Category Archives: Waco

TSTC Student Receives Nationwide Aviation Scholarship

(WACO) – James Floyd is soaring not only in his studies at Texas State Technical College, but also in receiving a financial boost.

Floyd was one of two college students nationwide to recently receive a $2,000 scholarship from Mesa Airlines and the international coed aviation fraternity Alpha Eta Rho.

“It will help with supplies, books and tuition,” said Floyd, 32. “I am blessed. I’ve worked hard. This will be my 11th semester at TSTC.”

Floyd is president of the Alpha Eta Rho’s Alpha Pi Chapter based at TSTC.

“People want to naturally follow him,” said Robert Capps, a TSTC aviation maintenance instructor. “He was always a cool head.”

Floyd is scheduled to graduate in 2019 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Avionics Technology. This will be his fourth associate degree from TSTC.

“I wanted to expand my knowledge to work on any part of the aircraft,” said Floyd.

Floyd grew up in Round Rock and graduated from homeschooling in 2003.

He was in the U.S. Air Force from 2004 to 2010 and left the service as a senior airman. He did three deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq and a support deployment to the United Arab Emirates.

“I wanted to serve my country to do my part to ensure our U.S. Constitution is upheld,” said Floyd.

After the military, he worked for an armored courier service but realized he needed other skills to  ensure his success.

In 2014, he enrolled at TSTC in Williamson County and graduated two years later with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Welding Technology.

“TSTC in general came highly recommended from my parents, friends and elders,” Floyd said. “I wanted a trade I could fall back on.”

He said he enjoyed precision tungsten inert gas, or TIG, welding and learn it can be used in the aviation field. In fall 2016, he transferred to TSTC in Waco and began studying aviation maintenance.

Floyd finished associate degrees in Aircraft Airframe Technology and Aircraft Powerplant Technology earlier this year.

“You need the A&P (airframe and powerplant) before you touch an aircraft,” he said. “I think I adapted pretty quickly, especially to the airframe side. I had worked with metal before when I was in welding.”

Martin Seagraves, the lead instructor in TSTC’s Avionics Technology department, said graduates having the Aircraft Airframe Technology, Aircraft Powerplant Technology and Avionics Technology degrees means they can fix anything on an aircraft.

“These graduates are in very high demand,” said Seagraves. “Employers come find them.”

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

Registration for fall classes is ongoing through the end of the month.

Student to Graduate from High School and TSTC Simultaneously

(WACO) — How do you get ahead of the competition?

According to Texas State Technical College student Josie Price, it is by graduating high school a month before graduating college at 18 years old.  

Price, of Mt. Calm,  is a candidate for graduation for an Associate of Applied Science degree in Visual Communication Technology at TSTC’s Summer 2018 Commencement at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 17, at the Waco Convention Center.

Just a month ago, she earned her high school diploma through homeschooling. Price credited her nearly simultaneous graduations to dual credit hours at TSTC and the flexibility offered with homeschooling.

“TSTC was phenomenal in allowing me to get everything done quickly but thoroughly,” Price said. “It really allowed me to get more accomplished to be ahead in life and stay ahead.”

On top of her studies, Price balances working at an antique shop, an internship and serving as a writer and member of the board for a startup website, Temple of Geek.

“I just can’t stand to be still,” Price said. “I’ve learned so many things from each job that are molding me into a better professional and allowing me to pursue my passions.”

Price’s dedication and ambition resonate with her instructors and even surprises them when they learn of her age.

“If she hadn’t told me she was high school school student I wouldn’t have known,” said Stacie Buterbaugh, a TSTC Visual Communication Technology instructor. “She’s so mature, confident and talented. She’s such a great communicator and a real motivated self learner.”

According to the Texas Home School Coalition, it is not uncommon for homeschoolers to graduate early or even obtain a college degree at younger ages.

“If I have learned anything, it’s that hard work trumps talent every time. You are competing against yourself and only if you push yourself to be better will you succeed,” Price said.

For more information about TSTC, log onto tstc.edu.

TSTC Student Carries on Family Tradition

(WACO) – Fear of heights may be one of the most common phobias, but for Texas State Technical College student Logan Godino, being up high has become his second home.

Godino, from Canadian in the Texas Panhandle,  is a candidate for graduation for an Electrical Lineworker Technology certificate at TSTC. He is scheduled to graduate at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 17, at the Waco Convention Center.

Godino, 19, currently works part-time at North Plains Electric Cooperative in Canadian with his father. After graduation, Godino will move to the office in Perryton as an apprentice lineman.

“I’ve been practicing climbing power poles since I was a teenager,” Godino said. “We had one in the backyard and my dad has been in this industry for 25 years, so I’ve been interested in this for years and the people in it are like family.”

While Godino has always known that he wanted to be a lineman, his first week at school was different than most.

“Hurricane Harvey hit and they needed guys who could help get the power back on,” Godino said. “So I asked my instructor if I could skip the first week of class to go down and help, and he said sure.”

TSTC Electrical Lineworker Technology Instructor Bobby Mitchell was very pleased knowing Godino would be in the field helping others and saw it as a perfect learning opportunity.

“I knew he wouldn’t miss anything he couldn’t make up, so I was okay with it and I was proud of him,” Mitchell said. “I learned he’s just that kind of guy that works and helps others when he can, whether its those in need or assisting the other students.”

NPEC is ready to welcome Godino as a full-time employee and looks forward to seeing him growing with the company.

“We love Logan, he has been one of ours his whole life,” said Jennifer Roberts, manager of finance and benefits administration at NPEC.

For more information about Texas State Technical College, log onto tstc.edu.

Student Overcomes Obstacles to Reach TSTC Graduation

(HUTTO) – When Texas State Technical College student Damian Helmbold walks the stage Friday at the Summer 2018 Commencement, he will be reaching a goal he has worked towards for more than  two years.

Helmbold was born in Kingston, New York,  but moved to Texas in 1997. Three years ago, he experienced health issues and decided he wanted to make a change in his life.

“I had a fibrosis growing under my kidney and had a major surgery on my abdomen,” Helmbold said. “I got through that, and then I had back surgery. After that I decided I wanted to do more.”

So after learning about TSTC from some of his colleagues at the city of Georgetown, Helmbold enrolled in the Industrial Maintenance program.

“My coworkers went to TSTC in Waco and graduated from there maybe 10 years ago,” he said. “They’re in the field that I wanted to be in. That’s what made me choose this.”

Helmbold worked for the city of Georgetown’s water department for nine years. He credits his upcoming degree for his new position with the city — supervisory control and data acquisition I&C technician. He began working in the new position six months ago.

“We maintain all the stations in the system for the city of Georgetown,” he said. “It could be water or electrical substations and wastewater plants. We deal with all the communications, the programming on the PLCs and the communications back to the control center via radio and fiber optics.”

Juggling working full time, going to school at night and spending time with his wife and kids, Helmbold was happy to take evening classes.

“I wouldn’t have been able to finish if I couldn’t do it at my own pace,” he said.

Helmbold will graduate with honors and credits two things for maintaining his high GPA: his work ethic and his wife.

“I made sure to allocate enough time to do my work, any studying and any research I had to do,” he said. “I couldn’t have done it without my wife, of course, having two boys. Her help allowed me to step away to go to school, while both kids are in sports and with all the school activities.”

His advice to those considering the school is to meet with the instructors.

“Come in and talk to the teachers themselves,” he said. “They’re a big reason I chose to come here and stay the whole eight semesters it took me to do this part time. It’s a big accomplishment to finish something like this.”

Helmbold is one of 23 students eligible to walk at the college’s Commencement exercises  on Friday. The ceremony will be at 6:30 p.m. on the third floor of the East Williamson County Higher Education Center in Hutto.

TSTC is registering now for the fall semester. The last day to register is Monday, Aug. 20, and classes begin Monday, Aug. 27.

For more information on TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

TSTC and Evans Enterprises Inc. Celebrate TWC Skills Development Grant

(WACO) – Leaders from Texas State Technical College, the Texas Workforce Commission and Evans Enterprises Inc., a company specializing in wind turbine repairs, gathered Monday to commemorate a $155,128 Skills Development Fund grant.

The grant will create or upgrade 78 industrial jobs at the company’s Abilene, Waco and Wichita Falls facilities.

“The mission of TSTC and the Texas Workforce Commission intersect at the most critical point – the employer,” said Adam Hutchison, TSTC provost. “By working together with Evans Enterprises Inc., we’re able to leverage our technical education expertise with TWC funds to train more workers, upgrade their skills and make Evans a better and more profitable company. This is how TSTC helps drive economic development in Texas.”

Jerry Boroff, a graduate of TSTC’s Electrical Power and Controls program and plant manager for Evans’ three sites in Texas, said workers have already learned about basic electrical theory and electrical safety. Evans employees from Abilene and Wichita Falls travel to the Waco facility for training.

“We get to educate the guys and they feel more comfortable in their jobs,” Boroff said.

TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez III said TSTC’s work with the wind turbine industry signals the diversification of the state’s economy.

“You have customized training for industry need,” Alvarez said.

The Skills Development Fund has been used since 1996 to localize workforce training for companies. This enables companies to work directly with local partners to develop training tailored to employees’ needs. The fund has helped to create or upgrade more than 342,400 jobs in Texas. The fund has assisted more than 4,200 employers statewide.

Evans Enterprises Inc. was founded in 1954 and has 10 plants in four states.

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

 

Longtime Friends Set to Graduate Together from TSTC

(WACO) – Texas State Technical College students Jacob Bledsoe and Joshua Johnson did not get along when they first met in fifth grade in Indiana.

A teacher eventually told them to make peace and try to be friends. They took the advice.

Bledsoe and Johnson, both 20, are candidates for graduation at TSTC’s Summer 2018 Commencement at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 17, at the Waco Convention Center.

Bledsoe is scheduled to receive an Electrical Construction certificate, and Johnson is set to receive an Associate of Applied Science degree in Welding Technology.

Today they are best friends, but their friendship took an unexpected turn when Johnson and his family left the Hoosier State and moved to Texas.

“We planned on high school graduation together, but that did not happen,” said Bledsoe.

Johnson said a teacher at his alma mater, Chisholm Trail High School in Fort Worth, encouraged him to attend TSTC. He was in the high school’s first graduating class in 2016.

“I came to visit (TSTC) in February of my senior year and liked it and applied,” Johnson said.

Bledsoe credits Johnson with influencing him to leave Indiana to attend TSTC. After graduating in 2016 from Southport High School in Indianapolis, Bledsoe worked at UPS and later as an electrician’s helper.

“He felt he could be doing more,” Johnson said.

Bledsoe applied to TSTC before he saw the campus for the first time in August 2017. Johnson, who had already been attending TSTC for two semesters, arranged for Bledsoe to room with him.  

“It’s a pretty big leap of faith and it worked out for (Bledsoe),” said Letha Novosad, lead instructor in TSTC’s Building Construction Technology program in Waco.

Bledsoe tends to be extroverted and Johnson is more introverted. Bledsoe said Johnson can make great tacos while Johnson said Bledsoe is good at grilling. The two have learned when to give each other space after classes or on challenging days.

The friends once lived about 20 minutes apart in Indianapolis. Besides going to school together, the two bonded over the Disney Club Penguin Island video game.

Bledsoe and Johnson visited each other’s house during the summer after fifth grade. Johnson said they spent days playing outside, riding in the Bledsoe family’s four-wheeler and visiting Kings Island amusement park in Ohio.

Although they did not have classes together in sixth grade, Bledsoe said there were a few minutes during school days when they would pass in the hallway and talk.

Johnson and his family left Indianapolis the summer after his sixth-grade year.

“We were definitely upset,” he said. “I was upset that I would lose my friends.”

The Johnson family lived in Houston for a few months before moving to Fort Worth. While in Houston, Johnson got his first Xbox and was able to communicate with Bledsoe through the video game system.

“We talked and texted every day too,” Johnson said.

Despite the distance between them, the two friends were able to see each other during their freshman and sophomore years of high school.

“It was kind of weird seeing each other at first,” Johnson said.

Bledsoe and Johnson became interested in their career fields when they were younger. Bledsoe grew up around the plumbing and carpentry fields while Johnson chose welding as a class in high school.

Bledsoe was a defensive end on the Southport Cardinals football team. Though Johnson never got to see him play, Bledsoe sent him video clips when he played his senior year in the Horseshoe Classic, a season-opening jamboree at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

While at TSTC, Bledsoe participated in SkillsUSA’s Electrical Construction category at the organization’s 54th annual National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

Bledsoe and Johnson are considering job options in Indiana and Texas.

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

 

Inspired to Teach, Welding Grad Returns to TSTC

(HUTTO) – When Brandon Cernosek began attending the welding program at Texas State Technical College in Waco, a teaching job was the last thing on his mind.

But while going through the program, he drew inspiration from his welding instructor. As a result, Cernosek recently began teaching welding at TSTC in Williamson County.

“One of the teachers, when I was going to school, was a really good teacher,” Cernosek said. “He was one of those guys you wanted to be around and just listen to because he was always in a good mood with a positive attitude. He just made you want to come to class and learn. That’s the type of teacher I wanted to be.”

Cernosek graduated from TSTC in 2016. Later the Cedar Park resident worked in the welding industry before going to work for the college.

“I worked at Fast Lane Metalworks (in Waco),” Cernosek said. “It was a custom fabrication shop. People would come in and just tell us something they dreamt up that nobody else had, so we’d figure out how to make it. That was a lot of fun. Then I did some more industrial work.”

His love for welding began when he was in high school.

“It was just something that seemed so awesome,” Cernosek said. “You could just make things out of metal and do whatever you wanted with it. Cut here, add it there and, I don’t know, I just fell in love with how it feels when you’re under the hood. I can do a good TIG weld and come out happy. I just like doing it.”

Coming in as a new instructor, Cernosek worried that the students wouldn’t accept him.

“I thought the students weren’t going to respond very well to a young person coming in and trying to help them, but they actually responded really well,” he said. “I’m not trying to be a know-it-all or anything. I’m just trying to help out. They seem to take to it really well, and that feeling itself is really rewarding.”

TSTC Provost Edgar Padilla said he is happy to welcome Cernosek to the team.

“We are excited to see our welding program growing and always feel privileged to have a TSTC grad return from industry to teach our next generation of welders,” Padilla said. “Brandon is a great addition to the Williamson County family.”

Cernosek hopes that passing on his skills will help fuel the workforce.

“There’s not a lot of skilled laborers out there,” he said. “If I can help throw some more skilled laborers out there, that’d be great — teach some kids some new skills.”

TSTC prides itself on being “a great place to work” and is currently hiring for positions at its 10 campuses statewide. For information on open positions at TSTC, visit tstc.edu/about/employment.

TSTC Instructor’s Enthusiasm Earns Him Faculty of the Year Award

(RED OAK) – Employees at Texas State Technical College celebrated Employee Appreciation Day in June, a day that included fun for employees and awards for employees of the year.
HVAC Instructor Terry Robinson was chosen as faculty member of the year.
Robinson, a native of Clute, Texas, who has been teaching at TSTC for two years, said he was humbled to receive the honor from his peers.

“I was gratified to get this recognition,” he said. “I think they’ve seen my dedication and the amount of work I put into helping build the HVAC department. When I came here, they had just moved all the equipment from another location, so I had to not only start building stuff to teach with, but I had to build the lab. I think everyone was well-pleased with the effort I put into it.”

Robinson was working as a service manager when he discovered a passion for teaching.

“I enjoyed teaching my technicians and installers how to do things, so I knew that teaching was going to be something I would want to do at some point,” he said. “In 1992 I started teaching, and I’ve been teaching ever since. I’ve also taught at Tarrant County College, Fort Worth Independent Schools’ night adult program and at Cedar Valley College.”

In his teaching style, Robinson swears by his motto: “Those that can, teach passionately.”

“That’s the way I try to approach my teaching. I enjoy communicating with my students and being creative,” he said.

He enjoys showing students the significance of TSTC.

“I’ve seen all types of educational systems — private, proprietary, trade school, junior college — and I like TSTC because I think we’re the best educational value a student can have,” Robinson said. “It’s just such an incredible value for students at a relatively low price.”

Robinson and his wife, a former elementary school teacher, share a passion for education.


“My wife was there the day that I got the award, and it just totally surprised her,” Robinson said. “She had just retired after 41 years of teaching elementary in public schools. In the last 15 years or so, she was a talented and gifted teacher. I always told her, ‘Of course you teach talented and gifted — you live with me!’”
TSTC prides itself on being “a great place to work” and is currently hiring for positions at its 10 campuses statewide. For information on open positions at TSTC, visit tstc.edu/about/employment.

TSTC Looks to Expand Team

(HUTTO) – Texas State Technical College is looking to expand its Williamson County team and hiring for several instructor positions.

Precision Machining, Industrial Maintenance, HVAC, Welding and Culinary Arts are some of the areas in which the school is looking to fill vacancies.

Campus Director Darren Block said teaching offers a chance to make an impact in the community. It also lets one do one’s part to fill the “skills gap,” a shortage of middle-skilled workers to fill open positions in the U.S.

“By instructing the next generation of blue-collar workers in this country, we are building the future and providing a path to success,” Block said. “You often hear ‘it’s a dying art’ or the ‘skills gap.’ We are filling that skills gap, or handing down that skill or ‘art’ to the next generation.”

Block said teaching also offers a sense of pride.

“Teaching someone to do what you do is fulfilling and rewarding,” he said. “When I get a call from an employer saying our student is working out great and asking if we have any more to send them, that is what it is all about.”

TSTC Provost Edgar Padilla hopes those interested in strengthening the workforce of Texas will apply.

“TSTC is a dynamic institution, working hard to fulfill a unique mission among colleges and universities in Texas,” Padilla said. “Our employees are the heartbeat of our vision for placing more Texans into great careers. We are seeking employees who are eager to innovate, lead and be part of changing the landscape of higher education in Texas.”

TSTC has 10 campuses statewide in Abilene, Breckenridge, Brownwood, Fort Bend County, Harlingen, Marshall, North Texas, Sweetwater, Waco and Williamson County. Each campus provides a unique atmosphere, with programs chosen to suit each area’s employment needs.

“We are situated in one of the top five fastest-growing cities in Texas,” Padilla said. “The business climate in the Austin metropolitan area, coupled with our unique culture, makes this the perfect place to work and make an impact for our future students and graduates.”

TSTC offers benefits such as retirement, medical, dental, vision and more.

For information on open positions at TSTC, visit tstc.edu/about/employment.

TSTC Employees, Students Raise Funds to Support Family in Need

(WACO) — Some 200 Texas State Technical College students, faculty and staff gathered recently at a cookout to raise money for Billy Anthony III, son of TSTC employees Cheryl and Tony Lloyd.

Anthony has battled multiple sclerosis for seven years, and the fundraiser raised more than $900 to help alleviate some of the financial burden associated with his illness.

“His diagnosis caught us so off guard. He was a healthy, happy, blonde-haired, blue-eyed young man,” Cheryl Lloyd said. “And even now when you see him, he is still so positive, and if he thinks something is wrong with you, he will ask if he can pray for you.”

Lloyd is a lab assistant for the TSTC Electrical Lineworker program. When students learned that her son was given a terminal diagnosis, they wanted to help. They reached out to Letha Novosad, lead instructor in TSTC’s Building Construction Technology program, to find a way to help Lloyd and her husband, Tony, an instructor in TSTC’s Electrical Power and Controls, with the burden of their son’s final expenses.

“Cheryl is such a kind and giving person, and she gives her all to the Electrical Lineworker program so that the department really sees her as the mom over there,” Novosad said. “And I would do anything for her and her family because she just inspires good.”

Novosad reached out to the TSTC Faculty Senate and The TSTC Foundation, whose members acquired food and drinks to be sold. The Electrical Lineworker Technology students furnished baked goods to sell, and students from various TSTC programs volunteered to go to classrooms with goods to promote the fundraiser.

“It’s for one of our own. It’s a good cause, and they needed help,” said Eric Roen, a second-semester Electrical Lineworker Technology major student.

For more information about Anthony, his family and an opportunity to donate, visit the GoFundMe page at: https://www.gofundme.com/billy-anthony-memorial-fund.

For more information about Texas State Technical College, visit tstc.edu.