Category Archives: All TSTC

TSTC hosts a summer of registration rallies

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – On Friday, Texas State Technical College in Fort Bend County will host its first Registration Rally of the summer.

The event, hosted at the TSTC Brazos Center, will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will focus on registering prospective and current students for four of the 10 programs offered at the campus: Electrical Power and Controls, Environmental Technology, Electrical Lineworker Technology and Robotics.

“Registration Rallies offer prospective students an in-depth look into our campus and our programs before they even register,” said TSTC assistant director of enrollment Christina Vargas.

This is the first year that TSTC has hosted registration rallies specific to programs. Vargas said the idea behind this change is to offer prospective students and their families shorter wait times, more one-on-one time with program faculty and an in-depth look into what they should expect as TSTC students.

“Providing a great college experience and giving students the skills they need for a successful career is always our number one priority. And by dividing our rallies up by division allows us to provide a wider scope of program and faculty accessibility for those in attendance,” said Vargas.

Enrollment services representatives will be on hand to assist prospective students with TSTC application and registration processes, advisement and testing.

Student Life, Career Services and Transition Services will also be on hand to answer any questions.

“This is a one-stop-shop for anyone interested in attending TSTC to pursue one of these programs. They can be straight out of school, looking to improve skills or ready for a career change,” said Vargas. “Our goal is to get them registered and ready to begin classes Fall 2019 toward a successful career.”

Vargas also added that financial aid and scholarships are available for those who qualify.

In fact, there will be a drawing for a $250 TSTC scholarship and an Amazon Fire Stick for those who apply and register for classes at the event.

“We want to encourage everyone to come by check out our campus and our programs,” said Vargas. “There’s no time better than the present to come or return to school. We have something for everyone.”

The next registration rallies at TSTC’s Fort Bend County campus will be hosted on June 14 and 21, July 12 and 26, and August 9 and will focus on different programs such as Diesel Equipment Technology, Cyber Security Technology, Welding Technology, Industrial Maintenance, Precision Machining Technology and Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC).

Registration Rallies are being held across TSTC’s 10 campuses statewide.

For more information, visit tstc.edu/rally.

TSTC Student to Compete for Third Time at SkillsUSA Nationals

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – The saying goes that all good things come in threes, and Texas State Technical College nursing student Kacee Merrifield hopes that saying will ring true for her.

Merrifield will represent Texas and TSTC for the third time at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, in late June.

A Mineral Wells native, Merrifield is enrolled in the LVN to RN Transition program and working toward an Associate of Applied Science degree. Previously she had earned a Vocational Nursing certificate from TSTC.

During her time at TSTC, Merrifield has competed at SkillsUSA three years in a row, winning state all three times and placing nationally twice.

“It’s a very validating feeling when you get to test your skills against others in your industry. But it’s so much more than just winning a medal,” Merrifield said.

SkillsUSA is a national partnership between students, teachers and industries working together to ensure that America has a skilled workforce.

In 2017 Merrifield placed first in state for Health Knowledge Bowl, continuing on to win fourth place at nationals. In 2018 she won first place in state for Nurse Assisting and sixth at nationals. She competed in Practical Nursing this year and won first place.

“I really love SkillsUSA and what it does for me and for others. A big part of being a nurse is people skills, and at SkillsUSA you meet so many people and work with so many different personalities (that) you really get to practice that skill on top of all your other skills,” Merrifield said.

During the Practical Nursing competition, Merrifield will take both a written test and a hands-on test. She will work with a volunteer and perform various tasks.

“We practice everything from medications to vital signs to wound care and even what we would delegate to someone else; it’s a real-world environment,” she said.

With such an impressive record, it is no surprise that her instructors are proud of her.

Marchelle Taylor is TSTC’s Vocational Nursing program director in West Texas and the West Texas SkillsUSA coordinator.

“Kacee has been a huge success story in the TSTC nursing program,” Taylor said. “She has worked full time, attended classes and helped other contestants prepare for Skills competitions. It is students with her dedication and work ethic that make teaching at TSTC such an honor.”

Merrifield says the best part of going to SkillsUSA nationals again is the chance to meet more people.

“My favorite thing has to be talking with other nursing students, learning what is different in each state and getting to learn more about this career field. SkillsUSA is really amazing. I really encourage anyone who has the opportunity to go,” Merrifield said.

She is expected to graduate in summer 2019.

For more information about TSTC, log on to tstc.edu.

Kacee Merrifield, pictured above, is a three-time state champion in various nursing competitions for SkillsUSA. This year she will compete in Practical Nursing at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in late June.

TSTC Students Set to Compete in First National SkillsUSA Competition

(WACO, Texas) – Two Mechanical/Electrical Drafting Technology students at Texas State Technical College will be the first to represent the Waco campus in the Additive Manufacturing contest at the 55th annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in late June in Kentucky.

Brandon Lund of Millsap and Cody White of China Spring were put together as a team by their instructor, Bryan Clark. Clark said he liked Lund’s interest in 3D printing and White’s machining background.

The students will find out what their competition project is during the conference’s contest orientation.

“We have the best of both worlds,” Clark said.

Lund and White earned their way to the national conference by placing first in the SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary State Leadership and Skills Conference in April in Waco. During the state Additive Manufacturing contest, the students had to design, print and demonstrate a coin-flipping apparatus. Their project had to be 3D printed in less than two hours.

The students went through nine prototypes before finding a winning combination.

“As they would discover a problem, they would log it,” Clark said.

Lund said he became interested at age 18 in 3D printing, a component of additive manufacturing, when he saw it being used for a video game prop.

“You need spatial awareness,” he said. “You have to visualize something in 2D and 3D at the same time.”

White has an Associate of Applied Science degree in Precision Machining Technology from TSTC and said after working in the field for less than a year that he wanted to get technical drafting experience. He said he had never used a 3D printer before coming to TSTC.

“You want to understand how products will be made,” he said. “You need to be concerned with machine time with 3D printing.”

Clark said the students have plenty to be excited about in the future of 3D printing.

“These guys will be incredibly valuable,” Clark said. “The need for people to model and design in the virtual world is becoming more necessary.”

The military and the automotive, construction and health care industries are some of the areas where 3D printing is being used.

“The whole industry is in a phase of dramatic growth,” Clark said. “There will come a day when you have a 3D printer like you do a microwave.”

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

A survivor of domestic violence finds new lease on life at TSTC

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Yvette Vaughan is one of Texas State Technical College’s newest instructors with only three months on the job. But she has big goals for her program and students.

Her bachelor’s degree in Biology and a master’s degree in Environmental Science, both from Tarleton State University, and her extensive experience in the field, made her a perfect match for TSTC’s Environmental Technology program.

“I’m excited to be at TSTC. This place was a gift to me from God,” she said. “This is a really big opportunity for me to make a difference in the lives of my students and to work together with them in making our planet a better place.”

The 43-year-old said she never expected to be where she is today because science wasn’t her first passion, but as a domestic violence survivor she is blessed to have a new lease on life.

“I played the flute. I was a music major,” she said. “It was the only thing I knew. It was a large part of my life until an accident left me with severe facial injuries and crushed my dreams.”

At this point, Vaughan had to start life over again.

She became a single mother and no longer able to play the flute due to her injuries, found new dreams.

“I look back now and wonder if this was all some weird blessing in disguise, because had none of it happened, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” said Vaughan. “Who knew that I loved science as much as I do and that I am so good at it.”

Vaughan said receiving a degree in biology was as much of a surprise to her as it was to her family.

“My advisor called me into the office and asked me if wanted to graduate that semester because I had taken enough classes to earn my credits. I hadn’t even thought about it, or even declared a major,” she remembers. “But I said yes, and when I told my family about my new career choice it was a relief to know everyone was happy for me despite the huge change.”

This was, what Vaughan called, an extremely proud moment for her and her family.

After graduating with her bachelor’s degree, surviving a troubled economy and completing her master’s degree, she went on to work at a state park, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and KJ Environmental Management, Inc., a dedicated, full service engineering and environmental consulting firm in Texas, holding positions in areas such as environmental, health and safety, gas and wastewater operations and consulting.

But after suffering two major car accidents on the same day, Vaughan worked hard to walk again and the pressure of constant travel because of her career and her existing injuries, became unbearable.

That is when Vaughan began looking for a new job and found TSTC’s job posting while sitting in an Idaho airport waiting for her flight.

“God answered my prayers that night. Had I not been stuck in Idaho, I would have never seen TSTC’s job posting,” she said. “I applied immediately and received a call back not long after.”

Teaching has been a big change for Vaughan, but she said it’s a good change and she’s looking forward to her future at TSTC.

“I’m more relaxed, less stressed and just overall happier now,” said Vaughan. “And working in a classroom is so rewarding to me and I can’t wait to see where we can take this program.”

Vaughan is currently working on getting Environmental Technology faculty and students involved in the community. She said she believes this is what will help spread awareness about the program, its benefits and career opportunities.

Most recently students volunteered with Fort Bend County’s Citizen’s Environmental Coalition on Earth Day and encouraged recycling, created a Fort Bend Citizen Corp. student chapter on campus, which Vaughan will lead as faculty advisor, and hosted an Environmental Day open house on campus to showcase the program for local middle and high school students.

“Building a strong relationship with our community is essential to how we grow Environmental Technology and TSTC,” said Vaughan. “I want my students to not only be proud of their academic achievements, but also for what they’ve done for the community. We want to make a difference. And I hope my story can inspire others.”

Students who enroll in Environmental Technical in Fort Bend County, Breckenridge or Waco’s TSTC campuses, find careers as environmental science and protection technicians, environmental scientists and specialists or health and safety engineers or inspectors.

For more information on the program, visit tstc.edu/programs/EnvironmentalTechnology.

TSTC Profile of Excellence – Stephanie Garcia

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Stephanie Garcia graduated from Texas State Technical College in Fall 2018 with an associate degree in Business Management Technology.

After working as a student worker at TSTC’s Veterans Center and as a student mentor, the 36-year-old knew that she wanted to make the higher education her career.

So not long after graduating, she accepted an offer as a TSTC student recruitment representative, where she is currently employed.

What was your reaction when you first learned about your job offer?

I was so excited when I found out that I had been offered this job; so were my husband and family. I really wanted it after realizing how rewarding it is to help students achieve their dreams. Plus, I love sharing my experiences with them.

How did TSTC prepare you for your career?

TSTC prepared me for my career in more ways than one. My classes taught me the foundation and technical skills I needed to get my career started, and working as a student worker taught me soft skills such as leadership and customer service, which in turn gave me the experience and confidence I need for my current position.

Who has had the greatest influence on your success?

My husband has had the greatest influence on my success. He has been with me every step of the way. And he is the one who made it possible for me to return to school and graduate.

What are your future goals?

I don’t plan on leaving TSTC anytime soon. If anything, I hope to grow within the college and continue helping students realize their dreams of a college education. As a recruiter I hope to be a positive face for the college and teach about the importance and benefits of a technical education.

What would you tell a student thinking of pursuing a two-year degree vs. a four-year degree?

Speaking from experience, a two-year degree gives a real-world, hands-on experience that a student doesn’t always get when pursuing a four-year degree. And here at TSTC, our two-year degrees give students the training they need to obtain the skills that industry is demanding. This gives a graduate a leg-up and makes them more marketable when competing for jobs. A two-year degree at TSTC is the way to go; we have industry knocking at our door recruiting our students.

What is your advice for future TSTC students?

First, it’s important to find a program you’re passionate about and going to love. Next, get involved on campus; become a work study, or student worker and join a club. Also, take advantage of the services and resources TSTC offers because from registration to job placement, TSTC is there to support the student the entire way and finally, don’t give up, no matter how challenging or hard it gets. It’s worth it.

TSTC Workforce Training offers new allied health courses

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Jobs, of all levels, are in demand in the health industry, especially in the medically underserved Rio Grande Valley, and Workforce Training at Texas State Technical College is helping employers meet their needs and fill a skills gap with its new Allied Health courses being offered.

This is the first time that TSTC’s Workforce Training offers a collection of health courses: Electrocardiography (EKG) Technician, certified nursing assistant and phlebotomy, the process of making an incision in a vein with a needle to draw blood or hook up an IV.

Phlebotomy is a returning course. It was offered in the past and brought back due to popular demand from local health clinics and hospitals.

“With the increase of health clinics and dialysis and plasma centers our region is seeing, the demand for highly skilled employees is growing,” said TSTC Workforce Training coordinator Myra Deleon. “We get calls from health professionals requesting we implement such training, so in return they can hire our students.”

Deleon added that all allied courses align with the Texas Health and Human Services requirements and guidelines, making graduates from the programs even more marketable upon successful completion.

In fact, the first phlebotomy cohort graduated in April and many of those students have already found positions.

One of those graduates is Elizabeth Alvarez. Alvarez recently accepted an offer from Davita, a local kidney and dialysis care clinic as a patient care technician.

With experience in the medical field as a medical assistant, Alvarez said she felt she needed training in phlebotomy to improve her skills, but was unable to find a training facility until she found TSTC’s Workforce training course.

“I’m that person who loves to evolve and learn new things. I want to be well-rounded in the health field,” said Alvarez. “And I feel that TSTC’s phlebotomy course has opened up doors of opportunity for me.”

Alvarez said that she recommends this course for anyone looking to improve or gain a skill. She added that the course included in an in-depth look into the phlebotomy processes and the hands-on training provided during class and in clinicals fully prepared her to enter the workforce.

“I can only go up from here,” she said. “This is a great stepping stone for me and I hope to explore other career options soon as well, hopefully back at TSTC.”

Phlebotomy is a six to eight-week course. Students who complete the course receive a certificate of completion which allows them to work anywhere, such as hospitals, medical offices and dialysis clinics.

Applications for the next Phlebotomy course beginning July 22 are already being accepted.

The EKG and nursing assistant courses are also currently taking applications and begin in Fall 2019.

Both courses are also eight weeks long and will cover all of the foundation and basic skills necessary to find a successful career in industry.

EKG will cover everything from learning how to use and maintain an EKG machine to reading and reporting heart rhythms, while nursing assistant will focus on all aspects of patient care, bedside manners and communication.

“All of this aligns with TSTC’s mission of placing more Texans into good paying jobs and meeting industry demand,” said Deleon. “We hope that these programs will be a stepping stone for many of these students and that they’ll matriculate into TSTC’s health programs such as vocational nursing or registered nursing, to continue their education and find even greater success.”

Information sessions are being held every Tuesday at 2 p.m. at TSTC’s University Center, Room 101.

For more information on Workforce Training and the courses they offer, visit tstc.edu/workforce/ce, or call 956-364-4567.

TSTC auto collision students receive tool kits

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – A typical day for Jose Villarreal includes hopping into his car and hoping he has enough money for gas to drive 45 minutes every day from Pharr to Texas State Technical College for class, but Tuesday was anything but normal for the 22-year-old.

Villarreal and four other TSTC Auto Collision and Management Technology students were awarded Sears Craftsman toolkits valued at $360 through a grant awarded by the Collision Repair Education Foundation and Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR).

“This was a great surprise,” said Villarreal. “There was no way I would have ever been able to afford something like this; I make just enough for tuition and gas, so this is a huge help.”

Villarreal said he has wanted to work in this field since helping his grandfather refurbish and maintain cars as a child.

“With graduation in August, this toolkit came at the right time. It will help me finish the semester strong and hit the ground running when I enter the workforce,” he said. “And I’m glad to still be able to share all of this with my grandfather.”

Villarreal, along with Andy Mendoza, Marco Castro, Brandon Martinez and Leonardo Lozano, who were also awarded toolkits, had applied for this tool grant last semester, and all agreed they had given up hope.

“So much time had passed since submitting my application; I wasn’t even thinking about it anymore,” said Mendoza. “I didn’t think I had received one, but now that I have, it’s a relief because this is going to take me far and has a huge impact on my future career.”

TSTC Auto Collision and Management lead instructor Jose Vasquez said these toolkits are motivators and an important part of a student and graduate’s success.

“Many times students are unable to afford these kits on a student budget,” he said. “And it can take a while before they can afford a full set, but now these five students have a leg up in the industry because of these kits, which was no easy task to apply for.”

To be considered for one of the Sears Craftsman Tool Kits the students had to complete an application, write an essay and collect auto collision shop recommendations by visiting industry professionals, conducting interviews and submitting the shop’s recommendation.

“It took a lot of effort and time on our students’ part and I’m proud that despite everything, they persevered,” said Vasquez. “And thank you to I-CAR and the Collision Repair Education Foundation for their continued support of our students and program.”

In addition to the toolkits, the Collision Repair Education Foundation and I-CAR also donated 14 Toyota Highlander back doors that will be used for training purposes in areas such as refinishing, corrosion, dent repair and painting.

Each back door is worth at least $600, a price tag that Vasquez calls a big investment for the program’s future.

“These back door donations will allow us to continue giving our students real-world, hands-on training so they’re well-rounded and highly-skilled when they enter the workforce,” he said. “This will impact our program and its students for years to come.”

The Collision Repair and Education Foundation and I-CAR annually donate essential parts, supplies and equipment to the program and have award grants to assist and support TSTC Auto Collision and Management Technology students in their journey toward a successful career in the industry.

Auto Collision and Management Technology is also offered at TSTC’s Waco campus. For more information on the program or to register for Fall 2019, visit tstc.edu.

TSTC Student Veteran to Compete at SkillsUSA Nationals

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – From serving his country overseas to serving his local community, Texas State Technical College student James Phillips III has dedicated his life to helping others.

Phillips, a Big Spring native, is an Army veteran and a Vocational Nursing student at TSTC. He recently competed at the state-level SkillsUSA Postsecondary Leadership and Skills Conference, where he placed first in CPR Skills.

“I’m still kind of surprised I got first place. I wasn’t expecting it, but I was very excited,” Phillips said.

SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure that America has a skilled workforce. More than 18,000 people, including students, teachers and business partners, are expected to participate in the national event.

Phillips will represent Texas and TSTC at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, on June 24-28.

Phillips was first introduced to CPR training during his time with the military. He enlisted in the Army in 1999 as a helicopter mechanic before serving in the Army’s Special Forces until 2008.

“We needed to know the basics of medical care and act as a first responder, so we learned CPR skills and other first-responder skills,” he said.

When Phillips is not at school or practicing for SkillsUSA, he is working as a certified nursing assistant at the George H. O’Brien Jr. VA Medical Center in Big Spring.

“It’s a way for me to give back to other veterans but also to be around other nurses and keep learning,” Phillips said.

Phillips stands out to his instructors and classmates not only as an excellent student, but also as the only male in the program.

“Bless his heart. He is the only guy in the class right now, so he’s very protective of the other students and a perfect gentleman. He has been a model student who goes above and beyond. I just can’t say enough good about him,” TSTC vocational nursing instructor Sharon Zetzman-Sparks said.

Being a male nurse is something Phillips knows may be uncommon, but he encourages anyone with a desire to help people to consider the career field.

“It’s something different every day. You keep learning new things, and there is a huge job demand. Being a nurse is very rewarding,” Phillips said.

Phillips is expected to graduate in fall 2019.

For more information about TSTC, go to www.tstc.edu.

James Phillips III is an Army veteran and vocational nursing student at Texas State Technical College in Sweetwater. He will compete in CPR Skills at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference.

TSTC Instructors Named AWS Educate Cloud Ambassadors

(WACO, Texas) – Three instructors in Texas State Technical College’s Cloud Computing program were recently named Amazon Web Services (AWS) Educate Cloud Ambassadors.

Andy Kroll, Clint Pate and Rus Teston went through an application process and created a video explaining their philosophy in promoting cloud computing education.

“It’s an honor to be accepted,” Teston said. “As Amazon is growing, they are expanding their own avenues where the cream rises to the top. To be part of the inaugural class of these ambassadors, that is a special thing.”

Some of the benefits of being named AWS Educate Cloud Ambassadors include special AWS training events, conference discounts and scheduled talks with AWS service personnel and solutions architects.

“They invite instructors to sit with the AWS corporate course development team to get input in the education arena,” Teston said. “Being part of the ambassadors gives us a peek under the covers. We can understand what is coming down the pike before everyone else does.”

TSTC’s program enables students to graduate with AWS Cloud Practitioner and AWS Solutions Architect certifications.

Kroll said students can earn other Amazon certifications on their own. He said the program’s students have earned more than 40 AWS certifications in the last seven semesters.

The program will have a revamped curriculum starting this fall that will utilize competency-based education starting this fall, Kroll said. Some of the courses students will take include Introduction to DevOps Engineering, Introduction to Infrastructure Automation and Advanced Infrastructure Automation.

“The students get a world-class education,” Kroll said.

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

TSTC Student Restaurant to Open June 12

(WACO, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Culinary Arts program opens its student-operated restaurant for the summer semester on Wednesday, June 12.

The restaurant, which is located at the Greta W. Watson Culinary Arts Center on Campus Drive, is open to the public by reservation. Diners can choose from dishes planned and prepared by students and based on regional cuisines.

Meals are served from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays from June 12 to Aug. 9. The restaurant will be closed the week of the Fourth of July. The serving days and themes, which can be subject to change, are:

June 12 and June 14: Texas

June 19 and June 21: Brazil

June 26 and June 28: Greece

July 10 and July 12: Cajun

July 17 and July 19: Mexico

July 24 and July 26: Southern

July 31 and Aug. 2: Indian

Aug. 7 and Aug. 9: Live-action Buffet

Weekly menus will be posted on the Facebook page for the Greta W. Watson Culinary Arts Center at TSTC.

To make reservations, call 254-867-4868 or email wacoculinary@tstc.edu. Visitors must arrive at least 15 minutes before their seating time. Reservations are not accepted on restaurant serving days.

For menus and other information, go to tstc.edu/about/culinarydiningwaco.

news.tstc.edu

Texas State Technical College News Site