Category Archives: All TSTC

Wind Energy Technology instructor helps students reach for the sky

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Inspired by his own educators when he was a student at Texas State Technical College, Eutiquio Calderon is now paying it forward as an instructor for TSTC’s Wind Energy Technology program. He is not only a mentor for his students, but also someone who constantly encourages them to reach for the sky.

“I am strict as an instructor, but I am also easy to get along with,” he said. “I encourage those who need it, praise students who deserve it, and always give a helping hand to those who ask for one.”

Calderon’s wife once reminded him of his goal to become an instructor after he graduated from college.

“Years ago, my wife told me that I mentioned that I wanted to gain work experience so that one day I could come back and become an instructor,” he said. “Four years later, I am here loving what I do — helping others achieve their education and career goals.”

Seeing students grow intellectually through their education is one of his favorite aspects of being an instructor.

“My students are like my children,” he said. “I see them grow as individuals in the year and a half that they are in my courses. I enjoy receiving emails from them saying that they are enjoying my classes. I have even received pictures from some beautiful wind farms that they are working in.”

Calderon said he enjoys celebrating educational milestones with his students.

“Some of my favorite memories are the graduation ceremonies,” he said. “Students are happy to be moving forward in their lives and are celebrated by friends and family. Some of them even ask me to be in their photos. It’s a proud feeling.”

Calderon’s passion also comes from a very personal anecdote that he takes with him into the classroom.

“I advise them with the mentality that my grandmother, Julia Calderon, would give to me: ‘Lo mas importante en la vida es la educacion,’” he said. “The most important thing in life is education.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, wind energy technology is expected to grow exponentially through 2028 and beyond.

To learn more about the program at TSTC, visit https://www.tstc.edu/programs/WindEnergyTechnology.

TSTC alumna brings taste of Colombia to the Valley

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Inspired by the coffee farm on which she was raised in her native Colombia, Johanna Lozano began her coffee company, Cafe Canasto, in 2018.

Lozano received her Associate of Applied Science degree from Texas State Technical College in Business Management Technology in 2015. She went on to work for the Texas Department of State Health Services before resigning in 2018 to make her love for coffee her full-time job.

“I grew up on a coffee farm in Colombia,” she said. “I have always been passionate about coffee. I saw the opportunity to start importing my own coffee, so I created the Cafe Canasto brand.”

For 1 1/2 years, Lozano catered and distributed her coffee brand all over the United States. This year she opened her own coffee shop in Brownsville to serve an array of Colombian treats and coffee creations.

“After seeing how well people were embracing a different culture and our Colombian food and drinks, I decided to open my shop,” she said. “Cafe Canasto finally opened its doors to the public in March.”

This important chapter in her life could not have been accomplished without those who are most important to her.

“I have loved my entrepreneurial journey very much,” Lozano said. “My husband has been my biggest supporter, and the community has truly given us their love.”

Some of Lozano’s fondest moments are the extracurricular activities she participated in at TSTC.

“Serving as the student government president left me with many great memories,” she said. “It not only allowed me to advocate for students, but I grew tremendously as a person.”

Student government was not the only opportunity that she had to reveal her leadership ability.

“Because of TSTC, I was able to become involved with the community,” Lozano said. “I was able to go to Washington, D.C., to meet other student leaders from all over the nation.”

Lozano said her time at TSTC gave her a learning experience that benefits her business venture, and the support she received outside the classroom is something she holds dear.

“TSTC is not only a great school that provides you with the necessary tools and knowledge to succeed, but the leaders there are very supportive, and that really makes a difference in students’ lives,” she reiterated. “Honestly, I could write a book about all the help and professional tools I received at TSTC.”

Cafe Canasto is located at 4008 Paredes Line Road in Brownsville.

To learn more about TSTC’s Business Management Technology program, visit https://tstc.edu/programs/BusinessManagementTechnology.

TSTC Mechatronics Technology offers degree for thriving job market

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Digital circuits, manufacturing robotics and electromechanical systems are only a few of the hands-on courses that students will take when they study Mechatronics Technology at Texas State Technical College.

Lead mechatronics instructor Eldwin Leija, who has taught at TSTC for nine years, talked about the importance of mechatronics.

“Mechatronics is the study and use of multiple disciplines,” he said. “It can range from industrial maintenance to industrial robotics technology and process controls. We help maintain the equipment that helps make the products we use every single day.”

TSTC prides itself on a dedicated learning experience that trains graduates to be ready to work on day one — an important program characteristic.

“We have a solid curriculum, supplemented with industry-relevant equipment,” Leija said. “Even during these times, we have managed to have hands-on labs on the TSTC campus while strictly following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 regulations. Our teaching staff has years of industry experience related to what we are teaching. When students graduate, we top that off by helping them find a career in what they studied.”

Leija reiterated that despite these unforeseen times, the need for mechatronics technicians will not disappear.

“As long as the world needs gasoline, oil, natural gas and manufactured goods, such as food packaging, clothes, makeup, bottled water and vehicles, mechatronics technicians will always be in demand,” he said.

Registration for the fall semester is underway. For more information, visit tstc.edu.

 

TSTC HVAC Technology introduces hybrid teaching format for fall semester

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Technology program will use a hybrid teaching model this fall. But the instructor that students will see teaching online may not be from their home campus.

The program’s faculty from the East Williamson County, Fort Bend County, Harlingen, North Texas and Waco campuses will teach courses online to students statewide. Students will complete hands-on labs on their home campuses.

This is the first time the faculty at the campuses have united to teach like this.

“HVAC Technology is going to be one of the first programs to have statewide lectures this fall,” said Lance Lucas, statewide department chair for the program. “For example, one of our instructors out of Waco will be the instructor for lectures for our basic electricity class across the state.”

The hybrid method will apply to every course in HVAC Technology.

“It keeps continuity between the different classes with the hybrid,” said Curtis Christian, an instructor in East Williamson County’s HVAC Technology program. “It will kind of simplify instruction.”

Christian will teach some of Fort Bend County’s HVAC students in the fall. He said he looks forward to meeting them online and listening to the questions they will ask.

Lucas said the current pandemic has created more job opportunities in the HVAC industry. He stated that more people working remotely means that there is a greater need for them to maintain comfort in the heat.

“The outlook is great for HVAC technicians,” he said. “This is Texas, and we always need cooling. With so many people working from home and having their air conditioning units running all day, this industry will not slow down.”

Registration continues statewide for the fall semester.  For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu.

 

TSTC Student Receives National AAMI Scholarship

(WACO, Texas) – A Texas State Technical College student has received a scholarship from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation. 

Joseph Rowan of Waco has been awarded the AAMI Foundation Michael J. Miller Scholarship. He is a TSTC candidate for graduation this month and will earn associate degrees in Biomedical Equipment Technology and Medical Imaging Systems Technology Specialization. 

“TSTC has been a blessing,” Rowan said. “It’s changed my life.”

Victor Fowler, an instructor in TSTC’s Medical Imaging Systems Technology Specialization program, taught Rowan in some of his classes.

“Students like Joseph really help to raise the bar in class and give many other students a leader to which they can look up and try to be like,” Fowler said. “He pays attention and listens very well and therefore quickly understands the concepts being taught, which becomes very evident by the way he excels in hands-on labs.”

Rowan spent six years as a KC-135 aircraft mechanic in the U.S. Air Force. After he left the military, he attended Tarrant County College and Texas A&M University, and discovered an interest in biological science and health care. But after taking nursing classes at Texas A&M, Rowan had a change of mind about his career path.

“At TAMU, the pressure and pace of nursing school led me into the uneasy feeling of an identity crisis,” Rowan wrote in his scholarship essay. “At my foundation, I was a military-trained aircraft mechanic with an aptitude and desire to work in health care. As I carefully audited my skills and needs that fall in 2018, I discovered a place where my two selves converged: the field of health care technology.”

He shadowed in the clinical engineering department at CHI St. Joseph Health Regional Hospital in Bryan to see what the work was like. He enrolled in spring 2019 at TSTC.

“I have discovered the fulfillment that I was missing,” Rowan wrote in his scholarship essay. “Another way I am finding contentment is by tutoring other students in the program who struggle to understand the technical theory, hands-on application or medical connection. Each day I attend my classes eager to learn from my instructors as I move one step closer to graduating and starting my new career.”

Rowan will start later this month as a medical imaging field service engineer for Hitachi Healthcare Americas in Salt Lake City. He will work from home and specialize in maintaining the company’s MRI machines and CT scanners in Utah, with occasional work in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

Rowan has his sights set on bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the future, along with moving up in a leadership role in his company.

“I believe that health care technology has many needs,” Rowan wrote in his scholarship essay. “I hope to bring my wisdom, knowledge and perseverance into the field to lead and inspire other professionals in the challenge of adapting and meeting these needs.”

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

TSTC Ready to Welcome Students Back This Fall in Marshall

(MARSHALL, Texas) – Students attending Texas State Technical College’s Marshall campus will see differences in how they learn and interact as they start the fall semester on Monday, Aug. 31.

Nathan Cleveland, TSTC’s associate provost, said students will notice lots of signage pertaining to campus health and safety measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students will also see directional signs for building entrances and exits.

Furniture has been removed from popular gathering spots for students in the Administration Building and South Building.

“It is hard to manage and watch over that to where they are minding their spacing,” Cleveland said.

One of the biggest changes is how classes will be taught, which first began being modified in mid-March.

The college’s first-semester college readiness class and academic courses will be taught online.

Programs that will be taught in an all-online format are Architectural Design and Engineering Graphics Technology, Business Management Technology, Computer Networking and Systems Administration, Computer Programming Technology and Cybersecurity.

“The instructors are actually holding virtual classrooms through Google Meet or Webex, so the students have a class they meet for,” Cleveland said.

Programs that will be taught in a hybrid format are Automation and Controls Technology, Diesel Equipment Technology, Electrical Lineworker Technology, Industrial Systems, Precision Machining Technology, Process Operations and Welding Technology.

Tutoring will be available virtually. Students will need to go to TSTC’s student portal and click on the tutoring icon to fill out a form requesting help. Tutoring staff will connect students virtually to statewide tutors in their subject area.

Cleveland said students can come to campus by appointment when needed to meet with instructors. Faculty members will also have virtual office hours. Campus visitors will only be allowed in the Administration Building.

The campus bookstore will be fully operational only for the campus community. Discussions continue about whether to open, even partially, the campus Learning Resource Center. Cleveland said students can use the campus Wi-Fi from their vehicles parked near the buildings.

Students will encounter a different campus residential experience this fall.

“Campus housing will be following statewide protocols, with social distancing and no visitation during COVID-19,” said TSTC’s Director II of Student Life Hubert Staten. “We plan to use email, texting and phone to communicate during this time. Online activities are planned also. We want to keep housing as safe as possible.”

One thing that has not changed is the college’s commitment to its students.

TSTC’s Career Services will hold weekly online workshops for students to learn about a range of subjects, from resume writing to interview skills.

“The interview practicum and the Industry Job Fair for the fall semester will be virtual,” said Hannah Luce, Career Services’ director of planning and special events. “As of now, we will be on campus from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays, and this is subject to change at any time, but we will still be available virtually anytime the students need assistance.”

Registration for the fall semester continues.

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

TSTC Welding Technology Program in Marshall Ready to Welcome Students This Fall

(MARSHALL, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Welding Technology program will continue to teach in a hybrid format this fall. Students will listen to lectures online and participate in hands-on labs on campus.

“Welding is by far one of our most popular programs, and it’s easy to see why,” said Barton Day, provost at TSTC’s Marshall campus. “Employment opportunities remain strong. The starting pay is terrific. And let’s face it, it’s truly an art form. If you have a creative side, this might be right up your alley.”

The campus offers a structural welding certificate, and this fall it will debut a structural and pipe welding certificate.

“I think the advanced pipe course is going to make this one of the most productive semesters ever,” said Philip Miller, a TSTC Welding Technology program instructor. “I am excited to see our returning students take the skills they have learned to new levels.”

Monica Pfarr, executive director of the American Welding Society Foundation in Miami, said the skill sets in high demand in Texas are gas metal arc welding and gas tungsten arc welding. She said most welding jobs in Texas are in the architectural and structural metals manufacturing sector.

“We are doing all we can to promote the careers in the industry,” Pfarr said. “It’s not just welders, but also technicians, inspectors and engineers are in high demand. We are doing what we can to really change the perception of the occupation.”

There is a demand for workers to fill welding jobs in East Texas. Rush Harris, director of business services at the Marshall Economic Development Corp., said pipeline companies, manufacturers and small metal facilities need welders and millwrights.

“Employment for welders is relatively stable, with a slight overall decline of -0.3% yearly over the next 10 years,” Harris said. “The replacement of exits and transfers will be important to maintain an adequate welder demand in the labor force over the next 10 years.”

Harris said there is a need now for more than 200 welders within a 45-minute radius of Marshall. The average annual wage for welders in the area is at least $43,000, he said.

As of this writing, Indeed.com showed that Worley in Longview had job openings for a structural welder, a pipefitter and a pipefitter helper. The Australia-based company specializes in construction, engineering and procurement for the chemical, mining, minerals and power sectors.

“We continue to see growth in the demand for craft professionals,” said Carol Peters, Worley’s external communications and media manager. “However, qualified welders remain hard to find. Collaborative partnerships with academia, government, contractors and business owners are crucial in building a solid base of skilled workers for the future. The time to accelerate training is now.”

The company has adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing the use of technology in its hiring process, improving communication processes with employees and their families, and using an online project-staffing system that publishes internal and external employment opportunities.

Texas had more than 50,000 workers earning an annual mean wage of more than $46,000 in May 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Woodlands-Houston-Sugar Land area had the highest concentration of workers in the state with more than 18,000, while the Longview area had more than 1,000 workers.

Jobs for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers are projected to rise to more than 439,000 up to 2028, according to the labor bureau. This is attributed to repairs being made to the nation’s infrastructure and construction on pipelines and power generation facilities.

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

TSTC Welding Technology Program Ready to Fill Jobs

(WACO, Texas) – The health protocols undertaken in Texas State Technical College’s Welding Technology program are not only keeping students safe, but also teaching a lesson.

Program faculty have designated entrances and exits for TSTC’s Industrial Technology Center, along with enacting social distancing, sanitizing and requiring masks. These measures will continue during the fall semester, which is scheduled to begin Monday, Aug. 31.

“The word is getting out that no matter how you will be learning about welding, this is the way you will be learning in the field,” said Jerome Mendias, TSTC’s associate provost.

The Welding Technology program will continue to teach in a hybrid format. Students will use Moodle for online lessons, quizzes and tests and do hands-on labs on campus.

Beginning this fall, the program will offer a three-class Occupational Skills Award in Basic Welding – Multiple Processes. The classes will take four months to complete, enabling students to go into the job market with new skills.

The OSA is one way to meet the employment needs of Texas.

“It is fast-paced,” said Carl Wilmeth, a lead instructor in TSTC’s Welding Technology program. “Nontraditional students that do not have the extra time can come in and get 15 weeks of training, get what they need and start doing job interviews.”

Monica Pfarr, executive director of the American Welding Society Foundation, said the skill sets in highest demand in Texas are gas metal arc welding and gas tungsten arc welding. She said the most welding jobs in Texas are in the architectural and structural metals manufacturing sector.

“We are doing all we can to promote the careers in the industry,” Pfarr said. “It’s not just welders, but also technicians, inspectors and engineers are in high demand. We are doing what we can to really change the perception of the occupation.”

Scott Kitchen, an apprenticeship coordinator for Iron Workers Local Union 66 in San Antonio, said workers who are good at shielded metal arc welding are in demand throughout Central Texas.

Kitchen said the union can work with new members to develop and improve their welding skills. The goal is for all members to earn American Welding Society-backed certifications and endorsements to progress in the workplace.

Texas had more than 50,000 workers earning an annual mean wage of more than $46,000 in May 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Woodlands-Houston-Sugar Land area had the highest concentration of workers in the state with more than 18,000, while the Waco area had more than 400 workers.

Jobs for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers are projected to rise to more than 439,000 up to 2028, according to the labor bureau. This is being attributed to repairing the nation’s infrastructure and helping to build pipelines and power generation facilities.

“It is an excellent time to consider welding,” Kitchen said. “A lot of the other welders are retiring.”

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

TSTC Electrical Power and Controls instructor’s goal is for students to join workforc

(ABILENE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College Electrical Power and Controls instructor Kevin Staton has one goal for his students.

“We are training Texans to work in Texas,” he said. “When students graduate from our program, they can work in almost any state or foreign country. Anywhere there is control work, there is a job for our students.”

The demand for electrical power and controls technicians is always high, and TSTC offers a two-year Associate of Applied Science degree program at the Abilene, Fort Bend County, North Texas and Waco campuses.

In West Texas, Staton has seen the need for technicians at several utility companies, including Taylor Electric Cooperative, American Electric Power and Oncor. He said some students have found employment at warehouses in Texas, including for Amazon.

“West Texas, and especially Abilene, is growing. Things are getting bigger, and companies are looking to expand,” he said.

He said utility companies will need someone to work on transformers, and TSTC provides training for that.

“We offer more than just one area of study,” Staton said. “We teach a wide variety of programs that are in the electrical field.”

He said another area is substation operations, and students will also learn how that process works.

Students have access to labs that include industry-standard electrical distribution, transmission, equipment testing, automation, instrumentation motion-control tools, transformers and electrical motors.

Staton said the first thing students learn is the importance of safety.

“Safety is the key to being a good technician,” he said.

Staton said he not only teaches in the classroom and lab. If a student needs extra help after class, he is willing to help.

“When I was younger, someone always helped me. I want to make sure to do that now. I want to be able to give back and help the students,” he said. “I take pride in being flexible to help students.”

Staton tells prospective students that the program offers a guarantee.

“We are part of TSTC’s Money-Back Guarantee program. That proves that we want to make things happen for our students,” he said.

The Money-Back Guarantee program refunds the tuition of participating graduates if they do not find a job in their career field within six months of graduation.

“In my two years at TSTC, we have had a high success rate in finding (welding) graduates a job. Only one did not find a job after six months, but it was because he chose another career path,” Staton said.

Registration for the fall semester is underway. For more information, go to tstc.edu.

Sparks fill TSTC Welding Technology lab this summer

(BRECKENRIDGE, Texas) – Sparks from welding torches were a daily occurrence this summer at Texas State Technical College’s Breckenridge campus.

Students have been completing labs in preparation for entering the workforce when they receive their certificates. But the work does not stop once the torches are laid down.

For Ethan Hammond and Zane Fitch, a career path has been blazed.

“TSTC has helped me with more than just learning to weld things. They have helped me write a resume and given me advice on how to approach job interviews,” Fitch said. “I know what to expect during a job interview, thanks to the people at TSTC.”

That knowledge was one of the reasons Hammond chose to attend TSTC. The Cisco native said having someone help in the job interview process was important.

“Because of TSTC, I have my resume built right now,” he said.

Fitch said he first found interest in welding while helping his brother-in-law on a job site. He said TSTC was the route he wanted to take because of the hands-on training.

“I decided that I wanted to go to school and get a certificate. I knew that would open up more job opportunities for me,” he said. “The hands-on approach offered here is great for us. We are able to learn things and put our knowledge to use.”

Hammond has already put some of his skills to use by welding barbecue pits. He knows that this career path will benefit his family in the long run.

“This is a career in which you can actually work for yourself,” he said. “I have done that with some projects after class.”

Instructor Stephen Hope said his goal is to see the students succeed.

“It has been exciting to see all the students come in and know little to nothing about welding. To be able to help them understand the fundamentals and see the students succeed is such an amazing goal,” he said.

Hammond said the Breckenridge campus has the perfect learning environment for future welders.

“We have 30 (welding) bays here, and it runs efficiently,” he said. “Our class is small, but the work we do pays off. I think people interested in a welding career should consider coming here.”

Hammond was drawn to the Breckenridge campus because it offered the program in a small town like his hometown of Cisco.

“This is a nice campus for the community. I wanted to go to a smaller campus, and this was the one that caught my attention,” Hammond said.

Hope said he appreciates the work the students put in and knows the ultimate goal is at the end of the program.

“Working for TSTC has been such a wonderful experience. The greatest part is being able to watch the students graduate and pursue their new careers,” he said.

Registration for the fall semester is underway. For more information, go to tstc.edu.