salas added, “But when I do retire, I look forward to spending more time with my family, especially my wife Sylvia, who also retired from TSTC’s Business Office after 35 years.”

TSTC prides itself on being a great place to work and is listed as one of Harlingen’s top employers. For more information on job opportunities at TSTC, go online at: tstc.edu/about/employment.