(WACO, Texas) – Texas State Technical College honored three campus police officers at a promotional swearing-in ceremony Tuesday morning in Waco.

Sgt. Craig Lampe, Sgt. Roy Luna and Lt. Roman Proctor were given a ceremonial oath of office by Judge Matt Johnson of the 54th State District Court. The officers, who have more than 30 years of combined service at TTSC, were pinned with new badges by members of their families. 

“They are the embodiment of TSTC’s core values of excellence, accountability, service and integrity,” said Brian Davis, TSTC’s police chief at the Waco campus.

Lampe joined TSTC in 2001 and is a certified master peace officer, mental health officer, sexual assault and family violence investigator, and an aircraft rescue firefighter and instructor. Before coming to TSTC, he was a patrol officer at the Groesbeck Police Department.

“I am glad to be part of TSTC,” he said. “I’m blessed I have the support of family and friends. This is a great achievement for me, and I look forward to future promotions.”

Luna has worked at TSTC since 2011. He is a certified master peace officer and crime prevention inspector. Before coming to TSTC, Luna worked for 23 years at the Waco Police Department.

“I am proud to be here at TSTC,” he said. “I plan to stay hopefully until I retire again.”

Proctor started his law enforcement career in 2005 at TSTC. He is a certified master peace officer, and a mental health officer and instructor. Proctor is a graduate of McLennan Community College and is working on a bachelor’s degree at Tarleton State University.

“I’m blessed with everything,” he said.

TSTC Provost Adam Hutchison said the campus police officers exemplify the meaning of service. Besides keeping the campus safe, the police department works with area law enforcement agencies when needed on service calls.

“It is not uncommon for the men and women who serve as TSTC police officers to see us at our worst moments,” Hutchison said. “They are a vital link for the college. They see more of it than probably anyone else on campus. They serve holistically and completely.”

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

(WACO, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Culinary Arts program in Waco hosted practice sessions this week for the WorldSkills USA’s Restaurant Service contestant, and he happens to be a Texan.

Colt Schultz of League City spent his time practicing his cooking, barista, beverage service, and casual and fine dining table presentation skills ahead of WorldSkills Kazan 2019, which takes place Aug. 22-27 in Russia.

One of the highlights of the contest is making two different dishes using the flambe method.

“I had to get comfortable with that,” Schultz said. “They (the judges) will look at the height of the flame.”

Sheila Hyde, a SkillsUSA national co-chair and WorldSkills expert in Restaurant Service, is also a professor at the Food and Hospitality Institute at El Centro College in Dallas. She said it is convenient that she and Schultz live in the same state, which has made practices easier.

Hyde said TSTC’s Waco campus was chosen for training because of the Culinary Arts program’s equipment. Hyde has also worked at district and state SkillsUSA events on campus and professionally knows some of the Culinary Arts faculty.

Chef Michele Brown, TSTC’s lead instructor in the Culinary Arts program in Waco, said the campus designation as a WorldSkills USA training facility is tremendous.

“It means we have the equipment and staffing to see this excel,” she said. “Having Colt on campus really inspired our students.”

The WorldSkills USA team will have 22 members competing in 20 events, Hyde said.

Schultz appreciates the cultural outreach opportunity that WorldSkills provides while helping him perfect his culinary abilities. 

“It’s just really making that passion stronger, and making connections and friends, and being open to other cultures,” Schultz said.

Schultz is a 2019 graduate of Clear Springs High School in League City. This fall, he will attend the Culinary Institute of America’s campus in Hyde Park, New York, and major in Food Business Management.

After graduation, Schultz wants to work in fine dining and hopefully open his own restaurant focused on European-style dining.

“This is my career and something I love,” he said. “I’ve kept this mentality and the connections I have made in SkillsUSA and WorldSkills. My motivation is to keep expanding these skills that I can apply later in life.”

WorldSkills is made up of 78 nations with a goal of developing vocational skills in young adults. It is a level above SkillsUSA, which is a professional organization teaching employability, leadership and technical skills that help middle school, high school and college students pursue successful careers.

For more information on WorldSkills, go to worldskills.org.

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

(WACO, Texas) – It is an achievement that Letha Novosad, lead instructor in Texas State Technical College’s Electrical Construction program, is happy to see happen.

For the first time since she began teaching at TSTC in 2010, Novosad will see three women complete the Electrical Construction certificate program this summer.

Chrystal Robinson of Killeen is a candidate for graduation at TSTC’s Summer 2019 Commencement at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 16 at the Waco Convention Center, while Keely Brown of Bertram and Amber Voss of Axtell are scheduled to finish the certificate program and continue their studies at TSTC.

“Chrystal, Keely and Amber work very hard to be at the top of their class,” Novosad said. “They study between breaks and at lunch. They even book a private room in the library to study when they have breaks. It has been very rewarding as an instructor to watch them grow closer together. I have seen them support each other and get through not only classes, but also whatever life decides to throw at them.”

Although Robinson’s work in the U.S. Air Force as a medical lab technician is a career opposite from electrical construction, she said the challenges she encountered in the military prepared her for her studies at TSTC.

“I was so happy to see other females in the class,” Robinson said. “We want other women to know because we are in a male-dominated field, but we are still women.”

Robinson and her classmates learned how to use power tools, how to wire for commercial and residential buildings, and electrical theory.

“I am about diversity and learning a little bit of everything,” she said.

Robinson plans to find an electrical apprenticeship in the Killeen area after graduation.

“Never quit,” she said. “You start and finish the race. You don’t know what you can accomplish.”

Robinson will join a growing career field. The number of electricians that will be needed in the United States is projected to be more than 726,000 by 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Brown and Voss are scheduled to earn Electrical Construction certificates this semester, but have more work to do. They are also working toward the Energy Efficiency Specialist certificate and the Associate of Applied Science degree in Solar Energy Technology. 

Voss is also pursuing the Associate of Applied Science degree in Electrical Power and Controls.

“I grew up around it,” she said. “It’s my path.”

Brown said she became interested in her fields of study after taking a woodshop class in high school and learning how to use tools. She said she realized she could do hands-on work as a career.

“My mother told me when I was younger to go to college, get a job, take care of yourself, and that I do not need a man taking care of me,” Brown said.

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

(WACO, Texas) – Some Texas State Technical College students are learning how consumers can save money for their residences by making them more energy-efficient. 

Students in the Residential Building Performance Consulting class used a vacant home on campus on Monday to perform a series of tests to find out where outside air leaked in, and vice versa. 

“I want students to learn the actual mechanics of how to set up and perform the tests and how to correct the seals we have,” said Hugh Whitted, an instructor in TSTC’s Energy Efficiency Specialist and Solar Energy Technology programs.

Before testing started, students found every interior opening they could to seal with plastic. Whitted led students through the first test by using a blower to measure how airtight the house was.

“It depressurizes the house so air comes through the cracks and you can seal them,” he said.

Students used a variety of tools, including smoke pencils and thermal cameras, to conduct the tests.

“It’s a good eye-opener to the kind of equipment we will use in the field,” said Christian Bolyard, a TSTC student from Bridge City.

Whitted said students found problems with air leaking through electrical outlets.

Johnathan Rhodes, a TSTC student from Plano, said air leaks can be challenging in older homes.

“Older houses can be terribly constructed because this (the energy code industry) is relatively new,” he said. “It’s important to pay attention to detail and construction.”

Students also performed a duct-blaster test and did a carbon monoxide reading on the home.

“I’m learning some of these buildings are air-challenged and that we may come across things that are not in new buildings that we have to work with,” Bolyard said.

Homes that are insulated well can receive good scores on the Home Energy Score Report from the U.S. Department of Energy. On a scale of 1-10, scores on the higher end mean there is lower energy usage and cost.

TSTC’s Energy Efficiency Specialist certificate is a two-semester program in Waco preparing students for jobs in energy auditing and green marketing. Whitted teaches students to use the International Code Council’s International Energy Conservation Code, which is designed to meet the need for efficient mechanical, lighting and power systems through model code regulations that result in optimal utilization of fossil fuel and nondepletable resources. 

TSTC’s Energy Efficiency Specialist certificate is part of a “triple crown” combination, which includes the Associate of Applied Science degree in Solar Energy Technology and the Certificate I in Electrical Construction.

Bolyard and Rhodes are both taking the combined certificate and degree programs.

“It’s been fantastic,” Rhodes said. “I love the hands-on learning, and the instructors tell us stories about what they have experienced in the field.”

Registration for the fall semester is underway. 

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

(WACO, Texas) – Texas State Technical College won one gold medal, four silver medals and one bronze medal at the 55th annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference held June 24-28 in Louisville, Kentucky.

SkillsUSA is a professional organization teaching employability, leadership and technical skills helping middle school, high school and college students pursue successful careers and build a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA has more than 100 categories of competition ranging from 3D Visualization and Animation to Welding Sculpture.

“The SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference is more than just a competition, though it is certainly the pinnacle of collegiate technical skills contests,” said Adam Hutchison, provost of TSTC’s Waco campus. “It’s really a national celebration of technical education and the quality of life that our students can achieve when their craftsmanship is combined with leadership and teamwork skills.”

Erik Syck, a Computer Networking and Systems Administration major, won a coveted gold medal in Information Technology Services.

“It’s a massive release and excitement,” Syck said. “Last year I didn’t place at all. In a year, I made that much of a difference and it’s amazing.”

The team of Brandon Lund and Cody White won the silver medal in Additive Manufacturing. This was the first TSTC team to ever compete in the event.

Lund and White, both Architectural Drafting and Design Technology majors, were put together by their instructor, Bryan Clark, because of their interests in 3D printing and machining.

“We were really close to getting gold,” said White. “Brandon is good to work with and knows what he is doing. This is going to help with job hunting.”

Recent TSTC graduate Cody Scheffe won a silver medal in Carpentry. This is the second year he competed in the event. SkillsUSA allows participants to represent their campuses up to six months after graduation.

“I’m excited,” Scheffe said. “Second in the nation is still good. I have met a lot of people and learned a lot from the instructors I have had.”

Jondaria Maxey, a Computer Networking and Systems Administration major, won the silver medal in the Job Skill Demonstration Open contest. The skill he demonstrated was replacing hardware on a computer.

“I wasn’t prepared last year,” said Maxey. “This year, I was more prepared and did a lot of practice. SkillsUSA has helped me be a leader.”

TSTC won the silver medal in TeamWorks for the second year in a row. Recent TSTC graduate Andres Zapata competed on both silver medal teams while students Jacob Dawson, Antonio Hernandez and Leonardo Mata took part for the first time on the college level.

“They are good guys and they do what needs to be done,” Hernandez said. “We just have to build upon what we started here and start working at it. We just have to make our work like a fine-tuned machine.”

Rickie Hartfield won the bronze medal in Residential Systems Installation and Maintenance. For the contest, he demonstrated his ability to install multiple electrical components to work with thermostats and household appliances.

Also at the national conference, TSTC’s Harlingen campus received a silver medal in Community Service and the Marshall campus received a gold medal in Technical Computer Applications.

TSTC’s competitors qualified for the national conference by winning the SkillsUSA Texas State Leadership and Skills Conference in April in Waco.

More than 6,400 students from Alaska to Puerto Rico competed at the conference, with more than 1,100 gold, silver and bronze medals awarded. In-kind industry and education contributions in equipment, materials and time totaled more than $36 million for the event, according to SkillsUSA.

“I’m thrilled that our students get to experience the SkillsUSA NLSC with the other elite technical education students from around the country and be recognized for their outstanding talents,” Hutchison said. “And, I’m grateful for our dedicated faculty and staff who mentor, train and support our students all year long to reach this event.”

For more information on SkillsUSA, go to skillsusa.org.

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

(WACO, Texas) – Though the 2019 calendar says the first day of summer is June 21, Texas residents know that hot days and the comfort of air conditioning started much earlier.

On Thursday, June 20, students in Texas State Technical College’s Air Conditioning Troubleshooting class were simulating cold and hot situations on air conditioning systems.

“We are working with high-voltage, spinning unit fans, compressors,” said Derrick Gonzales of Waco, an HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) Technology major. “We are working with very high pressures and coolant.”

The students, who aspire to be future HVAC technicians, may have a lot of work to do in the future.

The United States, Japan and China are the world’s top users of air conditioning, according to the International Energy Agency’s 2018 study, “The Future of Cooling.” The number of air conditioning units is projected to rise worldwide to more than 5.6 billion by 2050, according to the study.

“With rising incomes, air conditioner ownership will skyrocket, especially in the emerging world,” Fatih Birol, the IEA’s executive director, said in a prepared statement given at the time of the study. “While this will bring extra comfort and improve daily lives, it is essential that efficiency performance for ACs be prioritized.”

Gonzales said people should check and replace air filters and replace batteries in indoor thermostats. And, they should watch the direction grass is cut around outdoor units to minimize clogging.

HVAC Technology major Otniel Luviano of Buffalo, Texas, said bad air flow can increase pressure blowouts, especially in older units.

Tim Snyder, an instructor in TSTC’s HVAC Technology program, said the ideal time to test air conditioning units is between spells of cold and warm weather.

“Most people have companies they call to come and do preventive maintenance,” he said.

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation regulates air conditioning and refrigeration contractors who install, repair and maintain systems.

“The best thing for customers is to investigate their contractor,” Luviano said. “If you want to be a good technician, you have to go forward and learn the right way.”

TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in HVAC Technology and an HVAC technician certificate.

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