(MARSHALL) – Aaron Perry is glad to be back home in East Texas.

Perry, 22, of Longview, began a new career earlier this month as a student recruitment representative at Texas State Technical College in Marshall.

Perry recently graduated from the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Arkansas and said he missed family, friends and Longview High School football games while he was away.

“We are so excited for Aaron to be part of the student recruitment here in Marshall,” said TSTC Recruitment Coordinator III Patty Lopez. “Although he has been with TSTC for two weeks, he has seamlessly transitioned into his role as a recruiter and I am sure that he will do great things once school is back in session. He is a true go-getter and we are lucky to have him.”

Perry took part in the technical college’s recent Registration Rally and is working with prospective students to give tours and aid in the registration process.

“We are working right now and trying to contact all the counselors that are in our region and set up dates where we could come and present to classes and attend a college fair or set up a booth,” Perry said.

He likes the technical college’s mix of students who have recently graduated from high school and those who have worked and are going back to earn a certificate or associate degree. He said the older students can mentor the younger ones in their fields of study.

“It feels awesome because I have been in the students’ shoes,” he said. “It feels great being able to help the students and guide them.”

And, he is eager to talk to prospective students about the cost effectiveness and affordability of a two-year technical education. According to the Brookings Institution and U.S. Department of Education data, TSTC has one of the highest degree values among two-year colleges in the nation.

Perry is a 2012 graduate of Longview High School, where he played baseball.

He graduated in May 2016 from the University of the Ozarks, where he played baseball, was a student ambassador and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

“I don’t think it’s too different from marketing,” he said. “We are trying to sell the school to the student.”

He heard about the TSTC job through Ashley Moore, a former TSTC in Marshall recruiter who is now attending graduate school at Syracuse University to study sports broadcasting.

“At Longview High School the sports people stuck together,” Moore said. “I played basketball and he played baseball. I thought he would be a good fit for TSTC job. He’s talkative and outgoing.”

Registration continues for fall semester. For more information, log on to tstc.edu.

(MARSHALL) – Jeremy Ledbetter’s college education actually began when he was a fourth-grade student at J.H. Moore Elementary School in Marshall.

Ledbetter and his class made a field trip to Texas State Technical College in Marshall. While on campus, the young students visited classrooms and saw learning labs for computers and heavy equipment.

“It had been my first time on a college campus, actually,” Ledbetter, 18, said. “I got there and I was getting interested in what they were showing us, probably because it was new and I had not seen it before. I had always been interested in the computer side of things, even when I was little.”

During their visit, Ledbetter and his classmates each were given something that would prove valuable years later — a $500 voucher to attend TSTC in Marshall. His parents put his voucher in a safe box at their house in Jefferson.

Ledbetter recently redeemed the voucher and will now study Cyber Security starting later this month.

The voucher idea originated with Randall Wooten, former president of TSTC in Marshall and now vice chancellor at TSTC in Fort Bend County. He said at the time he wanted to put the ideas into area fourth- and fifth-grade students’ minds that attending TSTC would make differences in their lives.

He was pleased to hear that Ledbetter and two other students attending for fall semester had turned in vouchers.

“It’s like a dream come true,” Wooten said. “Someone plants a tree or a garden and once the harvest or the fruits of labor start coming in, it gives you a sense of satisfaction. This is a new crop of TSTC students and I’m glad it made a difference.”

Ledbetter, a 2016 graduate of Marshall High School, grew up using Apple products.

“I like figuring out the different parts of computers,” he said. “I know how they work and I have been looking into building my own computer but have not been able to get the parts yet.”

He is the person his family and friends go to when they have computer questions.

“It’s nice to know I can actually help them,” he said.

He had an interest growing up of being an animator, but cyber security also lured as a potential career.

“Cyber security just always sounded interesting to me,” Ledbetter said. “I like the idea of making security-type systems for computers.”

Ledbetter is still formulating a plan for when he graduates from TSTC.

“A bachelor’s degree would be nice – just a good four-year degree is always helpful on the resume,” he said. “But at this point, I am just more concerned with graduating from TSTC and getting a good job, and then I can go back after that.”

Registration continues for fall semester. Classes begin at TSTC in Marshall on Monday, Aug. 29.

(MARSHALL) – A Longview company has made a sizeable contribution to help students reach their education goals in East Texas.

Eastman Chemical Co. has bestowed at least $30,000 this year toward Texas State Technical College’s Make a Texas-Sized Difference campaign developed by The TSTC Foundation to raise money for the Texan Success Scholarship.

“Among TSTC’s greatest strengths are the relationships we maintain with industry partners like our great friends at Eastman,” TSTC in Marshall Provost Barton Day said. “Their technical guidance, equipment contribution and student sponsorship help us keep training on the cutting edge and place more Texans in great-paying careers.”

The company was founded in 1920 in Kingsport, Tenn., and has more than 15,000 employees at locations in the United States, Mexico, China, Brazil, Singapore, Japan and South Korea, along with several facilities in Europe. The chemical company works with clients in the transportation, construction, agriculture and chemicals-processing industries.

“Eastman Chemical Co. Texas Operations values our partnership of many years with TSTC,” said Mike Tucker, an Eastman learning services technologist in Longview. “The Marshall campus offers programs that produce students with the skills needed for our operations jobs.”

The company’s areas of interest for prospective workers are process technology, industrial maintenance and instrumentation.

“Too many students use the wrong criteria when making their college choice on where and what to study,” TSTC Chancellor Michael Reeser said. “The No. 1 question for everyone should be: How good is the job I can get with the degree I plan to pursue? The assumption that all four-year degrees earn more than all two-year degrees is wrong. In fact, most two-year STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) degrees out-earn the average four-year degree.”

New, incoming students at TSTC’s 10 campuses can receive the non-need, referral-based $1,000 scholarships. TSTC recruiters, faculty members and high school counselors can make recommendations for students to receive the money to pay for two semesters. Each dollar contributed by donors will be matched by the college.

“The goal is to grow TSTC, get our students in school and on track to complete a program and eventually enter the Texas workforce,” Vice President of Institutional Advancement Beth Wooten has said. “This is bigger than just TSTC. This is about filling the skills gap in Texas and providing industry with the skilled workers desperately needed.”

The Make a Texas-Sized Difference campaign continues. For more information on the campaign and other ways to contribute to TSTC, log on to tstc.edu/tstcfoundation or call 903-923-3209.

TSTC in Marshall will host a Registration Rally from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6.

(MARSHALL) – Trayci Fields’ life changed at 18 when she gave birth to a son.

But, she persevered and will soon call herself a college graduate.

Fields, 25, of Longview, is scheduled to graduate in August with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Professional Office Technology and a Microsoft Office Specialist certification at Texas State Technical College in Marshall.

“We’ve been with Trayci through the tears and the smiles,” said Robert Brown, director of Information Technology Studies at TSTC. “She’s worked hard to earn her way and we’re very proud of her.”

She encountered the typical challenges that young working parents face while balancing child care, employment, studying and classes.

“I was working and had a job and that job kind of took a lot of my time and I was going for an internship as well,” Fields said. “It did get real hard for me when I was supposed to finish, but I prolonged it because I knew I needed to work.”

Carolyn O’Neill, lead instructor in the Professional Office Technology program at TSTC in Marshall, said she admired Fields’ tenacity.

“Of all the classes she took, she worked at the Microsoft certification the hardest,” O’Neill said. “I was very proud of her and the fact that she never quit.”

After graduation, Fields wants to pursue a bachelor’s degree and work in a healthcare setting.

“I will always have a job somewhere and anywhere there is a hospital and clinic,” Fields said. “In this technical program, I can work in office settings and it doesn’t have to be in the medical field.”

And, she hopes she can set a good example for her son, now 6.

“He is already noticing,” Fields said about her upcoming graduation. “I just want him to know that after high school you have to keep going while you are young and don’t stop.”

Fields grew up in Longview and graduated in 2009 from Longview High School, where she played tennis and was in the Science Club.

“At age 14, 15, 16 I knew I was going to college somewhere,” she said. “I didn’t think it would be 25 minutes from where I would come from.”

She was familiar with TSTC because she once lived in Marshall and had a relative who graduated from the technical college.

“They (the faculty) actually helped me so much along the way in the program where sometimes I didn’t know if I was going to pass or not,” Fields said. “They were always encouraging.”

TSTC in Marshall’s Summer Commencement will be at 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 19 at the Julius S. Scott Sr. Chapel on Wiley Avenue at Wiley College in Marshall.

(HUTTO) – Texas State Technical College in Williamson County is adding two new academic programs for the fall.

Computer Networking and Security Technology will be added as a Certificate 1 and cover topics like web server support, firewalls and computer maintenance.

Cyber Security will be offered as a Certificate 2 covering information security, programming logic, networking technologies and other subjects.

“It’s all about enrollment now – grow, grow, grow,” TSTC in Williamson County Provost Edgar Padilla said.

TSTC in Williamson County Executive Director Evan Morgan said both programs are a way for people already in the workforce to expand their professional credentials.

The programs will emphasize what TSTC is known for in hands-on learning, course diversity and building skills that will shift graduates into good-paying jobs.

The technical programs complement Williamson County’s industry goals. Technology is one of the industries targeted for growth by the Williamson County Economic Development Partnership.

Students with Computer Networking and Security Technology certifications or degrees can become Computer Network Support Specialists. Currently Williamson County has at least 450 workers in the field earning a regional average wage of $58,000, according to the county economic development partnership.

Graduates can also work to become Computer Network Architects – the county has more than 350 people in the field earning a regional average wage of $113,800, which is above the $100,700 national average wage, according to the county economic development partnership.

People with Cyber Security academic work can pursue Network and Computer System Administration. Williamson County has more than 800 workers in the field earning a regional average wage of $75,000, according to the county economic development partnership.

TSTC in Williamson County will host College for Heroes Day for veterans and their relatives to register for classes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 19, at the East Williamson County Higher Education Center on Innovation Boulevard in Hutto.

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

(MARSHALL) – Diesel Equipment Technology students at Texas State Technical College in Marshall recently started using work gloves donated by a Great Lakes company.

HexArmor of Grand Rapids, Michigan, provides puncture and cut-resistant work gloves, arm sleeves, personal cooling products and reusable boot covers to the mining, oil and gas, pulp paper and recycling industries.

“The gloves were a donation from the manufacturer. We will decide which types are best for shop use. Then, new gloves will be sold later in the bookstore,” said Wayne Dillon, director of the Design, Manufacturing and Transportation Division at TSTC in Marshall.

The gloves donation marks the first time the company has partnered with TSTC. The 10 pairs of gloves are valued at $500.

“Hopefully it’s the start of a long-lasting relationship in which we can bring value to the students of TSTC not only through our products, but also through various hand safety educational opportunities,” said Eric Cousins, a digital marketing specialist for HexArmor. “Provost Bart Day and his staff have been a joy to work with thus far and I’m impressed by their dedication to the safety of their students.”

Jason Mathis, 20, a Diesel Equipment Technology major from Jefferson, enjoys using the gloves.

“The gloves save your knuckles,” Mathis said. “They keep you from getting pinched and save your hands from getting nasty.”

Another Diesel Equipment Technology major, Cameron Maxwell, 22, of Waskom, said the gloves are durable and lower his chances of getting injured. After graduation this summer he wants to open his own business and work on his own equipment.

The partnership between TSTC and HexArmor began when Day reached out to the company to inquire about the gloves.

“He (Day) mentioned that the college strives to educate and familiarize students with the best safety practices and personal protective equipment available,” said Cousins. “We at HexArmor also share that passion for safety and appreciated the great opportunity to offer world-class personal protective equipment to the students at TSTC. Hopefully it will help them spread the word about the importance of hand safety at the various job sites where they will work.”

TSTC in Marshall offers the Associate of Applied Science in Diesel Equipment Technology Off-Highway Specialization and a Certificate in Diesel Equipment Technology Off-Highway Equipment.

For more information on how to make a donation to TSTC, contact The TSTC Foundation at 254-867-3900 or 903-923-3209.

Registration continues for the fall semester at TSTC. For more information log on to tstc.edu.

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(MARSHALL) – The Diesel Equipment Technology program at Texas State Technical College recently received a Waukesha 6-cylinder natural gas engine valued at $12,500.

J-W Power Co. in Longview donated the engine along with its parts book and instruction manual. The company has made donations to the program in the past.

“I think it would make a great engine for students to learn on,” said Plant Manager David Ramaly. Ramaly is also a member of the program’s advisory committee and the statewide Diesel Equipment Technology Advisory Committee.

The industrial engine is used in the field as a generator operated off natural compressed gas.

“As of right now we do not have the stand for the engine built but the engine is on a temporary pallet,” said Wayne Dillon, an instructor and division director for the Transportation and Service Cluster at TSTC in Marshall. “We will need to pipe natural gas to the area the engine will be housed and that will not be available until sometime midterm.”

The donation effort started in October 2015 during a program advisory committee meeting when program staff talked to company representatives. The company sells, leases and services standard and custom natural gas compression equipment and has the largest privately-owned compression fleet in the United States.

“It is always good when industry can give back to those who educate the workforce,” said Ramaly.

TSTC in Marshall offers the Associate of Applied Science in Diesel Equipment Technology Off-Highway Specialization and a Certificate in Diesel Equipment Technology Off Highway Equipment.

For more information on how to make a cash or equipment donation to TSTC, contact The TSTC Foundation at 254-867-3900.

Registration continues for Fall Semester at TSTC. For more information log on to tstc.edu.

(MARSHALL) – Texas State Technical College’s Biomedical Equipment Technology program in Marshall recently received an equipment donation valued at more than $100,000 from East Texas Medical Center in Henderson.

The program received four Nihon-Kohden Monitor Systems for bedside usage with nursing central station telemetry, a CONMED Electrosurgical Unit used for incision and ridding the body of tissue masses, six Abbott Plumb intravenous infusion pumps and a stress test unit.

“Generous donations like this give TSTC the opportunity to train students on the broadest variety of equipment they may see in the field and give them the hands-on training that make our students so successful in the workplace,” TSTC in Marshall Provost Bart Day said.

The equipment will be used in the program’s Physiological Instruments and Biomedical Clinical Instrumentation courses, Associate Professor Nicholas Cram said.

“The equipment is termed ‘end of life’ in the industry,” Cram said. “This means that the hospital can no longer be certain that parts and technical support is available for this equipment. The equipment is four to five years old and very serviceable for student use. It gives us at TSTC in Marshall the ability to use relatively new equipment for labs.”

Fred Ingham, a biomedical technician at the Henderson hospital, said staff thought the retired equipment would be best for the program. Ingham said East Texas Medical Center in Tyler has an internship program with TSTC in Marshall and has made previous equipment donations

The Biomedical Equipment Technology program currently has 48 students enrolled. Students can receive an Associate in Biomedical Equipment Technology in Marshall.

Students with a biomedical equipment technology degree can work for medical centers, equipment manufacturers and digital industrial companies, according to the Medical Device Manufacturers Association and the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation in Healthcare Technology.

For more information on how to make a cash or equipment donation to TSTC, contact The TSTC Foundation at 254-867-3900.

Registration continues for Fall Semester. For more information log on to tstc.edu.

(MARSHALL) – Area companies have turned to Texas State Technical College for training workers to improve their skills in manufacturing and production.

“We do have a training capacity for the local area within a 50-mile range,” said Bryan Maertins, executive director of Workforce Training and Continuing Education at TSTC in Marshall. “We have started a statewide direct marketing campaign geared toward companies.”

Cabot Norit Activated Carbon Americas in Marshall has sent workers to learn about different kinds of welding and process training. The training began in January and ended in April with another session scheduled to start in June. This was the first time the company has partnered with the college.

“Their goal is to run 35 people through the training,” said Maertins.

Master Woodcraft Cabinetry in Marshall continues to send six workers to train for mechanical troubleshooting, motor controls, programmable logic controls and the basics of electricity.

The company makes enough cabinets to fill the equivalent of 65 tractor-trailers a week and sent to 35 states. Some of the equipment workers use include computerized chop and gang rip saws and water-based ultraviolet cured finishing lines.

“In maintenance, the machinery we buy is very sophisticated and highly technical and computerized,” said Mark Trexler, the company’s president and chief executive officer. “We have to continue to educate these guys to work on the more complicated equipment.”

Trexler said having TSTC in Marshall was an asset in utilizing faculty expertise and equipment.

“We are very happy or we would not continue to do it,” Trexler said. “They (workers) have to work their shift and they go over to TSTC for training,” he said. “It’s a huge benefit to have them local. If we had to send them to Longview or Shreveport, we would probably not do it.”

Earlier this year, LP Building Products of Carthage sent eight workers to learn more about programmable logic control systems and hydraulics theory, troubleshooting and design. Maertins said the company requested an assessment of its workers before and after the training to see how much they have developed.

Edward Chaney, an instructor and assistant department chair in Industrial Maintenance/Engineering, said workplace safety comes from respecting the equipment being used and repaired.

“Understanding the how’s and why’s give technicians a better understanding of troubleshooting and a better of understanding of how to design and upgrade equipment efficiency,” he said. “With this knowledge comes a better technical team and a safer team.”

To learn more about workforce training opportunities contact Bryan Maertins, executive director of Workforce Training and Continuing Education at 903-923-3442.

(MARSHALL) – Chastity Rhodes is going for her own triple crown at Texas State Technical College.

Rhodes, 33, of Marshall will receive associate degrees in Computer Networking and Security Technology and Cyber Security at the college’s Spring Commencement at 6 p.m. Friday at Julius S. Scott Sr. Chapel at Wiley College.

She already graduated with an associate degree in Biomedical Equipment Technology in 2014 at TSTC.

“I want to make sure I have a wide range of skills to make money for me and my children,” Rhodes said.

Rhodes discovered an interest in network support when she took networking classes for the Biomedical Equipment Technology degree.

“I kind of always wanted to work in a hospital setting but I’m not the nurse type,” she said. “I’m a very technical and analytical person. When I heard about this degree plan that lets you work on medical machines and networking in hospitals and you have to do a lot of security with HIPA (Health Information Privacy Act) too, it was everything I wanted actually.”

Alan Towery, an instructor in the Cyber Security program, said Rhodes was one of the hardest working students he has had.

“She would come up here to campus as much as she could to get help and even when she was not in class,” he said. “She was always asking questions to understand the material more.”

Towery said TSTC in Marshall’s cyber security graduates have gone on to work for school districts, hospitals and communication companies since the program began in the 2011-12 academic year.

Rhodes has been moved up from an internship to full-time employee at Seven Networks LLC in Marshall. Her internship involved server room network administration, cyber security work and network monitoring.

“The only way I have gotten to where I am at is to push myself and not be completely satisfied and work to do better,” she said. “My hopes are to keep this job and grow with this company and get tons of experience and exposure and hopefully have this real awesome career.”

She said she wanted to be an inspiration to younger females to pursue networking and technology as a career.

“I got into biomedical and the other two programs because they are predominately male. That to me is a challenge,” she said. “If they can do it, I can do it. If I would give any advice to any young lady coming out of high school, it is if you are good at mathematics, science, computers and even if you just like that kind of stuff, get involved and do something with your brain. In the end, your brain is going to be the only thing that matters. It’s an exciting field and there are advantages to females being in the IT field or any technology field.”

Rhodes graduated in 2000 from Marshall High School.

She visited TSTC when she came to the realization six years ago that a college degree was a necessity. She has appreciated the encouragement that faculty members gave her to succeed.

Her future academic plans include earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees.