Category Archives: Waco

TSTC Logistics Program Sees 100 Percent Placement

(RED OAK) – Since its inception in 2015, the Logistics program at Texas State Technical College in North Texas has graduated 10 students, all of whom are employed in their field.

Logistics instructor William Scott said he thinks the 100 percent placement rate is due to a couple of things.

“First of all, this is a very dynamic, large marketplace for logistics people,” Scott said. “The second thing is we’ve tailored the program to the specific requirements that the employers have asked for.”

Graduates of the program are working for companies such as Walmart, DB Schenker and others. Scott said the areas in which they work vary.

“It ranges across the board,” he said. “We have a couple of people involved with inventory control. We have somebody in shipping and receiving. We have somebody that is a supervisor for a distribution center.”

The program currently has 11 students in various stages of the curriculum.

“One will graduate this spring,” Scott said. “That student already has a job and is working at it. We have another student graduating in the summer, and they’re doing interviews right now.”

Ashley Roper, a 2016 graduate of the program, works as a shipment coordinator at DB Schenker. She manages shipments and handles customer issues.

“I assign trucks and make sure that the correct trailers get assigned to the correct shipment so the correct customers get them,” Roper said. “We have shipments that go to Canada, and we have to make temperature monitors which capture the temperatures to make sure that it’s at the correct temperature, so when it gets there, the product isn’t damaged. We have stuff that goes overseas, and we have processes … to make sure it gets across the border.”

TSTC’s Logistics program teaches students the ins and outs of the industry. The process begins with raw materials, which get made into inventory and then are transported to warehouses for distribution. Students can complete an associate degree in the program in four semesters.

Roper said she learned a lot in the program and it has helped her in her current position.

“Everything they talked about when I got here I already knew, but it’s really cool to be able to actually see it in real life,” she said.

TSTC began registering students for the summer and fall semesters on April 2. For more information on the college, visit tstc.edu.

Area MOAA Chapter Hosts Luncheon at TSTC in Waco

(WACO) – The Heart of Texas Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America hosted Waco native Rear Adm. James S. Bynum of the U.S. Navy for a luncheon Tuesday at Texas State Technical College.

“For TSTC, it’s an extreme honor to host MOAA, especially with our deep roots with the military and those who have and are serving,” TSTC Provost Adam Hutchison said.

Navy personnel, military veterans and TSTC and city leaders gathered in the terminal at the Col. James T. Connally Aerospace Center to celebrate Waco being one of 14 municipalities nationwide to host the special week this year.

“The HOT MOAA chapter supports all military branches and educates the public,” said Dr. Harold Rafuse, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel. “We work to provide scholarships for students, many of them are in fact TSTC students. We know that TSTC has created a strong relationship with military service members.”

Bynum, the chief of naval air training at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, said the Navy is striving to be more competitive in the world.

“We are growing because the Navy needs us to be bigger than we are,” he said.

The Navy has more than 325,000 active-duty members and more than 98,000 Ready Reserve members. The Navy fleet includes more than 280 deployable battle-force ships and a fleet of underwater search and recovery equipment, submarines, aircraft and unmanned systems, along with missiles.

“We want people to understand what we are and what we do,” Bynum said.

Bynum said he and his staff have enjoyed learning about Waco’s businesses and education opportunities. He said he has been impressed with how much Waco has grown since when he was a child and in past visits to the area.

“It’s been overwhelming and a warm welcome in every turn,” said Bynum.

Bynum was commissioned in 1985 through the National Reserve Officers Training Corps at the University of Oklahoma. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Air Command and Staff College and Armed Force Staff College. Bynum is a Georgetown University Capitol Hill Fellow.

On Saturday, April 7, and Sunday, April 8, the Heart of Texas Airshow takes flight at the TSTC Airport. Featured performers include the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy Leap Frogs Parachute Team and the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Black Daggers Parachute Team, along with flights of the U.S. Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt II and the U. S. Air Force’s Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, better known as the Stealth Bomber.

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

Historic first for TSTC students in Fort Bend County

(FORT BEND) – Texas State Technical College’s Fort Bend County campus is sending its first SkillsUSA team to state competition at TSTC’s Waco campus next month.

At least nine students will compete in the categories of Diesel Equipment Technology, HVAC, Welding Technology and job skills demonstration.

SkillsUSA is a professional organization teaching technical, academic and employability skills that help high school and college students pursue successful careers. Members build these skills through student-led team meetings, contests, leadership conferences and other activities.

Students in Skills USA participate in hands-on competitions in various fields such as science, technology, engineering, mathematics, building construction and culinary arts.

SkillsUSA TSTC campus advisor and Diesel Equipment Technology instructor Spencer Paige said he is happy he was able to implement this program – the first for the campus.

“Before TSTC I worked for the school district and was the advisor for high school skills,” he said. “I saw so much of the benefits students received from this program, that I wanted our TSTC students to have the same opportunities.”

Paige added that students who compete in SkillsUSA get to practice and improve on the skills they have learned in the classroom, build on their soft skills such as public speaking and interviewing and network with industry professionals who judge the competitions.TSTC Fort Bend County First SkillsUSA Team

“The selling point for our students is getting to meet and speak with industry professionals, many of which are also recruiters,” said Paige. “In SkillsUSA our students get to showcase their skills and some leave with interviews or job offers. This is a big deal for our students and our college.”

TSTC Diesel Equipment Technology student Troy Ketchum expects to earn his certificate in August, but first will compete at the SkillsUSA state competition. This is his first time ever competing.

“I’m excited and nervous all at the same time,” he said. “I can’t wait to visit another TSTC campus, see where we (students) stand among other college students in our field and meet with professionals in our field.”

The 30-year-old said he jumped at the opportunity to participate.

He will be the only one from the campus competing in job skills demonstration and will present on the topic of, “The Importance of Tire Pressure and Tread Depth.”

“I’ve been working hard on preparing for SkillsUSA, we all have,” said Ketchum. “This is our first year and we all want to make a mark.”

The Rosenberg native has been staying after regular school hours preparing his presentation and practicing in front of other students, faculty and staff.

Paige said it has been all hands on deck, helping the students practice, prepare presentations and working with Talent Management and Career Services on updating resumes and interview skill building.

“Our job is to help these students do their very best and make the best impression possible,” said Paige. “We all have a common goal and that is to get to nationals and produce skilled students who are competitive in the job market.”

The nationals SkillsUSA competition will be held in Oklahoma this coming summer. Historically, TSTC is a top competitor at nationals with students bringing home the most medals.

For more information on programs offered at TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

Registration for Summer and Fall 2018 begins April 2.

Chancellor’s Excellence Award – Melanie Pruett

(FORT BEND) – When the Texas State Technical College Chancellor’s Excellence Award recipient list came out, Melanie Pruett could not believe she was reading her name.

“I was shocked and surprised. I never thought something like this could happen to me,” said the TSTC enrollment specialist.

TSTC Chancellor Mike Reeser selects faculty and staff for their distinguished service and dedication to the college, communities and state for this award and are recognized by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD).Melanie Pruett

“These teammates were nominated by their peers, recommended by their Provosts and Vice Chancellors and chosen as faculty and staff who model excellence in our college every day,” said Reeser. “Their caring and dedicated efforts embolden us all to make a difference in the success of our teams and the lives of our students.”

Pruett has been with TSTC for two years and has extensive experience in the area of higher education.

Before coming to TSTC she worked at the Baylor College of Medicine campus in Houston for 17 years in the Office of Admissions and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

She left higher education to work in the oil and gas industry only to be laid off after 11 years, but her passion and love for students and higher education never diminished.

“I enjoy working with students, getting them into college and seeing them succeed,” said Pruett. “So when I saw TSTC was opening in our area I jumped at the opportunities that were available. I wanted to get back into higher education where I belonged.”

Pruett applied for three different positions before receiving a job offer for her current position. She meets with prospective students daily and assists them with the application process to enroll at TSTC.

Pruett’s supervisor and TSTC’s Executive Director of Admissions Vanessa Vasquez said she was not surprised at all by Pruett’s recognition.

“Melanie brings so much positivity and energy to our team,” she said. “She is always going above and beyond her call of duty and has the best customer service. She treats everyone like they’re her family.”

Vasquez, who has worked with Pruett for two years, added that Pruett’s contributions to the team have not gone unnoticed.

“I knew since I first met Melanie that she would excel in her position and would someday be rewarded for her hard work and dedication to the college, its students and employees,” she said. “You can always count on her.”

Pruett said that the exciting part of her job is meeting new people and building relationships and good rapport with the students she works with.

“Many of the students I meet end up coming back to chit chat or for advice,” she said. “It’s exciting to see them grow.”

The award recipient said she would like to give a big thanks to those who nominated her.

“It’s great to be recognized for your hard work and for who you are,” she said. “I have a great team and I am truly honored to know that they appreciate what I do.”

Pruett said she hopes to continue growing with TSTC and working hard for its prospective and current students.

“I love TSTC. I can honestly say that this was the best choice I ever made,” she said. “I feel like I’m making a difference in the lives of others and to me that is so rewarding.”

Pruett will join the 15 other Chancellor’s Excellence Award recipients in May at the NISOD dinner and celebration in Austin where they will receive their awards.

1936 Ford Donated to TSTC Auto Collision and Management Technology Program

(WACO) –Texas State Technical College in Waco’s Auto Collision and Management Technology recently received a 1936 Ford Tudor Sedan as a donation from the Gill family of Lott.

Marye Gill donated her late husband’s favorite project for over 25 years to TSTC in hopes of sharing the same joy it brought to her husband.

“He worked on the car whenever he had the money to, and when he didn’t, he would just stare at it waiting to work on it again,” Gill said.

After Charles Gill passed away in December 2017, Ms. Gill debated selling the vehicle. When she did not receive a quality offer, she elected to celebrate her husband’s life by to donating it to TSTC.

“I prayed about it and talked to friends and decided that it was best to donate it to the folks at TSTC so the students could experience it and let them learn and get joy out of it like he did,” Ms. Gill said.

TSTC’s Auto Collision and Management Technology program was honored and excited to receive the gift and will begin restoring the vehicle this fall.

“I think this will make an excellent recruitment tool and showpiece for the department and the school. We will have students do all the work with the help of instructors, but it will be all the students,” said Clint Campbell, the program’s statewide chair.

The restoration will take several years to allow multiple students access and will then be used as a showcase piece and potentially as a fundraiser for the technical program.

“My husband and I, and our three sons, are all college graduates, so we appreciate programs like TSTC that aren’t the four year-university that still give an opportunity to change someone’s life and offer a higher education,” Ms. Gill said.

TSTC’s Auto Collision and Management Technology program provides hands-on experience to prepare students for careers in auto body repair and related work fields.

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

 

TSTC Alumnus Honored Posthumously With Plaque, Scholarship

(WACO) – The compassionate spirit of Antonio Barragan Jr. will live on at Texas State Technical College.

The memory of Barragan was recently honored by his family, friends and the Electrical Power and Controls program’s faculty and staff with a plaque unveiling and scholarship announcement. Barragan was a 2007 TSTC Electrical Systems and Instrumentation graduate who died Sept. 6, 2017.

“Antonio loved you guys so much,” said Maria Barragan, his widow. “I’m proud of the person that he became. He was a very hard worker, a good student. He was very happy to push his family and friends to better themselves in their education and their lives. It made him proud – I know it did. I know he would be really happy that we all came together.”

People entering the Electronics Center’s offices at TSTC will now see a plaque bearing a photo of Barragan. And, future Electrical Power and Controls majors at TSTC will have an opportunity to receive a scholarship in Barragan’s honor. The scholarship will be for second- and third-semester students, said Dan Bateman, senior instructor in the Electrical Power and Controls program.

This semester, two $1,000 scholarships were awarded to TSTC students Colton Janik of Yoakum and Jason Mallory of Rosebud. Bateman described the students as standouts in the program.

Besides Barragan, his sister, brother and four cousins attended TSTC and majored in the same technical program.

“We know that when we serve one student well, it’s not just the one student, it’s their whole family,” TSTC in Waco Provost Adam Hutchison said. “I can’t think of a better example than this family.”

Barragan was born Oct. 8, 1984 in Waco and worked at Brazos Electric, according to his obituary in the Waco Tribune-Herald.

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

TSTC in Fort Bend’s Annual Open House a Success

(FORT BEND COUNTY) – Texas State Technical College in Fort Bend County held its annual open house Friday, opening its campus for program tours and meetings with faculty. The event, designed for prospective students who want to learn more about the college, hosted more than 200 visitors.

Coordinator of student recruitment Marigold Sagrado said she hoped the open house event would help give the college more visibility.

“I want to help spread the word about TSTC in the Houston and greater surrounding areas,” she said. “I also hope they took away that technical education is important and can offer a high-paying career.”

Visitors touring the campus’ 10 programs were able to participate in hands-on activities.

“In our Precision Machining program, our guests had the opportunity to create keychains on our CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) machines,” Sagrado said. “They got to see students climbing poles in Electrical Lineworker Technology. Robotics demoed the robots for visitors, and Electrical Power & Controls did a demonstration on electricity. It was a lot of fun.”

Sagrado said the college’s unique programs are what drew many of the visitors.

“Our attendees are looking for programs in these fields, but there aren’t a lot of schools offering them,” she said. “I think that piqued their interest to check out more.”

Other guests heard about the college by word of mouth.

“People are talking about their experience at TSTC and how the learning experience is different from any other college or university,” Sagrado said.

TSTC’s Student Recruitment office made some changes to open house this year hoping reach a broader audience.

“This year, our event lasted until 7 p.m.,” she said. “We wanted to try to reach some of the nontraditional students who may work during the day.”

Isaac Rush, an attendee who has now decided to enroll at TSTC in the fall, said he found the event beneficial.

“Not only were the teachers very helpful, but the student volunteers were just as helpful too,” he said. “The students were intertwined with their field of study, which helped me in selecting what I want to major in at TSTC. All in all, TSTC is a great environment.”

TSTC will begin registering students for the summer and fall semesters on Monday, April 2. For more information on the college, visit tstc.edu.

TSTC Students Bused to Waco for Job Fair

(HUTTO) – More than a dozen Texas State Technical College students from the East Williamson County Higher Education Center made their way to TSTC in Waco Thursday, March 22, for the college’s annual Industry Job Fair.

Over 100 employers attended the event looking to meet, interview and possibly hire students from TSTC’s programs.

This was the first year that the college’s Williamson County campus had bused students to the job fair.

“For years now, it’s been an issue of transportation,” said TSTC Provost Edgar Padilla. “We’re trying to do what we can for our students.”

TSTC field development officer Michael Smith echoed those sentiments.

“I heard from several different instructors over the year that either they had to drive them up there or they (students) had to drive on their own, and how it would be neat if we had a bus,” Smith said. “I heard that over and over, and so I told Edgar, ‘I think we should do a bus this year,’ and we started researching the cost.”

Ellis & Salazar Automotive & Collision volunteered to sponsor the bus to help the students reach more opportunities.

“We’re working with Ellis & Salazar on a different project, so I mentioned it to them and said this would really help us,” Smith said.

Smith hopes the students had a positive experience at the event.

“They’re getting to meet with these companies and see the full range of services that TSTC offers,” he said. “It’s not just coming to class and going home. Career Services will be out there to help and answer resume questions, and all the other pieces that go into making sure they’re prepared for a job when they leave. Ultimately the goal is for them to leave with a job.”

Cyber Security student Jeremiah Southern was well prepared for the event.

“I had my resumes ready and researched the companies that were there to see what positions they had open and learn about their backgrounds,” Southern said. “Some of the companies that were there, even though they weren’t there specifically looking for what my particular field will be, it just takes asking. In IT and networking, there’s always something that could be available. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know.”

Southern enjoyed the event overall and found some promising opportunities to follow up on.

“There were a lot of companies and a lot of students,” he said. “It was my first time going to a job fair, and I look forward to going to more. There were some great opportunities with the Civilian Air Force and Aerotek. Aerotek specifically said they need Cisco people, so that was really promising.”

TSTC will begin registering students for the summer and fall semesters on Monday, April 2. For more information on the college, visit tstc.edu.

TSTC hosts annual counselor update

(HUTTO) – Texas State Technical College hosted its annual Dual Enrollment Counselor Update and Luncheon Wednesday, March 21.

High school counselors, administrators and teachers from the surrounding area attended the event, which was held at the East Williamson County Higher Education Center.

Megan McBride, dual enrollment advisor at TSTC, stressed the need for the updates.

“It’s important that we hold these events so we can educate the counselors about dual enrollment statewide, not just for TSTC, but from the TEA (Texas Education Agency) and the Higher Education Coordinating Board standpoints also,” she said.

Marina Wilcox, TSTC vice president of dual enrollment, spoke about the importance of two Texas House bills: one that impacts the way high school students choose courses with a career goal in mind, and another that requires high schools to improve student performance.

Wilcox also elaborated on some of the dual enrollment programs offered by the college.

“If you go to the Texas Workforce Commission website, there’s this really cool thing called Career Check,” Wilcox said in her presentation. “If you look at Industrial Maintenance with a Certificate I, you start out with a salary of $53,000. It’s a high-tech field that’s very skilled, and we offer pathways in that.”

TSTC representatives also covered new forms and changes in the admissions process and general business for the 2018-19 academic year.

“We’ve simplified our processes,” McBride said. “We’re also working more closely with admissions to streamline those processes. Most importantly, we’ve updated the dual enrollment website, and that’s a huge improvement for us.”

Earlier this year, TSTC announced new, fully online pathways in Cyber Security, Digital Media Design, and Computer-Aided Drafting and Design. Health Information Technology was the first program to go completely online.

“Pretty much all of the West Texas high schools that partner with us have opted for these programs since they’re so spread out,” McBride said. “With us, the majority are opting in for these online pathways as well.”

For more information on TSTC and its dual enrollment program, visit de.tstc.edu.

TSTC in Waco Hosts Industry Job Fair for Students

(WACO) – More than 650 Texas State Technical College students met potential employers from throughout Texas on Thursday at its Industry Job Fair.

Two lift trucks provided by Versalift in Waco were parked at the corner of Campus Drive and Scott Circle in front of the Murray Watson Jr. Student Recreation Center, where more than 100 businesses set up tables and displays. This was the largest Industry Job Fair the campus has ever held.

Bruce Hardt, Versalift’s human resources director, said the company was looking for students to fill welding, production assistant, service technician, warehouse parts puller, panting and other positions that are available right now.

“We are a local company and TSTC is local, and we need to capture people to keep them here,” Hardt said. “We have had a lot of traffic today. It’s been good.”

Representatives of Austin-based Aerotek were seeking to meet students to fill technology, manufacturing, maintenance and engineering positions. Jaime Valdez, an Aerotek commercial account manager, said he was collecting resumes from students throughout the morning.

“We try to get to a lot of the job fairs to find fresh students,” said Valdez. “The tech schools are our niche.”

Jacob Matson, an instrumentation department supervisor at Samsung Austin Semiconductor, was looking to meet instrumentation students. The Austin company has more than 3,000 employees and is one of the largest semiconductor manufacturing facilities in the United States.

“Emerging technology requires emerging talent,” Matson said.

Tractor Supply Co., which has locations throughout Central Texas, has openings for material handlers and maintenance mechanics. Ashley R. Willis, a company human resources specialist in Waco, said there are plans to expand to at least 2,000 stores nationwide in the next five years.

“We have positions that need to be filled,” Willis said. “We are a rapidly growing company. We open a new store every four days around the country. We would like to build a great connection with TSTC.”

Sara Mardanbigi, a traveling recruiter for Torchy’s Tacos in Austin, did not bring samples of the restaurant’s popular gourmet tacos. But, she did bring details of supply chain, information technology and maintenance technician positions available. Torchy’s Tacos has 60 locations in Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas and has plans to move into other states.

Some TSTC alumni worked at tables representing B&W Energy Services in Deer Park and ProPetro Services Inc. in Midland.

Jason Lehrmann graduated in 2017 from TSTC with associate degrees in Environmental Technology Compliance and Occupational Safety Compliance Technology. He began an internship with Manitou Group in May and was hired full time as soon as he graduated in August. Lehrmann is a safety supervisor and human resources assistant at the company that produces telehandlers, backhoe loaders, aerial work platforms and other heavy equipment.

“It feels really good seeing the students I went to school with and coming to the table,” Lehrmann said.

Some students planning to graduate this semester were figuring out their future work plans.

Ann-Marie Garza, a Web Design and Development Technology major from McGregor, said she became interested in web design after being encouraged by a high school teacher to pursue the field to study.

“Right now, I’m just trying to get an idea of where I want to work, so any job will do,” she said. “But, this is really helpful in getting started.”

Jaren Gillis, 24, of Waco is studying Cyber Security and has attended previous campus employment events. He said he always starts out walking around the student recreation center and then zeroing in on specific businesses.

“I think it’s always good seeing what the market looks like and to talk to the employers and seeing what they look for,” Gillis said.

William Hammond, an aviation maintenance student from Groesbeck, said the companies represented know TSTC’s students come with ample hands-on experience that sets them above others.

“I’m looking for a job that pays well and offers good benefits and retirement,” he said. “I have to start thinking long term, and these companies here are ready to offer that.”

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