(WACO) – Emily Hunter and Liz Upshaw took different routes toward the technology degrees they are pursuing at Texas State Technical College.

And both said if they had more encouragement when they were younger, they would have pursued their aspirations earlier.

Hunter, 41, of Waco is a dual Cloud and Data Center Management and Cyber Security major scheduled to graduate from TSTC in 2018. She has already been working with cloud management as an administrative assistant at Fuzzy Friends Rescue in Waco.

“What I’m doing now is really fun,” Hunter said. “I’ve had some jobs that have been boring.”

Upshaw, 41, of Waco is a Computer Networking and Systems Administration major scheduled to graduate from TSTC in 2018.

“I’ve always been interested in technology,” Upshaw said. “I’ve fixed VCRs, stack players. Growing up, I was constantly with my father and his brothers and cousins with tools and fixing things.”

According to the National Center for Women and Information Technology, women nationwide earn only 18 percent of computer and information science degrees.

Carol Scheler teaches Cyber Security and Digital Forensics and has been at TSTC in Waco for 19 years. She is also a TSTC alumna with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Computer Networking and Systems Administration. She said while in college she recognized there were few female instructors and students.

“I knew coming in it was male-dominated, but I wanted to go to school and get the skills and get a job,” Scheler said.

Scheler said she became interested in technology while taking a computer class in high school.

“I learned I had a natural knack for it,” she said.

Both Hunter and Upshaw came to TSTC with prior college experience but armed with vastly different degrees.

Hunter said she grew up being encouraged to read and play mathematics games. After graduating from high school, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. She thought about going an academic route into a career but decided not to pursue that.

Upshaw studied physical education at the University of Mary Hardin – Baylor in Belton, where she also played basketball with a dream of being a coach.

Upshaw said she decided to go back to college to further her learning of technology. She said she learns best with hands-on work and has been more focused with her studies.

“It was an eye-opener for me and made me realize I didn’t know as much as I thought,” she said.

Upshaw said after graduation she wants to work and pursue a Computer Maintenance Technology degree from TSTC. But, she said what would fulfill her more is opening a business to fix, sell and teach people how to use computers at an affordable cost.

“A lot of it is getting your foot in the door,” Upshaw said.

Texas had more than 350,000 computer and mathematical occupations as of May 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some of the jobs included computer network architects, computer user support specialists and database administrators. In Waco, there were more than 1,800 jobs with an average mean wage of $68,380 as of May 2016.

Hunter said motivating more females to pursue technology careers and take more mathematics classes should start as early as preschool.

“I think there is a cultural thing in general,” Hunter said. “If you are a girl and your phone breaks, you take it to the store to get fixed. Girls are not encouraged to take things apart and see how it works.”

Scheler said she has noticed more females, especially nontraditional ones, taking computer classes at TSTC.

“The stereotype is being broken down,” she said. “Women are being encouraged to go into the technology fields.”

TSTC will have Women in Technology Day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 19. The day will expose about 300 area high school female students to science and technology fields with demonstrations and tours. There will also be a professional panel discussion.

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

(WACO) – Alex Cardona, 23, of Round Rock is working toward an Associate of Applied Science degree in Automotive Technology at Texas State Technical College in Waco. He is also vice president of the technical college’s SkillsUSA chapter.

Cardona is a 2012 graduate of Round Rock High School.

How did you become interested in Automotive Technology? “I have always been interested in vehicles and I like to work on the classics. My grandfather and stepfather were both mechanics.”

How did you learn about TSTC? “A family friend of mine went to TSTC for Auto Collision and Management Technology and I looked into the technical college online. I applied and then came to visit. I really liked it. TSTC is a good fit. I’m here and I’m doing really well.”

What is a day like in the Automotive Technology garages? “It’s a lot of fun. It’s a learning experience. We do things here that we can’t do at other schools. We also work on real-life vehicle problems. There is a lot you need to know and I like challenges.”

Are Fridays special in your technical program? “Every Friday during the semesters we get to diagnose vehicles with actual problems. We do that for TSTC students, faculty and staff. It’s free labor and all you have to do is pay for the parts. We do a great deal of customer service work and explain what is wrong with their vehicle. It teaches the students how to talk to a customer. It teaches responsibility.”

What do you like to do when you are not in class or studying? “I like to go to car shows and hang out with my friends. I love to go swimming at Blue Hole in Georgetown and also jump off the big cliff there.”

What advice would you give to high school students thinking about college and their careers? “I would tell them to give a technical college a shot.”

What are your plans after graduation in 2018? “I am thinking about working for a dealership or the Texas Department of Transportation. At TxDOT, it’s maintaining the fleet they have, from off-road to state vehicles.”

Automotive service technicians and mechanics are expected to grow to about 779,000 workers nationwide by 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

There were more than 47,000 automotive service technicians and mechanics working in Texas for an annual mean wage of $41,760 in May 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In Waco, there were more than 530 workers with an annual mean wage of $37,340. In the Austin – Round Rock area, there were 3,580 employees with an annual mean wage of $46,440.

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

(WACO) – Bryan Ray, 35, of Temple is a Cyber Security major at Texas State Technical College.

Ray, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, is a TSTC student ambassador and is scheduled to graduate in 2019.

The Bryan – College Station native grew up playing baseball and showing animals in 4-H. He is a 2000 graduate of Still Creek Christian Academy in Bryan.

When Ray is not studying or in classes, he spends as much time as possible with his wife and two children or at the gym or closest golf course.

What made you decide to join the U.S. Marine Corps? “I was in for 10 years. I enlisted right after 9/11 when I was attending Texas A&M University and majoring in kinesiology. I wanted to serve and do my part. I did one tour in Iraq. I did my training in San Diego and spent the rest of my time in the military police as a criminal investigator.”

Why did you choose Cyber Security to major in? “I didn’t want to do police work anymore. I worked in retail with my dad and I decided to check TSTC out. I saw Cyber Security and did some research in the field and came and talked to the staff.”

How did you adapt to attending college again? “It was a small adjustment being in the classroom, doing homework and commuting. But I’ve learned so much from when I first started.”

What do you do as a TSTC student ambassador? “I do tours and work in the Welcome Center at the Student Services Center. I answer questions for visitors and help anybody with what they need. I work about 12 to 15 hours a week. Having the GI Bill with the financial aid, I can bridge the gap with extra work.”

What are your plans after graduation? “I would like to work for the U.S. Department of Defense or National Security Agency or somewhere else in the government. I like how the government is regimented.”

One of the fields that Cyber Security graduates can go into is information security analysis. Texas had more than 7,500 jobs as of May 2016, according to the most recent information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Dallas – Plano – Irving area had the most jobs in Texas with 3,300. The field is expected to grow 18 percent nationally through 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

People with Cyber Security degrees can also pursue jobs as computer support specialists, web developers and database administrators.

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

(WACO) – Carlos Encarnacion of Waco walked into Texas State Technical College with knowledge about electrical engineering from having earned a bachelor’s degree at a four-year university.

But Encarnacion, 27, said he had difficulties finding a job in his field and needed a plan. He followed a hobby for working on vehicles into working on an automotive technician certificate and is scheduled to graduate in December.

Some of Encarnacion’s hands-on learning involves troubleshooting the hardware in vehicles. On a recent day, he worked with other students outside one of the Automotive Technology program’s garages searching for a bad sensor.

Encarnacion said he has been impressed at how far technology has progressed in vehicles.

“It is almost impossible to keep it in memory,” he said. “You have to do research to keep up with it. I find it amazing that 15 years ago you were lucky to have a television screen in the back. The possibilities are endless.”

Students in TSTC’s Automotive Technology program take classes in electrical systems and learn about wiring diagrams, manufacturer service information and networking.

“We don’t write code so we can’t change the software,” said Thomas Breshears, an instructor in the Automotive Technology program. “We have to know software to figure out the hardware. If one manufacturer does something, the rest will do the same thing.”

Manufacturers are moving toward having software updates downloaded through in-vehicle radio systems.

“They are planning to do that for all modules in vehicles in the future,” said Eric Upton, service director at Allen Samuels Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram in Waco. “They are trying to work out the kinks globally.”

Students who enter the Automotive Technology program should have good reasoning and mathematics skills, Breshears said.

Upton said prospective employees need a basic understanding of mechanics to do standard repairs. But, service technicians should feel comfortable troubleshooting and replacing modules for vehicle functions, such as window switches. Manufacturers typically have their own training for employees to learn the technical specifics of their products.

Service technicians are seeing more vehicles with integrated mobile phone capabilities.

“As technology increases, the cybersecurity portion of it is not a huge threat yet, but I would strongly suspect in another 10 years it is going to be a lot more prevalent,” Upton said.

The Security and Privacy in Your Car Act of 2017 sponsored by Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-MA, is currently in the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. The proposed legislation calls for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to mandate vehicles with accessible data or control signals have the capability to detect, report and stop security breaches to driving operation and data.

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

(WACO) – Adam Pechacek saw it as a sign.

Pechacek, 27, of West and a student at Texas State Technical College, said he and his girlfriend prayed as Hurricane Harvey made its destructive visit in late August to the Texas coast. They wanted to help the people affected, somehow.

His neighbor, Bryce Grimes of Georgetown and a TSTC Welding Technology student, appeared shortly thereafter with the answer Pechacek was seeking.

“He (Grimes) knocked on my door and asked if I wanted to go south,” he said.

Although Grimes and Pechacek planned a relief trip to Port Aransas that was to start on Labor Day, a few days earlier two TSTC faculty members had been activated by the Texas Army National Guard. Angel Newhart, statewide Aerospace chair, was with troop members in Katy and in the Beaumont area while Aaron Gilbert, a fixed wing pilot instructor, also worked near Beaumont.

Hurricane Harvey was the first Category 4 hurricane to make landfall in the Coastal Bend since Hurricane Carla landed in 1961 on the northwest part of Matagorda Island, according to The Weather Channel.

Grimes, 25, said he wanted to help those affected by the hurricane in a direct way. He and Pechacek asked friends and neighbors for items to pack in Grimes’ white 1990 GMC Suburban to take to Port Aransas. Grimes also gave some of his personal belongings to the effort.

“We went down there with $60,” Grimes said. “The last place we topped off the gas tank was in La Grange.”

Grimes and Pechacek ended up at Cowboy Camp David in Port Aransas, a volunteer effort at feeding residents, first responders, law enforcement and workers cleaning up the city. Volunteers cooked donated food on stoves run off propane and generators.

“We had people from all over the state pulling together for one goal,” Pechacek said.

Grimes, who grew up in a military family, and Pechacek, a member of the U.S. Air Force for five years, said their military and survival knowledge helped them through the sunup-to-past-sundown work of feeding people.

“You were finding a solution to everything,” said Pechacek, a certificate major in Cyber Security and Digital Forensics Specialist.

Grimes said leaving the camp on Sept. 8 was a hard decision to make. He and Pechacek consulted with their instructors to miss classes and catch up once they returned to Waco.

“I feel like four days wasn’t enough,” Grimes said. “I didn’t want to leave.”

Grimes and Pechacek said they want to return to the area later in the fall.

“You have to still move forward,” Grimes said. “People said we will rebuild.”

As Grimes and Pechacek worked in Port Aransas, Newhart was waist-deep in water alongside Guardsmen rescuing people in Katy and later in Orange and Jefferson counties. Newhart, a chaplain, was activated from Aug. 27 to Sept. 10.

“We help the members have the opportunity for religious services,” she said. “Soldiers are people too and have the freedom of religion. We take care of the soldiers to make sure they have what they need spiritually and maintain their moral compass.”

Newhart said it was the first time she had seen hurricane damage and its impact on people up close.

“My faith gives me strength and that’s what I depend on,” she said. “As long as I have God, I’m good.”

Newhart returned to her office in TSTC’s Col. James T. Connally Aerospace Center on Sept. 11.

“The first day it was relaxing,” she said. “You get to take a breath. I found myself wanting to go out and take care of somebody. It’s different when you are in the water praying with someone.”

Newhart spent four years in the U.S. Army as an aerial intelligence specialist and later worked in counterintelligence. She joined the Texas Army National Guard in 2011.

Aaron Gilbert, 22, of Paradise, joined the Texas Army National Guard when he was in high school. He was activated for hurricane duty from Aug. 28 to Sept. 7 and was a driver on search and rescue missions. He saw vehicles floating in several feet of water.

“The local communities were excited to see us,” he said. “They donated a lot of food to us.”

Gilbert graduated in 2017 from TSTC with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Aircraft Pilot Training Technology. His career goal is to fly for a commercial airline.

“Being a flight instructor is a lot of fun,” Gilbert said. “You get to meet a lot of students from different places.”

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

(WACO) – Texas State Technical College students Hector Corujo and Jose M. Rodriguez have a lot in common.

Corujo, 34, and Rodriguez, 45, are natives of Puerto Rico and U.S. Army veterans. They are both studying in TSTC’s Auto Collision and Management Technology program and have received a national scholarship for members of the military and veterans.

The students received the 2017 3M Hire Our Heroes scholarship sponsored by the 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division and the Collision Repair Education Foundation. Corujo and Rodriguez were among 12 veterans receiving $2,000 scholarships. The students also were among 40 veterans who received tool grants.

“It helped me a lot,” Corujo said. “It took a burden off my shoulders. I feel like when I go out in the industry, I will be a more complete technician.”

The students were encouraged to apply for the scholarship by Clint Campbell, department chair of Auto Collision and Management Technology at TSTC.

“Any of the ex-military students tend to be mature coming to class and doing their work,” Campbell said. “They are prompt in being on time. They become leaders in the class.”

Corujo moved as a teenager from Puerto Rico to Florida, where he graduated from high school. The Killeen resident spent 14 years in the U.S. Army and worked as a light wheel vehicle mechanic. His Army stint included three tours of duty in Iraq.

Corujo is studying for the Associate of Applied Science degree in Auto Collision and Management Technology – Refinishing Specialization with future plans to pursue the Advanced Technical Certificate in Auto Collision Refinishing.

He is scheduled to graduate in December 2018. His goal after graduation is to open his own auto collision and refinishing shop and own a home in the Hill Country with horses.

“I just like working on cars,” he said. “It keeps me at ease in dealing with PTSD for me.”

Rodriguez, of Kempner, grew up in Puerto Rico and studied criminal justice but could not find a quality job. His sister convinced him to join the military at 32 and he spent 11 years working in military intelligence. Rodriguez did one tour of duty in Afghanistan and two tours of duty in Iraq.

Rodriguez is working on a certificate in Auto Body Refinishing and is scheduled to graduate in December. He wants to work in an auto body shop after graduation.

He hesitated to apply for the scholarship at first because he felt others needed it more than he did. But in the end, Rodriguez said he was happy he received the recognition.

Rodriguez said he has enjoyed meeting other veteran-students while at TSTC.

“You exchange experiences and advice and opinions,” he said. “You get to help the younger students to be more proactive. We tell them to look ahead of the situation and think two steps ahead.”

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

(WACO) – Jordan Harris, 26, of Tyler is working toward associate degrees in cyber security and digital forensic specialist at Texas State Technical College in Waco.

Beginning this fall the digital forensic specialist degree was changed to a two-semester advanced technical certificate, but Harris is still able to finish the associate degree program. He is scheduled to graduate in December from TSTC.

Harris is a 2010 graduate of Whitehouse High School in Whitehouse in Smith County.

What got you interested in studying technology? “I have always had an interest in computers. Digital forensics is the main degree I want to get a career in. The act of searching for something that may or may not be there is interesting to me.”

How did you learn about TSTC? “I learned about it through family members that know people who graduated from here and have had success.”

What do you like to do when you are not in classes or studying? “I’m normally playing fantasy-based, role-playing video games or riding my mountain bike at Cameron Park.”

What advice would you give to high school students? “I would tell them to start college early, as soon as graduating from high school. You should have a basic idea of your major and go with something that makes you happy.”

What are your plans after graduating from TSTC? “I would like to go into the U.S. Air Force and get certifications and do things in the Department of Defense.”

Some of the cyber security fields that are expected to grow through 2024 include networks and systems administration and information security analysis. People studying digital forensics can pursue jobs in the forensic science technology field, which is expected to grow by at least 3,500 jobs through 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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