(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Tracy Deadman is a Sweetwater native who transplanted to the Rio Grande Valley for the booming wind energy industry.

Deadman, who was trained on the job, has worked in wind energy for 18 years, and the last seven years have been spent as a site supervisor with E.ON, one of the world’s largest owners of renewable power projects, based outside of Raymondville.

With the company rapidly expanding its wind, solar and energy storage portfolio, Deadman knew there was a promotion around the corner, but the job advancement required a college degree. That’s where TSTC came in.

The 44-year-old will graduate this month with an associate degree and honors in Business Management Technology, which has led to his promotion as Regional Operations Manager for E.ON and a significant pay increase.

When did you first learn about your job offer?

I first learned I had received the promotion in January, way before even thinking about graduating. I knew this promotion was around the corner, so a couple of years back I started preparing for it. TSTC made it possible and now I can even call myself a college graduate. Before this I had never stepped foot inside a college classroom.

How did TSTC prepare you for your career?

A lot of the classes I was enrolled in already dealt with topics I’ve encountered at work as a supervisor, but what I loved about TSTC was its class flexibility. I work minimum 40 hours a week and I am a father of five, so that was very important to me. The flexibility of on-campus and online classes made it convenient and manageable.

Who has had the greatest influence on your success?

Fortunately for me I’m a self-motivator and self-starter, but my Business Management Technology instructor and advisor Steve Szymoniak kept me going if doubts snuck in. He pushed me, in fact all of his students, to do the work and do our best.

What are your future goals?

The next goal on my list is to pursue my project manager professional certification. This is something I have always wanted. I had the experience and work hours, but not the college degree. Now as a college graduate this is the next step in my career. TSTC has opened doors for me.

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

As a site supervisor and now regional manager, one of my responsibilities is to hire. And out of the 30 people I oversee, nearly half are TSTC graduates. There are plenty of job opportunities that only require a two-year degree, and those people are the ones with the skills. They’re marketable and in demand. So I would tell them, go for it. You could be one of those making $20 or more an hour after graduating.

 What is your advice for future TSTC students?

Work hard. In college and in life you get out what you put into it.

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – A two-car accident, flashing emergency lights, first responders and patients with simulated traumatic injuries set the scene earlier this week at Texas State Technical College during the first mock disaster drill hosted by the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program on campus.

“This drill served as a training for our students and to have them put their skills and knowledge into practice during a mass casualty incident while working with other first responders at the scene,” said TSTC EMS instructor Adriana Contreras.

Participants who brought the mock disaster drill to life included TSTC emergency medical technician (EMT) and paramedic students, TSTC nursing students, TSTC campus police, the Harlingen Fire Department, the Weslaco Fire Department, South Texas Emergency Care, and AirLife.

“You can never fully prepare for an emergency,” said Contreras. “But drills like this give our students a real-world experience so they are better prepared to enter the field.”

This is the first drill of this magnitude for the EMS program since transitioning from continuing education to a certificate and associate degree program within TSTC.

A similar mock disaster drill is hosted every semester by the EMS program at TSTC in Abilene, and Contreras said they played a huge role in this event’s organization.

“The instructors and students in Abilene really guided us and helped us put this together,” said Contreras. “This is something we expect to host every semester for our students. The more practice in patient care they get, the better prepared they will be for a real emergency.”

To raise awareness about distracted driving, the mock drill included a car full of distracted students “crashing” head-on into another vehicle, also causing mock injuries to area pedestrians.

TSTC nursing students acted as injured patients made up to resemble an actual mass casualty scene. Mock head, brain, face, neck and spinal injuries were a few of the “traumas” treated by TSTC EMS students and first responders on scene.

TSTC EMS student Jasper Salazar said the program and this drill have expanded his grasp of the medical field and patient care.

“This is my first rodeo,” he said. “I’ve worked in the medical field in acupuncture and other oriental medicines, but never in this capacity. This training is a good thing. It’s a great learning experience for all of us.”

He said he is grateful to TSTC for giving the students this type of opportunity because it raises awareness of the do’s and don’ts at an emergency scene.

“Our job as EMTs is to save lives and make our cities safer,” said Salazar. “And this prepares us while teaching us how to interact and communicate with other first responders and nurses at the hospital. In the real world, we all have to work together, and this is great practice.”

Contreras said drills like this expose students not only to scenarios and injuries they might face in the field, but also to the emotional aspects they might encounter from patients and other first responders.

“Emotions can run high at scenes like the one we set up,” said Contreras. “Our EMTs and paramedics need to know how to handle that as well. Sometimes we’re there to hold a hand and provide a feeling of safety; other times we need to save a life. And it’s important that, no matter what, we can build a trust with our patients.”

TSTC Police Chief Eduardo Patino said it is crucial to build relationships with other first responders, and drills like this allow the building of a cohesive team.

“Together, we are being proactive and preparing for emergencies before they occur,” said Patino. “And by building a strong working relationship with other emergency responders, we are able to respond and handle any incident accordingly.”

Contreras said she is thankful to all of the emergency responders who participated and to the students who helped make the mock disaster drill a success.

“There is a huge demand for highly skilled EMTs and paramedics throughout our region and statewide,” she said. “And we are working to ensure that our students possess the skills they need to be marketable in the field, to get hired and start working to save lives.”

She said she expects to hold mock disaster drills often to ensure that everyone is ready for any emergency that may come their way.

TSTC’s EMT and paramedic programs are currently accepting applications for Summer and Fall 2019, respectively. Information sessions are held every Tuesday.

For more information on TSTC’s Emergency Medical Services program, visit tstc.edu or call 956-364-4741.

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – To earn a spot at this year’s SkillsUSA national competition, Texas State Technical College Mechatronics students and teammates Ricardo Vera and Maria Lara worked diligently for six hours building, wiring and programming their programmable logic controller, or PLC, during the SkillsUSA state competition earlier this month at TSTC in Waco.

“The competition was real and tough,” said Vera. “So when we found out we had received a gold medal, we were surprised. After countless hours of studying for a 104-question test and preparing for the technical aspect of the competition, it’s a true honor and makes everything worth it.”

It’s an honor that he shares with 22 other TSTC in Harlingen students who also earned gold medals.

The gold medalists will advance to the 2019 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, on June 24-28.

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

Students in SkillsUSA participate in hands-on competitions in various fields such as science; technology; engineering; mathematics; building construction; and heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

TSTC Provost Cledia Hernandez said TSTC prides itself on being a leader in technical training and a vital partner in closing the skills gap in the Texas market, and that SkillsUSA, which she also calls the Olympics for technical education, is a validator of the strong impact TSTC students and their abilities have on the Texas economy.

“We are very proud of all our students and especially our gold medalists,” she said. “They not only represent TSTC well, but they are a testament of our goal of student success. This award is about them and how they have demonstrated that they are ready to enter the workforce with the highest caliber of skills for their industry.”

Also earning gold and competing for the first time this year were Digital Media Design students Matthew Rojas and Rafael Vasquez.

“I was so confused when we won. I had to be reassured we had won,” said Vasquez. “With it being our program’s first time competing and not knowing what to expect, we didn’t think we’d win gold. But it was a pleasant surprise, and we’re excited for nationals.”

Rojas and Vasquez competed in the Digital Cinem

They were then required to present their final project for judging.

“My students knocked it out of the ballpark with this win,” said their Digital Media Design instructor, Jimmy Villarreal. “Competition was strong, but we had also prepared endlessly during and after class for this competition.”

Villarreal said the preparation time for nationals will double, and because of conflicting schedules, it’s going to be a challenge — but a challenge that both students have accepted because they’re in it to win.

“I’m not going to lie; I’m a little nervous,” said Rojas. “I’ve never been out of Texas, and I hear there are thousands of students at this competition. But we’re going to get ready and go out there to do our best and make TSTC proud with another gold medal.”

Statewide, 63 TSTC students earned gold medals during the recent state competition.

For more information on TSTC and the programs offered, go to www.tstc.edu.