Category Archives: All TSTC

El Campo native finds his way to a cool career at TSTC

(FORT BEND) – Nearly a decade after graduating from high school Randy Ratcliff became a college student, proving that it is never too late to get an education or a successful career.

“TSTC changed my life for the better,” said Ratcliff. “It set me up with the foundation to give my family better life.”

The 38-year-old, who is married with two children, graduated from TSTC HVAC Technology with a certificate and associate degree in 2009 and 2012 respectively and recently received a promotion – he is now the service manager at El Campo Refrigeration and Restaurant Supply, where he has worked for four years.

He started out as a service technician, but already had extensive experience in commercial heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and refrigeration.

“I enjoy working outside and with my hands,” said Ratcliff. “And HVAC and refrigeration is always going to be a necessity. So for me there was no other career. HVAC was it.”

While Ratcliff waited for his wife to complete her degree, he worked at a polyvinyl chloride, or PVC manufacturing company in Wharton and did his research on colleges that offer HVAC.

“I knew I was looking for a college that offered hands-on learning. I knew a university wasn’t for me,” he said. “After a lot of research, I found TSTC online and when I learned about their hands-on approach, it clicked. It was the college for me.”Randy Ratcliff

College was a challenge for Ratcliff. He was full-time student and had to work to support his family. But because he was an HVAC student, he was able to work for a local refrigeration company performing maintenance on ice machines while gaining experience.

“Everything I was learning in class I could apply out in the field while I worked,” he said. “That’s the beauty of TSTC. You practice with actual machinery and tools you use out in the field. It was enough to set me up with a successful career and make me competitive in my field.”

Ratcliff graduated with several job offers, including a full-time position where he was working at the time.

When El Campo Refrigeration, where he had already applied, learned about his various offers, they made him an offer he could not refuse.

“Randy has great work ethic and fits into our culture well,” said Michael Kennedy, owner of El Campo Refrigeration. “And the one quality that I really admire about Randy is his willingness to work side-by-side with our service technicians to help train and lead.”

Ratcliff said he credits TSTC for helping him make his dreams a reality.

“If not for TSTC I would still be working shifts that keep me away from my family,” he said. “I would not have the opportunities I have been given. TSTC makes you employment-ready and employable.”

Ratcliff, as manager, is now reaching out to TSTC and other local colleges to recruit new employees and said its to help others who may be in the same position he was in when he was school.

“I’m always recommending TSTC, even to the guys I work with,” said Ratcliff. “I know that if I hire students from TSTC they would have received quality hands-on training and be work ready.”

HVAC Technology is offered at TSTC’s Fort Bend County, Harlingen, North Texas, Waco and Williamson County campuses.

For more information, visit tstc.edu/programs/HVACTechnology.

 

Student Success Profile – Cesar Meza

(HARLINGEN) – Cesar Meza is a Business Management Technology student at Texas State Technical College. The 19-year-old hopes to receive his associate degree by Summer 2019.

Until then, the Harlingen native has a goal of creating a Business Management Technology club so that like-minded students can come together and share their passion for business while doing community service and making the community a better place.Cesar Meza

What are your plans after graduation?

After I graduate from TSTC, I plan on transferring to the University of Texas to pursue a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

What’s your dream job?

I have a passion for business. In fact, my brothers and I are starting up a clothing brand called ESC, which stands for escape. We want our clothing to be considered unique and out of the box and allow people to get creative with fashion. So my dream is to grow this business with them and become a successful clothing business owner.

What has been your greatest accomplishment while at TSTC?

My greatest accomplishment has been my grades. I’m proud of myself for maintaining A’s and B’s in all of my classes. Being a college student is not always easy. It takes a lot of hard work and it’s paid off. I’m proud of myself for that.

What greatest lesson have you learned about yourself or life?

The greatest lesson I have learned is to not take time for granted. Time is a precious thing, and one thing TSTC has taught me is time management. Now I am a lot more productive with the time I am given.

Who at TSTC has had the greatest influence on your success?

The person at TSTC who has inspired me the most is Social and Behavioral Science instructor Frank Coronado. He has taught me how to pay attention to detail and how to be an active listener for others and their messages. He is a great instructor and person overall who cares about his students.

What is your advice for future TSTC students?

This may sound cliche, but my advice to future TSTC students is to never give up. No matter what cards you are dealt, you must rise and keep going. We can all achieve success; you just have to work hard and push forward.

San Benito native returns to his roots at TSTC

(HARLINGEN) – Agriculture was a way of life for Daniel Agado, but he lost sight of it growing up. Years later, he has returned to his roots and is celebrating one month as the Agricultural Technology lab assistant at Texas State Technical College in Harlingen.

“This month has been great. I can honestly say I have found a career move that is permanent,” said Agado. “I love TSTC, agriculture, and helping students pursue their dreams in this field. To me, this is the next best thing to being a farmer.”

The San Benito native said he always wanted to be a farmer as a young boy. Some of his earliest memories include driving a tractor when he was 8 years old; helping his grandparents and uncle plant and harvest crops such as sorghum, corn and cotton; repairing fences; and helping with animals.

But after high school, feeling pressure to attend a four-year university, he enrolled at the University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA), now the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and pursued a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.

“I wasn’t in the right mindset. I was young, and the transition from high school to college was a difficult one for me,” he said. “I ended up dropping out.”

For a few years after UTPA, Agado worked odd jobs, none of which he considered lifelong careers. So he enrolled at a local community college to study biology.TSTC Agricultural Tech Daniel Agado

He ended up earning his associate degree from South Texas College in 2009, and later he transferred back to UTPA to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biology.

“Once again, life got in the way. I had a family to support, and college was no longer a priority,” said Agado, who is married and has three children. “I had to work full time and make a living.”

With his bachelor’s degree nearly completed, Agado left UTPA and worked for nearly six years at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Center just north of Edinburg. He had worked part time at this location as a student.

At the USDA, Agado served as a biology researcher studying beneficial insects and managing research farms in Weslaco.

“I truly enjoyed this job, but I felt stuck. I had plateaued and had nowhere to grow,” he said. “But it was these years of experience that led me to TSTC and my current position, so I appreciate it now.”

Agado enrolled in the Wind Energy Technology program at TSTC in 2016. Little did he know that not only was a degree waiting for him, but also a job-offer-turned-career.

“When I first arrived at TSTC, I was offered the position I have now, but I turned it down because I wanted to finish my program,” he said. “But I guess sometimes things are just meant to be, because here I am.”

Agado earned his associate degree in Wind Energy Technology in Spring 2018 as a TSTC Board of Regents honors graduate with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

“I chose wind energy to begin with because it’s a booming career. I knew there would be financial stability,” he said. “I got some great job offers, but I couldn’t relocate my family.”

Agado now assists TSTC Agricultural Technology department chairman and instructor Sammy Gavito and instructor Sheren Farag with their classes and labs.

“Daniel has extensive experience and broad knowledge about the agriculture industry,” said Gavito. “He brings a lot of expertise to different areas of our curriculum and has already shown us that teaching comes naturally to him and is his calling.”

“We are so excited to have Daniel on our team. And I see him growing with TSTC and within our industry. The sky’s the limit for Daniel,” Gavito added.

Come Spring 2019, not only will Agado continue his work as a lab assistant, but he will also be enrolled as a student in the TSTC Agricultural Technology program.

He plans on pursuing an associate degree and later transferring to Texas A&M-Kingsville for a bachelor’s degree and teacher certification in Agriculture Science.

Agado’s goal: “I hope to someday become a full-time instructor with TSTC’s Agricultural Technology program.”

For more information on Agricultural Technology, visit tstc.edu/programs/AgriculturalTechnology.

TSTC, Valley Baptist Medical Center receive TWC grant for training

(HARLINGEN) – The Workforce Development and Continuing Education department at Texas State Technical College, in partnership with Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen, recently received a Skills Development Fund grant for customized job training.

The check, in the amount of $301,238, was presented by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) during a ceremony hosted at TSTC’s Cultural Arts Center this week.

The training provided by this grant is already in session and will last one year.

TSTC Workforce Development Executive Director Isidro Ramos said it is an honor to partner with TWC and industry to provide technical skills training.TSTC, Valley Baptist Check Presentation

“TSTC plays a vital role in ensuring that our local communities have a skilled workforce so that we may all grow and prosper,” said Ramos. “This grant makes it possible for employees to stay current in their specialty, increase career mobility and salary, and service our area with the best health care possible.”

The grant provides customized job training for 155 Valley Baptist Medical Center employees such as certified nursing assistants, registered nurses and nurse managers.

The training will focus on health care and social assistance topics, including personal leadership, quality management, trauma care, pediatric care and nurse’s aide skills.

Valley Baptist Chief Nursing Officer Steven Hill calls this grant a blessing to his staff and the community they serve.

“We are excited to have received the funds that will help us train our frontline staff,” said Hill. “TSTC’s training is invaluable and, although classes have only begun, we can already see how it’s benefiting our staff and our department. We will reap the benefits of this grant for years to come.”

Additionally, Valley Baptist employees who successfully complete the trauma and pediatric care after resuscitation, trauma nursing core course and emergency pediatric training will receive professional board certifications.

“These additional certifications not only give our health care professionals an enhanced skill set, but also give our community a higher level of care,” said Hill.

Valley Baptist Medical Center is the only level-two trauma facility south of San Antonio. It already partners with TSTC’s Allied Health division, serving as a practicum site for the college’s vocational nursing and registered nursing students.Julian Alvarez

“The longtime partnership we have with Valley Baptist is tremendous,” said TSTC Provost Cledia Hernandez. “It is a privilege to be able to work closely with them in this and other endeavors. The support we have for each other benefits our campus, our students and our community.”

TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez said the economic impact these types of grants have on the state is large.

“This particular grant has a $307,000 economic impact,” he said. “And because of training like this, our unemployment rate is decreasing and partnerships are growing because we all understand what it takes to improve our workforce.”

“I want to let everyone know that the stars are aligning for the South Texas region because of the support and representation you have in Austin. And TSTC, we thank you for always providing innovative training and understanding industry needs,” Alvarez added.

For more information on training provided by TSTC’s Workforce Development and Continuing Education, call 956-364-4590 or visit tstc.edu/continuingeducation.

TSTC Alumnus Moves On to Start Welding Career

(SWEETWATER) – One of Texas State Technical College’s recent alumni from the Welding Technology program has left a high mark for future students to attain.

Luis Rueda, 20, of Colorado City took dual credit classes while a student at Colorado High School and received an Associate of Applied Science degree in Welding Technology in August. He also earned two other graduating honors.

“Luis has continually proven that he is willing to do whatever it takes to make a great hand,” said Taylor Elston, a TSTC Welding Technology instructor.

Elston awarded Rueda the Outstanding Graduate Award, a recognition putting him at the top of his Welding Technology classes.

“He is constantly asking knowledgeable questions, diligently checking his work, and he focuses hard on perfecting his craft with great efficiency,” Elston said.

Rueda also earned the Provost Award from TSTC in West Texas Provost Rick Denbow. Denbow chooses one student each semester to receive the award from those who have received the Outstanding Graduate Award in their program.

“I am so proud of Luis,” said Elston. “I’m glad he got the Provost Award too. He worked hard to earn it.”

According to Elston, Rueda was a consistent leader in the classroom.

“Luis never stops working,” said Elston. “He can work circles around everyone else and still always seems to be the happiest and the least tired.”

In between welding sessions, Rueda found time to enjoy himself and make friends on campus.

“(My favorite memory is) the day we had at the cook-off at the lake,” said Rueda. “It was pretty fun.”

Rueda has always shown promise.

He has been a student at TSTC in Sweetwater since 2015, when he enrolled as a Welding Technology dual credit student through Colorado High School. He first entered Elston’s class as a timid junior but quickly began to show signs of a talented craftsman.

“His junior year he mostly kept to himself,” said Elston. “However, as a senior he was in a fabrication course during the same hours they were juniors in an intro welding course. After he had all his own assignments in, he would hang out with the younger guys and watch them weld and give them pointers.”

Rueda decided to go into the dual credit program after his brother told him how fun and interesting welding was.

“It was a great opportunity that not all schools offer you,” said Rueda. “I just thought it was a great opportunity that my school was offering and that it was gonna help me in my future since I decided that I wanted to be a welder.”

After graduating high school in 2017, Rueda continued his education at TSTC with 15 college credit hours on his transcript, saving him time and money. Rueda was already in the know about  how college worked and what his instructors expected of him, putting him ahead of the game from his first semester as a college student.

“I already knew how to weld by the time I graduated high school, so I didn’t have to worry about that and already knew my instructors well and how they worked,” Rueda said.

Since Rueda’s graduation in August, he has recently been hired to build pressure vessels at Tri-Point LLC in Midland.

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

TSTC Alumnus Moves On to Start Welding Career

TSTC Celebrates Opening of Industrial Technology Center

(ABILENE) – Texas State Technical College’s new Industrial Technology Center received a grand opening Thursday night at a ribbon cutting and community open house.

The 56,000-square-foot structure on Quantum Loop next to Abilene Regional Airport is home to TSTC’s Electrical Power and Controls, Emergency Medical Services, Industrial Maintenance and Welding Technology programs. The building built for innovative technical hands-on learning opened for the fall semester in late August.

“It’s not just about the facility, but it’s about the programs and the people,” said Texas House District 71 Rep. Stan Lambert, R-Abilene.

Lambert said TSTC students walking through the Industrial Technology Center’s doors will be introduced to skill sets to ready themselves for the workforce.

“We have to be nimble and flexible and ready for the challenges to come,” Lambert said.

Even high school students in area school districts will benefit from what the Industrial Technology Center offers. Eighteen Abilene High School students are taking dual credit classes in Electrical Power and Controls this semester. And in Spring 2020, students in the Abilene Independent School District’s fire academy initiative will work on certification in Emergency Medical Services at TSTC.

“We are very excited about the new opportunities for our students,” said Abigayle Barton, the Abilene Independent School District’s associate superintendent for curriculum and instruction. “Our students will become better college and career ready.”

John Beckham, president of the board of directors for The Development Corporation of Abilene, said TSTC’s new building was in a great location for growth in the city. One of the projects he cited was the development of the 21-acre Access Business Park at the intersection of Farm Road 18 and Texas Highway 36 near the airport.

Beckham said Abilene owed it to the youth to provide them opportunities for better pay and a good quality of life. He said he looked forward to TSTC’s contributions to the city.

“Abilene has a need for a highly skilled and a technically-competent workforce,” he said.

Some attendees were seeing the building for the first time.

Jennifer Kent, director of member engagement for the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, said she was excited for TSTC’s growth.

“I love what it stands for and what it can offer to the economy in Abilene with highly qualified workers coming through,” Kent said.

Abilene Mayor Anthony Williams thanked the city’s residents for their commitment in raising $6 million to help get the Industrial Technology Center built.

And, Williams was not shy about his vision for the future. He said he looks forward to seeing more TSTC buildings, and possibly an AISD career and technical education structure, in the next few years.

“Abilene always comes through,” Williams said.

TSTC’s newest building among its 10 campuses was designed by Parkhill, Smith & Cooper, which has offices in Abilene and throughout Texas. Imperial Construction Inc. of Weatherford used local contractors where possible to construct the building.

“TSTC is making an investment in this community,” said Rick Denbow, provost of TSTC’s Abilene, Breckenridge, Brownwood and Sweetwater campuses. “But just as we needed community support to get this Industrial Technology Center up and running, we will need your continued support to make this master plan, this vision a reality.”

The ITC is the first of eight buildings planned in the next several years for the 51-acre campus that is estimated to serve 3,000 students.

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

TSTC Celebrates Opening of Industrial Technology Center

 

TSTC Automotive Technology Celebrates Club Formation, Donation

(WACO) – Texas State Technical College’s Automotive Technology SkillsUSA Club not only celebrated Wednesday its formation this semester, but also a financial contribution to rev up the program.

The TSTC Automotive Technology program announced a $30,000 gift from CarFest in San Antonio for participating in the two-day event in the spring. The money will be divided between TSTC’s Automotive Technology programs in Waco, Harlingen and Sweetwater for tools, scholarships and educational travel opportunities.

This year marked the third time TSTC in Waco has sent students to CarFest to repair vehicles and educate visitors about the Automotive Technology program.

Garrett Carlson, 21, of Llano was one of the Automotive Technology majors who made the trip to the Alamo City.

“It was very beneficial,” Carlson said. “There wasn’t anything that I didn’t learn from somebody. The most fun I had was looking at the classic cars.”

Carlson is one of the students taking a new Career Essentials class being offered this semester in the Automotive Technology program. The curriculum is from SkillsUSA and teaches students skills like decision-making, multicultural awareness, responsibility and leadership.

Chris Perales, a TSTC Automotive Technology instructor, will lead the class with the help of program instructors teaching specialized lessons. His inspiration for starting the class, which will double as training for state and national postsecondary SkillsUSA competitions, was the trip he made as part of the TSTC statewide delegation to SkillsUSA’s 54th annual National Leadership and Skills Conference in late June in Louisville, Kentucky.

“It reenergized me,” Perales said. “It motivated me to get them interested in SkillsUSA’s Career Essentials and the Chapter Excellence Program.”

The Automotive Technology SkillsUSA Club is open to all TSTC students. The group meets on Wednesdays at noon and two hours on Friday mornings for hands-on work.

Krystal Marshall, 19, is a Visual Communication Technology from Waco, is secretary in the Automotive Technology SkillsUSA Club. She joined so she could improve her leadership skills.

“I do want to learn about cars,” Marshall said. “I like showing people there are a lot of cool things going on in this club.”

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

TSTC Automotive Technology Celebrates Club Formation, Donation

 

TSTC Alumnus Stays in Region for Technology Job

(WACO) – Sheldon Burney points to his experiences at Eden High School in Concho County for influencing his career decision.

The Eden Independent School District’s information technology director guided Burney in learning how to maintain networks while still a high school student. Burney started fixing technical issues for teachers during class periods.

“It was a lot of fun doing that,” said Burney, a Texas State Technical College alumnus.

Burney has been working since August in Corsicana as a field PC/network technician at Switch Technologies. A lot of his work involves traveling to clients’ locations to diagnose technical problems.

“We support the information technology in companies in cities ranging from China Spring to Ennis,” he said.

Burney said weekly conference calls help to keep himself and his co-workers updated on hardware and software changes.

“We use an app called Slack, and we will send each other articles to read and webinars to show how technology is changing,” he said.

Texas has more than 32,600 network and computer systems administrators with an annual mean wage of more than $91,300, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Connie Standridge, Corsicana’s city manager, said there is a need for information technology workers in the city, especially for individualized services. Corsicana has more than 23,600 residents, according to 2017 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.

“I think first you have to have good internet and high-speed access and good, affordable buildings and offices,” Standridge said. “A lot of people are now working from home.”

Burney was raised in Grape Creek and grew up during his middle and high school years in Eden. He graduated in 2013 from Eden High School.

He discovered TSTC from a friend who was studying Automotive Technology.

“I only wanted to attend a school that could further my experiences with technology hands-on instead of taking it from more of a logical standpoint,” Burney said.

Burney graduated from TSTC in 2015 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Computer Maintenance Technology and in 2018 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Computer Networking and Systems Administration.

“I never really expected to enjoy going to class that much because I jumped into college after high school,” Burney said. “TSTC has made me more confident with technology. They have been accommodating in helping me find a job.”

He plans to return in the spring to finish classes for associate degrees in Cyber Security and Cloud and Data Center Management.

“Sheldon is one of those students who proves that perseverance will win out,” said John Washington, a TSTC instructor in the Computer Networking and Systems Administration program. “His dedication to understanding the foundational skills required to work in the information technology field will ensure that his employer will be rewarded for giving him an opportunity to showcase what he has learned during his time at TSTC.”

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

TSTC Alumnus Stays in Region for Technology Job

TSTC Programs Enabling Students to Repair, Maintain Equipment

(WACO) – Reid Terry, 18, of Robinson feels he has the winning combination.

Terry, a student at Texas State Technical College, is double majoring in Facilities Maintenance and Management and Industrial Maintenance. He is scheduled to graduate next spring and is already excited about his job prospects.

“I like knowing how things work,” Terry said. “You learn everything and anything. In maintenance, you are fixing lots of things. I don’t want to do the same thing daily. I want to do something on the facility side, maybe at a hospital.”

TSTC students can pursue a mechanical specialization in the Industrial Maintenance associate degree program and learn about heavy equipment rigging and movement, boiler maintenance and programmable logic controls.

Students like Terry have the option of earning the Associate of Applied Science degree in Facilities Maintenance and Management covering blueprint reading, building codes and inspections, and building maintenance management.

“The dual-degree students that will work in an industrial environment have an advantage over their peers that have not been through leadership training,” said Michael Hubbard, a TSTC Industrial Systems and Engineering Department instructional lead. “As a technician, troubleshooting, analysis and evaluation skills are paramount.”

Some of the fields in which graduates in Industrial Maintenance and Facilities Maintenance and Management can work include motor vehicle manufacturing and semiconductor and electronic component manufacturing.

Many of the  jobs are in Texas.

The number of electro-mechanical technicians is projected to be more than 14,000 and the number of industrial engineering technicians is expected to be more than 64,000 through 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs in the industrial maintenance and facilities maintenance fields are primarily in the Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio markets, along with the Killen, Temple and Waco areas.

Jerry Boroff, plant manager of Evans Enterprises Inc. in Abilene, Waco and Wichita Falls, said it is a challenge finding the right employees to fill available jobs. The company specializes in motor and wind turbine repair, along with crane and hoist maintenance.

Boroff said people interested in entering the industrial and facilities maintenance fields need to have curiosity.

“We do try to train all of the guys on our equipment on what they will be using in the field,” he said. “It’s the kind of industry that you make what you want to, if you want to put in the hours.”

Terry, along with his classmates Heath Brittain, 29, of Wortham and Joseph Irador, 28, of Houston, all gained work experience working this summer at Hawaiian Falls Water Park in Waco. They learned how much effort it takes to keep the water park functioning, from fixing pumps that produce waves to keeping air conditioning systems operating.

Brittain chose to major in Industrial Maintenance to pick up where he left off at TSTC before leaving a few years ago to work in the oil and gas fields. He wants the associate degree to get him higher pay when he returns to work full time.

“We are the industrial jack-of-all-trades,” Brittain said.

Irador is double majoring in Industrial Maintenance and Facilities Maintenance and Management to help make a career change. Irador was previously a mathematics teacher in the Houston Independent School District.

“I always took things apart as a child,” Irador said. “Since I’m in the programs, I have become more mechanically inclined.”

Irador, who graduates in December, is already interviewing for jobs.

“If I know what I’m doing, I’ll be the hardest worker there,” he said.

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

TSTC Programs Enabling Students to Repair, Maintain Equipment

TSTC Alum Finds Success in Hobby Turned Career

(HARLINGEN) – As a child, Harlingen native Hunter Warner would help his father and friends work on cars and trucks.

So wasting no time at all, when he was faced with figuring out his future after high school he enrolled in the Diesel Equipment Technology program at Texas State Technical College in Fort Bend County.

His only challenge – having to move away from home for the first time.

And although there were other diesel programs in the Valley, the now 20-year-old knew TSTC was the right fit for him because of his financial situation, it was a two-year program versus four-year and it was a brand new campus.

“I had always heard about TSTC and it always came highly recommended by teachers and friends,” said Warner. “So when I heard about the new campus in Rosenberg and the new diesel program, I jumped on it. But moving away is never easy.”Hunter Warner

Like with any move, there were expenses to cover and for Warner who was a college student, there was also tuition, books and supplies.

Fortunately, Warner received the TSTC Texan Success Scholarship and was able to transfer his sales representative position at Discount Tire to the Rosenberg location.

“Although moving away was hard, it was overall a great experience and way of growing personally and professionally,” said Warner. “The training I received was invaluable. It laid my foundation.”

Warner said he is a hands-on learner, so the majority of class time spent at the TSTC diesel lab working on assignments and projects with equipment actually used in industry helped him succeed.

“School is not my forte. I learn by doing, not reading,” said Warner. “And although I did consider other colleges, TSTC stood out because of its hands-on learning.”

Before Warner walked across the commencement stage in December 2017 to receive his certificate in Diesel Equipment Technology, he had a job waiting for him with Ag-Pro Companies in Harlingen.

“It was such a relief knowing I had a job waiting for me. Although, I was scared to take the plunge and leave my job at Discount Tire; I was comfortable,” he said. “But my family and friends encouraged me and told me not to let my education go to waste because of my fear.”

So now Warner is back home working as a service technician at Ag-Pro on heavy equipment such as tractors. He will be celebrating his one-year anniversary in a couple of months.

Ag-Pro Service Manager and Warner’s direct supervisor Christie Hill said it was his skills, know-how and his will to take initiative that caught her attention.

“I knew he would be a great asset to our team,” said Hill. “He is self-motivated, not afraid to work on something new and gets along great with others.”

Hill said he started out in the Lawn and Garden department and quickly got promoted to the heavy equipment side of the house.

“His dream is to become a field technician and have his own truck,” she said. I have no doubt that he will get there sooner than later. He works hard and has ambition.”

In fact, Warner will be attending a week-long session at John Deere School getting further training on electrics and hydraulics.

Warner describes his job more as a hobby than actual work because he loves it so much, and he credits TSTC’s Placement Officer Judy Cox and his diesel program instructors for helping him open this chapter.

“I want thank them for their tireless efforts in helping us students get a job,” said Warner. “Because of them I now have the dream of opening up my own diesel mechanics shop. And with what I learned at TSTC and the experience I’m gaining at Ag-Pro, I know that it can become reality.”

“And it feels great to be back home,” he added.

Diesel Technology is offered at TSTC’s Fort Bend County, Marshall, North Texas, Sweetwater and Waco campuses. For more information on Diesel Equipment Technology, visit tstc.edu/programs/DieselEquipmentTechnology.