Category Archives: Waco

TSTC Aviation Programs Receive Jet Engine

(WACO) – Rick Fazollo of Waco is 5 feet 8 inches in height but is looking forward to the tall challenges looming over him in the aviation maintenance hangar at Texas State Technical College.

Fazollo, 28, an Aircraft Airframe Technology and Aircraft Powerplant Technology major, said he is eager to start troubleshooting and repairing a recently gifted multimillion dollar CFM56 high-bypass turbofan jet engine used in Southwest Airlines’ Boeing 737 fleet.

“When I was in the Marines, I worked with turbine engines,” said Fazollo, a native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “Seeing it being brought here was breathtaking.”

The 5,500 lb. and at least 6-foot-tall engine will be used by students in TSTC’s Aircraft Airframe Technology and Aircraft Powerplant Technology programs. Southwest Airlines will give the aviation maintenance programs the engine’s instruction manuals later this fall so it can be incorporated into classes.

“It’s going to give our aviation mechanics a boost in their learning,” said Carson Pearce, TSTC’s statewide transportation division director in Waco.

Pearce and Kelly Filgo, lead instructor for the airframe and powerplant technology programs at TSTC, both said it would be impossible to purchase an engine like this for class usage. They said in the past students have only been able to see photographs of this kind of engine in theory classes.

“We are getting students in front of it with their eyes,” Filgo said. “The students are very aware of what a great gift this is.”

Christopher Scheel, 26, of Houston is majoring in the airframe and powerplant technology programs and said he has been impressed so far with the engine.

“I’ve been trying to figure out how the cooling systems work,” he said. “It’s a really good opportunity to get your hands on something like this.”

Pearce said TSTC has worked to build relationships with Southwest Airlines and American Airlines, which are both based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Pearce said Southwest Airlines has hired some of TSTC’s Aircraft Dispatch Technology students and American Airlines has employed past Aircraft Pilot Training Technology graduates.

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

 

Dual Credit Classes Put a Spark Into TSTC Student’s Education

(WACO) – Noli Park of Bosqueville first became interested in welding when she was a sophomore at Bosqueville High School.

While she balanced high school academics and extracurricular activities, she took the same welding classes that Texas State Technical College students experienced. The difference was that Park took them at the high school with her TSTC-accredited instructor for dual credit.

“Dual credit gets you a foot in,” said Park, 19. “By the time I graduated, I took 12 semester credit hours, and not just in welding. It made coming to college easier.”

Bosqueville High School has about 200 students, with at least 35 sophomores, juniors and seniors taking part in dual credit academic classes. Kim Granger, a BHS counselor, said some of the classes students take are English, history and government.

Park said TSTC was the best decision she could have made about where to go to college.

“I do a lot more hands-on work,” she said. “It gets you ready for the job life. Here, they want us ready for jobs and to be on time and work hard.”

Park grew up around equipment as her father worked on heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. She said tungsten inert gas, or TIG, welding is her favorite.

“I just really like welding,” she said. “I did it to have steadier hands. I originally wanted to be a surgeon.”

Park credits her welding work with being able to get scholarships from the Heart O’ Texas Fair and Rodeo and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Park graduated in 2016 from Bosqueville High School and is scheduled to graduate in December from TSTC with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Welding Technology.

After graduation, Park wants to work in the field and then teach welding to high school students. She wants to stay in Central Texas to be close to her family.

TSTC’s Waco, Williamson County and North Texas campuses offer more than 20 technical pathways, including Auto Collision Refinishing, Avionics and Electrical Lineworker, that students can take to earn dual credit hours. The classes can be taken either at TSTC or at the students’ home campuses.

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

TSTC in Fort Bend County Holds Inaugural Commencement Ceremony

(FORT BEND) – Texas State Technical College’s commencement ceremony held Tuesday at the Rosenberg Civic Center was a celebration of many firsts for the college and for Precision Machining Technology student Eleazar Alanis Dorantes.

“You are the first graduating class of this newly created Fort Bend campus,” said Randall Wooten, TSTC vice chancellor and chief execution officer. “Tonight as you walk across this stage, many of you will become the first to graduate in your families.”

Which happens to be the case for Dorantes.

The 20-year-old Mexican native moved to the United States four years ago with his family and siblings and is a first-generation college graduate.

He received his certificate Tuesday night in Precision Machining Technology and was named one of only four Board of Regent honor graduates for his perfect 4.0 GPA (grade-point average).

“Graduating feels great. I can’t believe I’m finally here,” said Dorantes. “It’s exciting and it shows that all of my hard work paid off.”

Despite a slight language barrier and a daily 45-minute drive to and from school, Dorantes persevered.Eleazar Dorantes

“I’m proud of what I have accomplished,” said Dorantes. “I hope I’m setting a good example for my brothers and sisters and that this encourages them to continue their education. If I can do it, so can they.”

Dorantes’ mother Guadalupe Dorantes said she is very proud of her son. From a small machine shop in Mexico as a helper and a runner to a college graduate, she said he has come a long way.

“Since kindergarten he would tell me he was going to graduate from college. And here he is,” she said. “I am so proud of him. He is a great kid and it makes me happy seeing him work so hard and achieve everything he sets his mind to.”

Tuesday night’s commencement ceremony marked yet another milestone for the TSTC legacy and TSTC Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer Mike Reeser had three important pieces of advice for the college’s graduates.

“Keep up with changes and reinvent yourself, stay true to principles and be someone your employers will treasure,” he said. “You want to be the person with world-class skills and be the someone they want.”

Other speakers included Master of Ceremonies and TSTC Field Development Officer John Kennedy and TSTC Board of Regent Joe Gurecky, a product of technical education.

“A technical education can change hundreds, even thousands of lives, the way it did for my wife and me,” he told graduates.

He spoke of his past from having to choose to pay rent or feed their children and about their found success.

“We took a risk starting our business, the way many of your took a risk coming back to school, but with hard work you find success,” he said. “Speaking of hard work, I have a Czech proverb I use often: Bez Prace-Nej su Kolache — Without work there are no kolaches.”

The night ended with faculty lining the aisle and giving every graduate a high-five, handshake and a hug.

And as for Dorantes, he will return to TSTC in the fall to begin his journey to obtain an associate degree.

TSTC in Waco Starts Fall Semester

(WACO) – Weston Potter, a Building Construction Technology major at Texas State Technical College, is a first-day-of-class veteran.

Potter, 21, from Mansfield, began the fall semester on Monday with the finish line in sight – he is scheduled to graduate in May and is ready to go to work.

“The first day is so good because it’s building a solid foundation for my future,” Potter said.

His advice for first-semester students at TSTC was to pay attention and know they will understand how to balance their new responsibilities.

Faculty members in Building Construction Technology and Welding Technology said their classes went smoothly Monday. Students visited the Student Services Center Monday morning to make final payment arrangements or visit the campus bookstore.

TSTC Provost Adam Hutchison was on the greenway early Monday morning greeting students.

“The first day of the fall semester is always special,” he said. “I love the excitement and buzz on campus as students fill up the sidewalks and make their way to class. There are many new faces who are just starting their journey with TSTC, and there are lots of familiar, returning students who are excited about finishing their degrees or certificates this term.”

Branden Paradis, 18, of Del Rio has several Del Rio High School alumni to learn from as he begins studying in the Welding Technology program. He arrived during the weekend to move into Village Oaks Apartments at TSTC and has already found where the Del Rio students are living.

“I’m excited for college and it is cooler that I can be with my classmates,” Paradis said. “I learned about TSTC from my instructor. I applied first then visited the campus and was impressed with what I saw.”

The first day of the semester ended with a dodgeball tournament held at the Murray Watson Jr. Student Recreation Center as part of Welcome Week. Other activities this week include a game night, pool tournament and block party.

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

 

TSTC Graduate Finds Solutions to Work Challenges at Houston Company

(WACO) – Parker Schellhaas of Spring grew up knowing his future career had to involve working with his hands.

But, he was not sure what path he would take after graduating in 2010 from Cypress Woods High School in Harris County.

“I was told about Texas State Technical College by my wife’s uncle, who was working at Luminant at the time,” said Schellhaas, 25. “His company was getting quality employees from TSTC. We visited TSTC one weekend to check out the different programs they offered at an open house.”

Schellhaas graduated in 2015 from TSTC with an Associate of Applied Science degree in what is now Facilities Maintenance and Management.

He is now a facilities technician at Data Foundry in Houston and works alongside co-workers troubleshooting and finding solutions. Schellhaas said he wants to professionally grow with the company and eventually work on a bachelor’s degree to move into management.

“I wouldn’t say there is a typical day,” Schellhaas said. “It can vary from doing paint touch- ups around the site to working on HVAC and power equipment.”

He said he has learned on the job about the value of teamwork.

“In facilities, you start at the bottom and prove your way to the top,” Schellhaas said. “No matter what the job asks, it is your responsibility to do it.”

TSTC offers the Associate of Applied Science degree in Facilities Maintenance and Management in Waco. The degree includes classes in hydraulics, electrical theory, blueprints, piping standards and boiler maintenance. Students are exposed to building, electrical and safety codes and learn about paperwork and retention. Students also learn about Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.

Michael Hubbard, lead instructor in the Industrial Maintenance and Engineering Department, based the curriculum around professional competencies developed by the International Facility Management Association.

Program graduates are encouraged to apply for IFMA credentials, which are recognized worldwide, Hubbard said. The organization’s credentials are for Facility Management Professional, Sustainability Facility Professional and Certified Facility Manager.

“We don’t need managers (in the field), we need leaders,” Hubbard said.

Texas had more than 110,000 general facilities and maintenance workers in May 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Woodlands – Houston – Sugar Land metropolitan area had the most workers in Texas with more than 27,800 people, while the Waco area had more than 900 people in the field in May 2016.

General facilities and maintenance positions are expected to increase by 83,500 nationwide through 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Other professions that graduates can pursue include building and systems analysis, facility maintenance, building automation control, building inspections, facility management and plant maintenance engineering.

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

 

Student Becomes First at TSTC in Waco to Get AWS Certification

(WACO) – Zackary Palomin can always say he was the first.

Palomin, 22, of League City and a student at Texas State Technical College in Waco, in mid-August became the first Cloud and Data Center Management program student to get the Amazon Web Services Certified Solution Architect – Associate certification. The certification is for two years and can be renewed with additional testing. AWS is a worldwide cloud platform that includes storage, networking, analytics, artificial intelligence and other features.

“My eyes were wide open,” Palomin said when he found out he passed the test.

Palomin’s instructor, Andy Kroll in TSTC’s Cloud and Data Center Management program, has used the Amazon Web Services Academy Cloud Computing Architecture curriculum in the Cloud Deployment and Infrastructure Management course since January. Cloud and Data Center Management majors take this course in the fifth semester and learn about data security, data storage, cloud computing, the AWS cloud and other topics.

“It’s the most in-demand certification in information technology,” Kroll said. “Everyone wants to go to the cloud, but there aren’t enough people to take them to the cloud.”

Palomin is a triple major at TSTC. He graduated in December 2016 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Computer Networking and Systems Administration and in August 2017 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Cloud and Data Center Management. He is scheduled to graduate in December 2017 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Cyber Security.

“I decided the second-to-last semester before I was going to graduate with my first degree to take my mother’s advice and keep going and explore more,” Palomin said.

Palomin was born in New Mexico and moved to Texas in 2001.

“I was a curious child,” he said. “I had an interest in taking things apart. I had an interest in my parents’ computer when they used the Windows 2000 program.”

Palomin learned about TSTC when a recruiter visited Clear Falls High School in League City, where he graduated in 2014.  He was also involved in technical theater.

Palomin is active in SkillsUSA and the Cyber Centurions organizations at TSTC. Away from clubs and studying, Palomin likes to watch YouTube videos and read about random subjects through Google searches.

After finishing at TSTC, Palomin wants to work in the Houston area.

For more information on Amazon Web Services, go to aws.amazon.com.

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

 

 

TSTC Welding Graduate Continues to Prove Talents

(WACO) – Kacy Crook is one for proving people wrong.

“I wanted to do welding in high school,” said Crook, 20, of Tyler and a recent graduate of Texas State Technical College. “My teacher said I could do it. I welded and cut one thing, and then he put me on the plasma table.”

Crook graduated Aug. 18 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Welding Technology at TSTC in Waco. She walked across the stage at the Waco Convention Center with more than 500 students from the Waco, North Texas and Williamson County campuses.

Crook’s parents and aunts attended the ceremony.

“I can’t believe it’s over,” she said. “It’s a bittersweet moment. I wanted to shoot for the extra. I didn’t want to do the bare minimum.”

She was one of four females graduating with welding degrees this summer. And, the program is expected to have at least two females graduating from the program in December.

“This program isn’t for everyone,” said Mark Watson, a TSTC Welding Technology instructor. “The young ladies that make it through this program are extraordinary with great work ethics.”

Crook said her first two weeks at TSTC in fall 2015 had class difficulties that made her cry and question her confidence. But she credited Watson for encouraging her to calm down and listen to music on headphones as she welded.

“The faculty have become family,” Crook said. “They are here for you, welding or not.”

Crook’s longtime dance instructor in Smith County, Savannah Holik, also gave her encouraging advice.

“She told me to not be afraid of the opportunities and to not give up no matter what,” Crook said.

Crook’s career goal is to do pipeline work.

Crook worked two jobs and took dance lessons while she was a student at Bullard High School, where she graduated in 2015.

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

TSTC in Waco, North Texas and Williamson County Hold Summer Commencement

(WACO) – More than 580 graduates received certificates and associate degrees at Texas State Technical College’s Summer 2017 Commencement held Friday, Aug. 18, at the Waco Convention Center.

Students from TSTC’s campuses in Waco, North Texas and Williamson County took part in the ceremony. The Waco campus had 515 graduates, Williamson County had 40 graduates and North Texas had 34 graduates.

Many of the graduates already have jobs and are ready to work.

Rosie Zamora of Fort Worth graduated with a Certificate in Plumbing and Pipefitting Technology. She is following her father and grandfather into the profession. Zamora will continue working as a plumbing apprentice in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

“It was an experience,” Zamora said about her time at TSTC. “I learned things I didn’t know before.”

Cesar Castillo, 19, of Del Rio received an Associate of Applied Science degree in Welding Technology. He follows in the footsteps of several other Del Rio students who have graduated from TSTC’s Welding Technology program.

“This program tests if you really want to go down your career path,” Castillo said. “It’s a lot more welcoming since most of your instructors know where you came from.”

Castillo said he will continue job hunting.

“I’m excited to go out on my own,” he said.

TSTC had more than 1,200 graduates this summer across the state.

For more information, log on to tstc.edu.

 

Manufacturing Consortium Partners with TSTC for $293,211 Job-Training Grant

(TEMPLE) — Texas State Technical College has partnered with a manufacturing consortium including The Butler Weldments Corp., Reynolds Consumer Products LLC and Temple Bottling Co. to train 130 new and incumbent workers using a $293,211 Skills Development Fund grant.

Texas Workforce Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez presented the check to officials from TSTC, Butler Weldments, Reynolds Consumer Products and Temple Bottling Co. at an 11 a.m. ceremony today at the Temple Economic Development Corporation’s Board Room.

Steven Dobos, president of Butler Weldments, said the company is excited to get more training for employees.

“It’s a win-win for everybody involved,” Dobos said. “Skilled labor has been very difficult to find lately. What better way to bring about a solution for us than customized in-house training for our employees. It’s a phenomenal thing to do.”

Kyle Butler, plant operations manager at Temple Bottling Co., agreed.

“Our employees are primarily unskilled and this is going to go a long way,” he said.

Rick Villa, plant manager of Reynolds Consumer Products, said they’ve tried several other training programs, but they didn’t work for the company.

“This is the first program that we’ve really been able to lock our teeth into,” Villa said. “We’re training our operators to become mechanics, our mechanics to become electricians, and taking our electrical skills up in the plant. You need to bring those skills along if you want to be successful.”

Commissioner Alvarez said the training provided is necessary with changing technology.

“Each person that spoke today mentioned that skills have changed,” Alvarez said. “The face of manufacturing has changed. We’re talking about technology and terminology that didn’t exist before. It’s changed. Times have changed and the folks on the receiving end of this grant know that the change is coming. And so, the fact that they’re talking about keeping up their skills and keeping up with today’s technology says a lot.”

Charley Ayres, vice president of the Temple Economic Development Corporation, said the grant speaks to the sense of community in the area.

“It’s exciting to know that this grant doesn’t just involve Temple companies, it also involves our neighbors in Cameron,” Ayres said. “We work together very closely to try to make our businesses more successful. We understand that what happens in Cameron makes Temple better. That workforce makes us all stronger in our region.

The Skills Development Fund is one of the state’s premier job-training programs, keeping Texas competitive with a skilled workforce. Commissioner Alvarez said the grant would have an overall impact of $4 million.

Workers trained will include 35 new hires, and 95 jobs will be upgraded. Workers will be from Temple-area plants and will be trained in the areas of production, maintenance, mechanical and support occupations. Trainees will include machinists, maintenance technicians and production workers, and training will be provided by TSTC instructors. After completing the training, workers will receive an average hourly wage of $20.90.

For more information on TSTC’s workforce training, visit tstc.edu.

New Online Bookstore Debuts at TSTC’s Campuses in North Texas and Fort Bend County

(RED OAK) – A new online bookstore for Texas State Technical College’s North Texas and Fort Bend County campuses opened earlier this month.

This marks the first time students will have direct access to buy textbooks and not have to order from other campuses.

“This is huge for us,” said Stephen Pape, director of student learning at TSTC in North Texas. “It enables the students to get their books early so they don’t have to wait. The online bookstore gives them a choice of shipping to their home or to the campus where they can be picked up.”

Current and newly registered students can access the bookstore through the technical college’s internal portal. The first visit will enable the student to input their identification number and create a password for later visits.

“The bookstore will recognize them as students and check their schedule for the classes they signed up for,” said Pape. “The bookstore will know what books they need when they log in. The students can order books or they can check the prices for books.”

The online bookstore will give students information on how much of their financial aid money is available to spend on textbooks and automatically deduct it.

Students at the Fort Bend County campus will follow the same steps to access and purchase from the online bookstore. Arturo Solano, bookstore manager at TSTC in Harlingen, worked on planning Fort Bend County’s online offering and said the technical college is adapting to the latest trends in providing sourced materials for students.

“TSTC partnered with Ambassador Education Solutions, which will be distributing all the required course materials straight from their warehouse while at the same time providing students with a custom website tailored to their campus,” Solano said.

Planning for the new initiative began a year ago with financial aid, bookstore, information technology and student learning staff on multiple campuses working together.

“The major reason for the online store was to provide better service to the students,” said Greg Guercio, vice president of retail operations at TSTC in Waco.

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