(WACO, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Welding Technology program has completed an expansion just in time for the start of the fall semester on Aug. 31.

Forty spacious welding booths have been built in an area once used by the Precision Machining Technology program. The welding area will be used by classes and also students pursuing an Occupational Skills Award, a new three-course plan that can be completed in one semester.

“We have more room in each booth and newer machines capable of all the welding processes,” said Carl Wilmeth, lead instructor in TSTC’s Welding Technology program. “You do not have to move around as much having to go to different sections. It makes it more economical for us timewise.” 

Fourteen grinding booths have been added in a small extension built at the Industrial Technology Center on campus. 

“We needed it because in the grinding area, since we added welding booths, we needed extra room for the material that we are grinding so we would not get sparks on the welding machine or inside it,” Wilmeth said.

Matthew Alarcon, a Welding Technology student from Italy in Ellis County, said he liked the new additions when he saw them on Thursday. He particularly liked the new lockers and the ventilation system for booths. And, he is eager to start the fall semester so he can take classes in metallurgy and automation.

The program will continue using a hybrid teaching format for the 2020-21 academic year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lectures and tests will be conducted online, and hands-on labs will be done at the Industrial Technology Center. Students must wear face coverings, maintain separation, sanitize their on-campus work areas and wash their hands. 

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

(WACO, Texas) -Students in Texas State Technical College’s Advanced Pastry Shop class in Waco presented their sweetest treats as part of a final exam on Thursday.

Students spent two days this week making multiple desserts of their choice. Students also had to turn in a portfolio of all their work for the semester, including product pricing, plating diagrams, recipes and other information.

Students took the class this semester in a hybrid format, with labs being done in-person and lectures and quizzes done online, per TSTC’s COVID-19 teaching plan.

“They (the students) persevered through the situation a lot of people would not have been able to,” said Michele Brown, lead instructor of TSTC’s Culinary Arts program.

Mikhaila Hoffman of College Station incorporated a Costa Rican theme for her desserts. The theme honors her father, who was born in the Central American nation and moved to the United States when he was seven.

“I did research, and my abuela (grandmother) does a lot of cooking,” Hoffman said.

Among the desserts she made was a brown sugar spice cake filled with dulce de leche.

Vickie Bradford of Corsicana used vanilla as her theme. And, she used one of her specialties for the final.

“I personally like the pound cake,” she said. “I get pound cake orders a lot at home.”

DeQuan Carter grew up in Barbados but now calls Waco home. He chose a French theme for his desserts.

“This was easy in planning ahead and setting up,” he said. “The hardest part was the action to make the items.”

He is taking away from the class more than a stack of recipes.

“I learned how to bake in general,” Carter said. “I learned to push past problems and fix them. And, I learned to have faith in myself.”

TSTC continues to follow mandatory guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including maintaining social distancing and wear face coverings at all times while on any TSTC campus. 

Registration for the fall semester continues. 

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

(WACO, Texas) – As doctors and nurses battle the COVID-19 pandemic, biomedical equipment technicians are alongside them keeping devices and machines functioning.

CardioQuip in College Station has two Texas State Technical College alumni encountering the most serious work they have done so far in their careers. David De La Hoya is a training associate and Noe Martinez is a training manager at the company.

The company’s equipment is used in the cardiovascular and respiratory therapy fields. The equipment includes mini-carts and cooler-heater systems.

“The maintenance and upkeep for medical equipment is very important and crucial,” De La Hoya said. “There is not a single device you can create that does not need upkeep or maintenance. It gives the technicians purpose knowing (that) potentially any biomedical device can save a life.”

Martinez said he and his co-workers are reminded that the equipment they work on is going to be connected to somebody.

“That could be someone close to you,” he said. “You cannot just go and work on a device and just think it is a piece of machinery. It is not. It is connected to someone, helping them get through their obstacle in life that unfortunately has been something negative like an illness or procedure. You always have to remember at the end of the day, what you are working on makes a difference.”

Martinez’s work involves coordinating and implementing training for technicians and overseas business suppliers. He and De La Hoya recently completed trainings by teleconference for Chinese and German counterparts.

“We have had to learn and adapt and overcome these obstacles that COVID-19 has brought up in front of our industry,” Martinez said. “We have learned about media equipment and software, and how best to use those applications to help the end users and customers learn how to use our devices.”

Service work on equipment must still be done in person. Martinez said having access to hospitals now means that additional steps must be taken. He said some hospitals require a negative COVID-19 test 48 hours before arrival to work on equipment, and there are more disinfecting and sanitizing protocols.

“We have to have technicians get tested or just have records of having negative tests prior to showing up to the facility,” Martinez said.

Martinez recounted a recent trip to the Northeast for an emergency device repair.

“It is a lot different than when I first started traveling,” he said. “The airport used to be very busy, and security lines used to be very long.  Now, airports are quiet, security lines are short, and there are more precautions and more social distancing.”

During the pandemic, De La Hoya has been to a hospital four times for training purposes.

“Noe and I are kind of like a home base, kind of like a call center, on call for the technicians due to the fact there are different time zones,” De La Hoya said. “We always have to watch out for the technicians. They go on their own schedule and may need service information throughout that time. Not only do we do training, but we are master technicians.”

De La Hoya joined CardioQuip shortly after graduating from TSTC‘s Waco campus in 2019. He earned associate degrees in Biomedical Equipment Technology and Medical Imaging Systems Technology Specialist. He started as a field service technician, traveling the country on work assignments. Now he works with new technicians to ease them into the company’s work.

“Once the training team feels like they have got a basic understanding of the unit, we take them out in the field,” De La Hoya said. “Either Noe or I will take them out, or a senior technician, and show them how to implement the knowledge and communicate in the field.”

De La Hoya said prospective students, who are either in high school or already in the workforce and need a change, do not necessarily have to go to a four-year university.

“TSTC can be a great stepping-stone to create opportunities in your career,” he said. “I believe technical colleges are underrated. You can make a great living going to a two-year school and be fine with that the rest of your life.”

De La Hoya grew up in Italy, Texas in Ellis County and is a graduate of Italy High School. He knew people who had gone to TSTC, but a recruiter who visited his agriculture class during his junior year made him think about his future.

“One thing that geared me toward TSTC is how affordable it is compared to other colleges in the area,” De La Hoya said. “I wanted to invest in myself.”

Martinez grew up in Fredericksburg and is a graduate of Fredericksburg High School. He became familiar with TSTC through a relative who graduated from the Automotive Technology program. Martinez graduated in 2017 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Automotive Technology from TSTC’s Waco campus.

“All the knowledge I gained in the Automotive Technology program translated to the biomedical equipment field,” he said. “It wasn’t necessarily an easy transition. I did have to do my own self-educating to learn about specific things that were not in automotive technology education.”

Registration for the fall semester is underway.

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

(WACO, Texas) – The current global climate has brought unforeseen bumps in the road for Texas State Technical College students. However, Marissa Hunsucker is one of many who have proven that despite trials and tribulations, there is nothing that can get in the way of those who are “TSTC strong.”

The Waco native recently utilized the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund to help her and her family financially as she continues her studies. Expected to graduate next year, she is grateful for the opportunity not only to make it through her studies, but also for the chance to reiterate that TSTC students do not have to face difficult circumstances alone.

“I grew up less than a mile from campus,” said the Occupational Safety Compliance Technology student. “I knew that TSTC offered a wide variety of degree programs.”

Her past work experience motivated her to pursue an Associate of Applied Science degree in the program.

“When I was working in road construction, I saw firsthand how unsafe some of the situations we were put in on a daily basis were,” she recalled. “I want to hopefully make a difference for those who deal with road and infrastructure work. I want to create a safer work environment.”

The 25-year-old’s ultimate goal is to make a difference for others. But this semester, CARES Act funds made a difference for her.

“The funds helped me pay my utility bills and keep internet access,” Hunsucker said. “We were able to repair our only vehicle and keep food on the table.”

Despite having gone through hardships of her own, she has not lost her motivation to continue her degree with the desire to change lives. She also has a few words of encouragement for fellow TSTC students who may be experiencing tough times of their own.

“Keep thinking positive, and know that this is only temporary,” she said. “Stay determined and focused. Always ask for help when you need it. At TSTC, you never have to face something difficult alone.”

To learn more about CARES Act Funds at TSTC, visit https://www.tstc.edu/student_life/caresact.

(WACO, Texas) – A Texas State Technical College student has received a scholarship from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation.

Rudolph Wagner of Killeen has been awarded the AAMI Foundation Michael J. Miller Scholarship. He is studying to earn associate degrees in Biomedical Equipment Technology and Medical Imaging Systems Technology Specialization. Wagner is scheduled to graduate in December.

Wagner will use his $3,000 scholarship to help pay for tuition. This fall, he will do a program-required internship at KEI Medical Imaging Services in Hutto.

“I am very excited,” he said. “Getting an internship is kind of hard with COVID-19, but I was able to reach out to an internship coordinator at the company.”

Wagner grew up with an interest in electronics. He graduated in 1993 from Killeen High School and studied pre-med at Prairie View A&M University. He later worked as a medical billing and coding specialist and did medical missionary work before coming to TSTC.

“I wanted something more,” he said. “I decided to go back to school. As soon as I saw the medical equipment, I knew that is what I wanted to do.”

One of the first people he met on campus was Terry Whitworth, an instructor in TSTC’s Biomedical Equipment Technology program.

“Rudolph is one of those students you love to have,” Whitworth said. “His enthusiasm is infectious. He is always upbeat and acts like he is having the time of his life learning. There is no doubt in my mind that he will be an excellent addition to any organization. It has been a pleasure having him in class this semester.”

Wagner said his favorite classes were AC Circuits, DC Circuits and Shop Skills for BET Technician.

“Had I known about this years ago, I would have gone to TSTC,” he said. “I like just learning how the equipment works and the electronics. I like the small components and enjoy how things are put together.”

Wagner wants to study health care technology management in the future to progress in his career.

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

(WACO, Texas) – Students attending Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus will see differences in how they learn and interact as they start the fall semester on Monday, Aug. 31.

“We are constantly looking at our process and how we can make the campus safer,” said Jerome Mendias, TSTC’s associate provost. “Safety is our priority. Knowing that we treat safety in such a manner is true to how we are looking at being on campus during this time.”

Students will see ample signage promoting campus health and safety, as well as more hand-sanitizing stations. Students will need to wear face coverings at all times, and go in and out of designated entrances to campus buildings. There will be more social distancing in labs. Students will not be allowed to congregate in common areas of buildings.

One of the biggest changes is how classes will be taught, which began being modified in late March.

Programs that will be in an all-online format this fall are Architectural and Civil Drafting Technology, Cloud Computing, Computer Networking and Systems Administration, Computer Programming, Cybersecurity, Mechanical/Electrical Drafting Technology, Visual Communication Technology and Web Design and Development Technology.

Programs that will be in a hybrid format this fall are Aircraft Airframe Technology, Aircraft Pilot Training Technology, Aircraft Powerplant Technology, Auto Collision and Management Technology, Automotive Technology, Biomedical Equipment Technology, Building Construction Technology, Culinary Arts, Diesel Equipment Technology, Electrical Construction, Electrical Lineworker Technology, Electrical Power and Controls, Energy Efficiency Specialist, Facilities Management Technology, HVAC Technology, Industrial Systems, Instrumentation Technology, Medical Imaging Systems Technology, Occupational Safety Compliance Technology, Plumbing and Pipefitting Technology, Precision Machining Technology, Robotics Technology, Solar Energy Technology and Welding Technology.

Tutoring will be available virtually. Students will need to go to TSTC’s online student portal and click on the tutoring icon to fill out a form requesting help. The tutoring staff will connect students virtually to statewide tutors in their subject areas.

Student activities will look different this fall. Adele Clinton, TSTC’s executive director of Retention Services, said student leadership and engagement staff will survey students to see what events they want to see this semester. A lot of events are already planned to be held virtually. No opening date has been set for physical activities at the Murray Watson Jr. Student Recreation Center, Clinton said.

Misty Kaska, a coordinator of TSTC’s Advocacy and Resource Center, said there are plans as of now to have the annual Thanksgiving food basket giveaway and toy drive in late fall.

The food pantry and lending library will still be available. Students can contact Kaska online to fill out a request for assistance. When approved, students can make appointments with Kaska through the QLess app to pick up food or books at the student recreation center or Student Services Center.

Registration continues for the fall semester.

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