Category Archives: Waco

TSTC Auto Collision Program Receives Service King Grant

(WACO, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Auto Collision and Management Technology program celebrated the end of the fall semester at its traditional barbecue on Thursday.

Representatives of Service King presented program faculty with a $5,000 2019 Service King School Grant through the Collision Repair Education Foundation.

Clint Campbell, TSTC’s statewide Auto Collision and Management Technology chair, said the grant is an opportunity to purchase equipment the program’s budget cannot cover.

Roy Villarreal, Service King’s apprenticeship development director in Richardson, said the company looks forward to partnering with the program on its curriculum and other needs.

“The end goal is to have that easy, smooth transition for the graduates to go into one of our shops,” he said.

Campbell said future work with Service King can enlighten students on how much they are needed in the auto collision and management field.

The program also honored students graduating at TSTC’s Fall 2019 Commencement on Friday, Dec. 6, including those students who had perfect attendance during the semester.

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

TSTC student soon to be well-rounded graduate

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – On Friday, Texas State Technical College student David Krenek will walk across the stage at the Stafford Centre and receive his associate degree in Industrial Systems.

“It feels great knowing that I’m done and about to graduate,” said the 20-year-old. “It’s time to move forward and get my life started. That’s exciting.”

At a young age, the Rosenberg native discovered his passion for working with his hands and tinkering with machinery.

“It’s this type of work that allows me to think outside of the box,” he said. “Working with machinery and its components to create, repair or troubleshoot is something I love to do, and I’m glad that at TSTC I can create a career out of my passion.”TSTC Industrial Systems graduate David Krenek

College was always in the cards for Krenek, but he wasn’t always sure about attending a four-year university.

“I saw this new school (TSTC) along the highway and decided to check it out,” said Krenek. “And after some research and a tour of the campus and the Industrial Systems program, I was sold. It was the modern, industry-standard equipment I would be trained on and the program’s faculty that sealed the deal.”

Krenek said the program has brought him a long way since the summer days when he worked with his uncle on the farm, repairing farm equipment and small engines.

“I knew a bit about machines, but TSTC has really given me an in-depth understanding of them and what it takes to repair and maintain them,” he said. “I can’t wait to put my training into good use.”

Krenek has already received several job offers from companies around the Houston area.

“I’m ready to start working, and I can’t believe how fast TSTC got me there,” said Krenek. “There is still so much to learn, but TSTC has given me the foundation I need to begin a successful career.”

He added that he enjoyed his experience at TSTC, from training to faculty assistance.

“I received a lot of one-on-one with my instructors, which helped in understanding concepts and processes,” he said. “And even better was the hands-on training and real-world practice I got to do in the classroom.”

Krenek will graduate as a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

“I’ve come a long way, and I’ve entered a new chapter in life,” he said. “I hope to gain experience, learn a lot, advance in my career, start a family someday and enjoy life the best way I can. This is only the beginning.”

Krenek will celebrate with family and friends on Friday, joining nearly 100 other students at the Fort Bend County campus who will graduate with a certificate or associate degree as part of TSTC’s Class of Fall 2019.

This month, statewide, more than 1,000 TSTC students will join an alumni network that is 100,000 strong.

Industrial Systems is also offered at TSTC’s Abilene, East Williamson County, Marshall, North Texas and Waco campuses.

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

TSTC Alumnus Uses Curiosity to Progress in Career

(HUTTO, Texas) – Edreich Torres grew up in Georgetown taking broken items and putting them back together.

“I believe that my love for knowing how things work and wanting to fix them has always driven me to pursue the next big challenge that awaits me,” he said.

Torres graduated in 2016 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Industrial Maintenance – Mechanical Specialization from Texas State Technical College’s East Williamson County campus.

“TSTC helped me learn how to create, interpret and read many different types of schematics,” he said. “TSTC taught me how to troubleshoot fluid, mechanical and electrical systems.”

Lance Antilley, an instructor in TSTC’s Industrial Systems (formerly Industrial Maintenance) program, said Torres is a good example of the kind of graduates TSTC produces for employers. Students in the program learn about basic electrical theory, boiler maintenance, hydraulics, pumps and other equipment.

“He is a driven individual and an excellent technician,” Antilley said. “He picked up on everything very quickly.”

Torres has been at ICU Medical in Austin for about a year and is a senior electromechanical technician. The job requires him to have knowledge about electrical distribution panels, fluid systems, mechanical systems and programmable logic controls.

“Here at ICU, I help fix, maintain and troubleshoot many different types of issues with fabrication machines that make IV bags for hospitals,” Torres said.

Torres, who lives in Jarrell, said the company’s teamwork drives him in his work.

“The culture that has been established here at ICU Medical has taught me to work more methodically and diligently when troubleshooting,” he said. “This low-stress environment motivates me to perform at a higher level.”

California-based ICU Medical specializes in the development, manufacturing and sale of critical care products for cardiac monitoring, closed-system transfers and infusion therapy.

Aaron Keat, ICU Medical’s talent acquisition lead in Austin, said the company works with organizations that help place military veterans and is represented at career fairs to find technically skilled job candidates. The company also partners with TSTC.

“Over the last several years, it has been increasingly more challenging to find qualified candidates to fill our maintenance-mechanic openings here in Austin,” Keat said.

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

TSTC Alumnus Takes Career to New Heights

(WACO, Texas) – Michael Mojica has the products you need to go on your next adventure. 

Mojica, a graduate of Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus now living in Centennial, Colorado, has invented products and owns a company combining his appreciation for the outdoors and design.

“If we have unique, novel ideas that have true utility, there is a real opportunity in America to chase those ideas,” Mojica said. 

Mojica’s evolving inventions began with a fire-starting quick release slide buckle and moved to a survival paracord bracelet that people can use to start fires. His invention, The Firebiner®, was named “Best Gadget” by Backpacker Magazine in their 2019 Gear Guide. It was also given a “Radical by Design” award at the Summer Outdoor Retailer Show, the largest outdoor gear show in the nation.

“I thought most people can roll a wheel, like on a lighter,” Mojica said. “I also thought most people who love the outdoors have a carabiner as a keychain. I put the two together and added a couple of other simple features, and the Firebiner® was born.”

Mojica will soon launch a multi-tool carabiner called the “Fire Escape.”

The items are part of Outdoor Element, the adventure survival gear company Mojica founded in 2012. He said he loves controlling his own path and thinking freely for new ideas to come to life. 

Mojica grew up in Hillsboro and always loved taking things apart and building off of one thing to the next. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies and a minor in Textile Design from The University of Texas at Austin. 

“I knew I was meant for design,” he said.

After graduating, Mojica sought out a skills set to enter the engineering industry. He enrolled in what is now TSTC’s Architectural Drafting and Design Technology program in Waco.

“Drafting on the board gave me the ability to think and understand in 3D, and represent in 2D,” Mojica said. “The CAD (Computer-Aided Design) hours that TSTC provided gave me the perfect base training to deal with the stress of the real word and hard schedules.”

Manny Avila, an instructor in TSTC’s Architectural Drafting and Design Technology program, said Mojica was an intelligent, driven student who always sought to learn more. 

“He worked hard and would investigate various designs that were offered to him, and he produced excellent work,” Avila said.

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

 

TSTC Student Ready for His Future Upon Graduation

(RED OAK, Texas) – Working with large diesel equipment is in Cesar Vazquez’s blood.

“I like the noise,” he said. “I have always been in the diesel world. It pays well. There is a shortage of mechanics, so there is job security.”

Vazquez is a candidate for graduation at Texas State Technical College’s Fall 2019 Commencement for the North Texas campus at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 9, at the Waxahachie Civic Center. He is scheduled to receive a Diesel Equipment Technology – Heavy Truck certificate of completion. 

Vazquez said his favorite hands-on activities in class dealt with engines and transmissions.

TSTC student Jared Bourgeois of Fort Worth met Vazquez in their Diesel Equipment Technology classes. He will graduate in December with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Diesel Equipment Technology.

“He has a lot of knowledge,” Bourgeois said. “He is definitely a leader. He knows what things to get done first.”

Vazquez was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and moved with his family to Texas when he was young. His family lived in Irving before settling in Red Oak.

“I grew up with it since I was 6 years old,” Vazquez said about diesel equipment. “My father had a construction business in Mexico. He’s a truck driver here now.”

Vazquez used self-motivation to start his own business at 16 doing maintenance work on vehicles. He did this while a student at Red Oak High School, where he graduated in 2018.

TSTC student Omar Juarez met Vazquez when they played middle school football in Red Oak. Juarez will graduate in December with a Diesel Equipment Technology – Heavy Truck certificate. Juarez said he admires Vazquez’s work ethic.

“He makes sure things are done correctly,” Juarez said. “He is always pushing other people to get better.”

Next spring, Vazquez will finish an Associate of Applied Science degree in Diesel Equipment Technology – Heavy Truck Specialization and hopes to have his commercial driver’s license by next summer. He also wants to look for a job in Ellis County that would enable him to get more engine experience.

“I want to be someone and be known for something,” Vazquez said. “I have been working hard since I was little.”

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

Lometa Student Looks for Glowing Future After TSTC Graduation

(WACO, Texas) – Faustino Laessig of Lometa felt right at home in the auto collision labs at Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus.

“I’ve always been fixing things up and making them look good,” he said.

Laessig is an associate degree candidate for graduation in the Auto Collision and Management Technology program at TSTC’s Fall 2019 Commencement at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6, at the Waco Convention Center.

“I’ve learned a lot,” he said. “I’m really proud of my welding and metal repairs.”

He said he found motivation for his studies in his desire to complete class projects. Some of his other favorite lessons involved airbrushing.

Marc Garcia of Waco is also a candidate for graduation in the Auto Collision and Management Technology program and took several classes with Laessig. Garcia said he admires Laessig’s welding and measuring skills.

“I think he will do great,” Garcia said. “I can see him going places.”

Laessig placed first in Collision Repair Technology at this year’s SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary State Leadership and Skills Conference held in Waco. The victory catapulted him to represent Texas at this summer’s 55th annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

“I really enjoyed it,” Laessig said. “It brought experience I would not get in class. You got one-on-one time with the instructors. It didn’t feel like work. It was really fun.”

Jacob Pevia, an instructor in TSTC’s Auto Collision and Management Technology program, taught Laessig during his first semester. Pevia also worked with Laessig as he prepared for SkillsUSA competitions.

“I’ve seen him flourish from a guy who knew absolutely nothing about the technology to the best guy I have had this semester,” Pevia said.

Laessig graduated in 2017 from Lometa High School, where he played multiple sports and learned welding in his agriculture classes.

He visited TSTC on campus tours organized by his high school during his junior and senior years. He said TSTC was a good choice for him because of the cost.

“I was a little nervous for the first few weeks,” Laessig said. “I wasn’t sure if this was what I wanted to do. I told myself to stick with it, and I liked it.”

Laessig is looking at job possibilities at auto collision businesses in Central Texas.

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

TSTC provides electrifying career opportunities

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – The demand for electrical power and controls technicians is high and continuously increasing, which is why Texas State Technical College and its Electrical Power and Controls program are working diligently to produce highly skilled graduates.

“The industry is growing by leaps and bounds around the industrial centers in the Gulf Coast region,” said TSTC Electrical Power and Controls instructor Jonathan Bonkoske. “And with the mix of retirees and employee promotions, the demand will continue to increase.”

To meet that demand and fill a need, students who enroll in TSTC’s Electrical Power and Controls program can earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in approximately 18 months.

In the program, students can gain skills such as electrical safety, electrical design and engineering practices, electrical distribution equipment and component testing and evaluation, speed motor control circuit design, programming and troubleshooting, and electrical calculations.TSTC Electrical Power and Controls

“This highly diverse and well-rounded set of skills and experience will produce a potential employee that can fill different roles within a company,” said Bonkoske.

To learn and practice these skills before entering the workforce, students have access to labs that include industry-standard electrical distribution, transmission, equipment testing, automation, instrumentation motion-control tools, transformers and electrical motors.

“Being familiar and knowledgeable in these different areas gives the students options to select from many career opportunities and does not lock them into a specialty, which increases their hireability,” said Bonkoske. “Our graduates in this area are highly sought-after because of their hands-on skills and directly related work experience gained in the classroom and labs.”

Electrical Power and Controls statewide has a 94% job-placement rate with many of its graduates finding work as an electrical field service technician, electrical maintenance technician, electrical designer, instrumentation technician, automation technician or motion control technician.

Program graduates have found employment with such companies as Burns & McDonnell, Dashiell, Eaton Corporation, Wood Group and Schlumberger.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a person in this field can make, on average, nearly $64,000 per year.

Electrical Power and Controls is also offered at TSTC’s Abilene, East Williamson County, North Texas and Waco campuses. It is part of the college’s Money-Back Guarantee program, which refunds the tuition of participating graduates if they do not find a job in their career field within six months of graduation..

Registration for Spring 2020 is underway.

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

Leander Student Eager to Mark Graduation Milestone at TSTC

(HUTTO, Texas) – Nick Short of Leander copes daily with his challenges, using determination and heart.

Short, a Cybersecurity student at Texas State Technical College’s East Williamson County campus, has dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He is reaping the rewards of his hard work as a candidate for graduation at TSTC’s Fall 2019 Commencement at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6, at the East Williamson County Higher Education Center in Hutto.

“I like the feeling of getting over certain milestones,” Short said. “I have had to really push myself to do what I need to be doing. I struggle some.”

Working in the technology field runs in Short’s family. His father works at Cisco in Austin and his brother is a network engineer.

“I feel really confident with what I know,” Short said.

Joshua Schier, a TSTC Cybersecurity instructor, said he admired Short’s natural instinct to understand concepts.

“Nick has made my job easier,” he said. “Nick will go wherever he wants to go. He is confident in his abilities.”

Short was home-schooled and attended public school until going to college.

“In eighth grade, I had a third-grade reading and spelling level,” Short said. “At that point, my mother taught me to push through it.”

He attended another two-year college in the Austin area before enrolling at TSTC, which he chose because it offered the program he was interested in and was close to home.

“The people I have met are pretty cool,” Short said. “The people here are passionate about getting the material down.”

Short plans to take the Cisco Certified Network Associate certification test in December. After that, he will leave in January for Colorado, where he will participate in a Youth With A Mission Discipleship Training School curriculum focused on film, journalism and photography. Short said he will use the trip as an outlet for creativity and to grow in his faith.

“Six months is a long time taking a hiatus from what all I have been doing, but I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

Short also wants to pursue a bachelor’s degree and work in the security field in the Austin area in the future.

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

TSTC diesel program powers students’ success

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – The construction and transportation industry in the Houston area and statewide is rapidly growing, meaning that a skilled workforce is very much in demand.

Texas State Technical College is helping to fill that need with its technical programs like Diesel Equipment Technology.

TSTC Diesel Equipment Technology instructor Brandon Foster said that program faculty receive numerous calls from employers who have attended Employer Spotlights on campus and want to recruit TSTC graduates.TSTC Diesel Equipment Technology

“Our graduates are in high demand. Skilled diesel technicians are in high demand,” he said. “And we’re working diligently to ensure that our graduates are job-ready.”

To accomplish that, the program focuses on hands-on training to teach the appropriate skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the industry.

Students have access to a large shop that is equipped with industry-standard technology, such as training aids for hydraulic, brake and electrical systems, to learn skills in diagnosing, troubleshooting, repair and maintenance.

The shop is also complete with heavy-duty diesel trucks, bulldozers and front-end loaders.

“All of our equipment allows for a real-world experience,” said Foster. “And the skills they learn can be applied immediately to tasks they will find in the workforce.”

In addition to technical skills, soft skills such as resume building, interviewing, writing, leadership and communication are also a focus for the program.

“Soft skills are just as important as technical skills,” said Foster. “They have to be effective writers and communicators; all jobs require you to be.”

After completing one of three pathways — certificate one, certificate two or an associate degree — a student can work as a diesel mechanic technician, maintenance technician, construction equipment technician, engine specialist or heavy-duty equipment mechanic.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of diesel service technicians and mechanics is projected to grow five percent through 2028, faster than all other occupations, with a median pay of $22 per hour.

Companies who have hired TSTC Diesel Equipment Technology graduates include Chevron, Freightliner, Halliburton, Holt Equipment, John Deere and Peterbilt.

Diesel Equipment Technology is also offered at TSTC’s Marshall, North Texas, Sweetwater and Waco campuses.

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

San Angelo Student Driven by TSTC Toyota Program

(WACO, Texas) – Ricardo Echeverria of San Angelo did not go to college right after graduating from the city’s Central High School in 2017.

He went to work at Mitchell Toyota in San Angelo as a lube technician, but said he knew he needed to advance his career.

A dealership employee recommended that Echeverria give Texas State Technical College’s Automotive Technology – Toyota Technician Training and Education Network, or T-TEN, specialization a look. He began classes at the Waco campus in fall 2018.

“It’s been really good,” Echeverria said. “It’s a lot of hands-on and very informational. The instructors have been good teaching and spending one-on-one time with us.”

Echeverria said his favorite lessons have dealt with engines.

“We get to take the engine apart, and we put it back together and make sure the specs are correct,” he said.

During the summer, Echeverria went back to work at Mitchell Toyota as a main line technician diagnosing and fixing customers’ problems.

“The technicians are very helpful and understood I was a student,” he said. “It opened my eyes to the real world.”

Tony Palmer, Mitchell Toyota’s service manager, said he likes Echeverria’s motivation to better himself. He said students like Echeverria are good for programs like T-TEN.

“If they (students) just had the knowledge that the program is there and if they want to do that type of work in the field, it would be a great option for them,” Palmer said.

After graduating from TSTC, Echeverria said he wants to return to San Angelo to work at the Toyota dealership and later work in San Antonio.

TSTC’s Waco campus is one of four two-year institutions in Texas offering the Toyota curriculum, along with more than 30 two-year colleges nationwide. T-TEN is a consortium of Lexus and Toyota dealerships and two-year colleges developing students with industry-backed training to work in more than 1,500 dealerships nationwide as factory-certified technicians.

“We can take them from almost knowing nothing to being good technicians,” said Roy “Rip” Plumlee, a TSTC Automotive Technology instructor who teaches some of the T-TEN courses.

The program curriculum was revamped this year to have students spend half of their semesters in classes learning about automotive electrical systems, brake systems, climate control systems and other topics, and the remaining weeks working at Toyota dealerships. Plumlee said students who come from throughout Texas to attend TSTC must maintain work at a Toyota dealership to stay in the program.

Plumlee said he has an agreement with his students for them to send him an email when their salaries reach a high level after graduation.

“I hope they go on to long-term, successful careers at Toyota,” he said.

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