(RED OAK) – Red Oak High School students and parents can learn about dual enrollment offerings, including those from Texas State Technical College in North Texas, this week at two special information meetings.

The Red Oak Independent School District will host Dual Credit/Advanced Placement Parents Night meetings at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 24 and Thursday, Jan. 26 at the high school at 220 Texas Highway 342 in Red Oak.

“In Red Oak, we are committed to preparing students for the world they will enter after graduation,” said Brenda Flowers, Red Oak’s deputy superintendent and chief academic officer. “Dual credit and college programs can prepare the students to go straight into a college or go into a career.”

Students who will be sophomores, juniors and seniors in the 2017-18 academic year can take dual credit classes in Automotive Maintenance and Light Repair and Visual Communications Technology – Design Specialization Technology. Students can also take classes in programs that TSTC in North Texas offers: Computer Aided Drafting and Design Technology; Computer Networking and Systems Administration; Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning Technology and Welding Technology.

“Some of these programs will be taught by credentialed instructors at the high school and for some programs, the students will come to TSTC for on-site instruction,” said Kori Bowen, interim director of dual enrollment at TSTC.

Flowers said flexible scheduling between the high school and TSTC enables students to walk to and from the campuses to take classes.

“It is a very unique partnership because very few school districts in the state have a full college campus adjacent,” Flowers said.

Career and technical courses are a school-wide effort. The high school has about 1,800 students in grades 9 to 12.

“As part of our graduation plan, everyone takes a career and technical class,” Flowers said.

Red Oak High School students will begin advising and registering for next year’s classes in February.

For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.

For more information on the parents meeting, go to rohs.redoakisd.org.

(RED OAK) – When hundreds of thousands lost their oil field jobs in 2015, Texas State Technical College Logistics student Chris Sheehan was no different. The army veteran had worked off the coast in the oil industry for 12 years and found himself looking for employment.

“I went and talked to a counselor, and they mentioned this great school — TSTC in North Texas — and asked if I wanted to go have a look, maybe start a new career,” Sheehan said. “So that’s exactly what I did. I went to talk to the instructors and I really liked the school. I could see opportunity in the field.”

Sheehan was chosen to complete an internship with Walmart, working at their distribution center in Bentonville, Arkansas.

“It’s because of TSTC that I was selected to attend the internship with Walmart,” he said. “It was highly competitive. I was competing against students from Baylor, TCU and UT. They only select a handful of people to attend — one person per distribution center. ”

The experience gave Sheehan a look into the world of logistics.

“You don’t have squadrons of interns walking around serving coffee; you actually get to know the job,” Sheehan said. “They give you the opportunity to see what you can produce. Typically 90 percent of the people that intern are offered a job. Because you’ve already been selected to attend the internship, they already know they want you to work for them. They just wanted to see if you fit with the organization, their values and everything else.”

After completing his internship, Sheehan was offered a position as area manager. He began working at the Walmart distribution center in Terrell, Texas, in September.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity,” Sheehan said. “It’s a challenge. It’s a great stepping stone into the field of logistics. You’ll learn a lot from this company. I like the potential.”

Sheehan credits his instructors with helping him get to where he is.

“I liked the fact that the instructors are willing to work with you,” he said. “I could not have done this without them. Being able to work full time and go to school full time, there’s no way. TSTC was more than willing to help me because they realized that this was a really good opportunity.”

Friday, Sheehan will join 17 other TSTC in North Texas students in receiving their diplomas at the commencement ceremony in Waco. The ceremony, which begins at 6:30 p.m., will be held at the Waco Convention Center in downtown Waco.

According to O*NET OnLine, Texas expects a 16 percent increase in jobs for logisticians over the next eight years. TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Logistics exclusively at the North Texas campus.

TSTC offers specialized, hands-on instructional courses leading to Associate of Applied Science degrees and Certificates of Completion in areas such as computer-aided drafting and design, cyber security, diesel equipment technology, HVAC technology, welding and more.

Across Texas, TSTC has more than 900 candidates for graduation this semester and is enrolling now for spring 2017. To apply, visit tstc.edu.

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What: Texas State Technical College Fall Commencement Ceremony
When: Friday, Dec. 9, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Waco Convention Center, 100 Washington Avenue, Waco

(RED OAK) – Texas State Technical College has partnered with an industrial consortium including Betafence, Cardinal CG, Cardinal Glass Industries, Kinro Texas, Inc. and The Sherwin-Williams Company to train 243 new and incumbent workers using a $527,400 Skills Development Fund grant.

Texas Workforce Commissioner Representing Employers Ruth R. Hughs presented the check to officials from TSTC, Betafence, Cardinal GC and Kinro Texas at a 3 p.m. ceremony yesterday at TSTC in North Texas.

Hughs said the North Texas area has much to be proud of.

“Your unemployment rate is 3.9 percent, which is well below the state average of 4.9 percent and the national average, which is at 4.8 percent now,” she said. “The area has an annual job growth of 3.6 percent, and just over the last year this area has added 109,900 private sector jobs. You’re seeing great growth, and that’s really a testament to all these partnerships that you have and the great work this community does.”

The Skills Development fund is one of the state’s premier job-training programs, keeping Texas competitive with a skilled workforce.

“Employers benefit because they get custom-trained workers, and workers benefit because they get that competitive skill training they need in any job in the marketplace,” Hughs said. “Last year, the Skills program served over 100 businesses and supported the creation of 5,500 new jobs and the retraining of over 10,000 workers in existing jobs.”

Roel Lopez, COO of Betafence, said the company is happy to be participating.

“We are very proud to get this opportunity because we believe in education,” Lopez said. “We are really putting a lot of emphasis on ensuring that our employees at the facility have a high skill in the kind of things they are doing. I support this program 100 percent. Tomorrow we have 18 employees that will be in the class. I’m very proud that they can continue learning.”

Workers trained will include 53 new hires, and 190 jobs will be upgraded. Workers will be from North Texas-area plants and will be trained in the areas of maintenance, mechanical and support operations. Training will be provided by TSTC instructors.

Upon completion of this training, business partners anticipate improved equipment efficiency, greater team member capacity to maintain and manage different systems, career advancement for team members, and increased capacity to move unfinished and finished products through a series of operations.

After completing the training, workers will receive an average hourly wage of $22.16, which is higher than the average wage in the area.

For more information on TSTC’s workforce training, visit www.tstc.edu.

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(RED OAK) – Texas State Technical College Welding Instructor Donnie Williams has been awarded the American Welding Society’s Howard E. Adkins Memorial Instructor District Award for North Texas.

The award recognizes high school, trade school, technical institute or junior college instructors whose teaching has advanced their students’ knowledge of welding.

“It’s recognition of my dedication to my profession,” Williams said. “It shows me that people recognize my efforts and that what I do is recognized by my peers. I was very glad for it. It kind of validates what I’m doing.”

The Hillsboro resident attended welding school in Dallas and later earned a Certificate of Technology in Petroleum Technology from Odessa College. He began teaching at TSTC in North Texas in January.

A second-generation welder, Williams began welding when he was 16 years old.

“I’ve been a welder all my life,” Williams said. “I spent my first eight years in the industry working in the oil field on pipe. In the early ‘80s, the oil field went bust, so I moved into structural welding and moved out of the oil field. Eventually I got into quality control and weld inspection and got my welding inspector certification. I moved from there into education, became a certified educator through the American Welding Society, and that’s where I am today.”

Williams has been a member of the American Welding Society since 1997. He serves as treasurer and sits on the executive board of the North Texas chapter. Williams is working toward starting an AWS student chapter at TSTC.

“We have students becoming members,” Williams said. “A prerequisite for a chapter is that you have at least 15 student members. That’s the phase that we’re in right now.”

Williams said throughout the years he’s seen growth in his students.

“Not only here at TSTC, but a lot of students that I’ve had over the years, I’ve maintained contact with,” Williams said. “Some have gone on to own their own business; some have gone into quality control and inspection. This is why I’m trying to take the students I currently have and expand their knowledge, so they can go into a variety of trades.”

In addition to teaching, Williams is also a certified welding inspector and owns his own welding shop in Hillsboro.

“There’s a lot of real-world application that I bring to the classroom to benefit the students,” Williams said. “Much of what I do at my shop I document. Some of it I film, some I take pictures of. I incorporate that into my lessons in the classroom. I want to include my students in my work to show them the hands-on application of what they’re doing.”

For more information on TSTC’s welding program, visit tstc.edu.

Texas State Technical College in North Texas welcomes its first Student Government Association President, Sergio Gutierrez.

Gutierrez was born and raised in Red Oak, where he served on the student council in high school. It was that experience that drove his interest in student government.

The Student Government Association represents the student body on their TSTC campuses.

“We’re in charge of letting the students be heard and, hopefully, meeting their needs,” Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez said being the first president of the group is an honor for him, and he hopes to grow the Student Government Association in his time at TSTC.

“Because of the Student Government Association, students can have their voices heard, and changes can be made at campus to make the campus more student-friendly,” he said.

As the group president, Gutierrez’ ultimate goal as SGA President is to make TSTC in North Texas a welcoming campus for all students.

“I want to help the college have fun events so students can have an even better experience here at TSTC, let students become more aware of their resources, and give students the opportunity to have their ideas implemented at our campus, ultimately making our TSTC campus here in North Texas unified,” he said.

Cory Gropp, director of student recruitment at TSTC in North Texas, oversees Gutierrez as a student ambassador.

“Sergio has been an ambassador for three semesters now and we couldn’t ask for a better student or worker,” Gropp said. “He greets everyone through the door, and is always on top of volunteering to work at events on campus.  His dedication to his studies, work and student government is astounding.  He is definitely the right student to lead the group.”

Gutierrez is in his third semester as a Computer-Aided Drafting student. He chose the field because he loves to draw.

“I’ve always loved to design and draw,” Gutierrez said.  “As a kid I have always wanted to design houses.”

After graduating with his associate degree in Computer-Aided Drafting, Gutierrez plans to pursue a second degree in Precision Machining at TSTC.

Texas State Technical College in North Texas hosted 30 students from the Midlothian and Red Oak High Schools for their second Program Highlight Day last week.

Director of Student Recruitment at TSTC in North Texas, Cory Gropp, said he came up with the idea to hold Program Highlight days because prospective students have a hard time understanding some programs, like Industrial Maintenance.

“Students get caught up on the ‘maintenance’ part and often we hear ‘why do I need to go to college to push a mop?’” Gropp said. “These students do not realize the salary that comes with Industrial Maintenance positions. So, originally, we wanted to get a day for students to get hands-on experience and see what the program is really about.”

Gropp said these highlight days are important to make sure students know about the programs available and give them some hands-on experience with them.

“We do fun activities to pique their interest. Some of the comments I heard last Friday were ‘I never knew TSTC had a program like this,’ and ‘I am definitely coming here when I graduate,’” Gropp said. “We want the students who are thinking about becoming engineers. We want students who excel in math and science. TSTC not only provides the training to help students become engineers, but also to earn high paying jobs after graduation.”

Industrial Maintenance Instructor Kevin Liptak said the high school students toured the building and then instructors spoke to them about the Industrial Maintenance program.

In the afternoon, students competed in a tournament to see who could build a tower with a pneumatic crane fastest. Each school had two groups competing. The Midlothian groups won first and fourth place, and Red Oak won second and third.

“I think everybody had a lot of fun,” Liptak said. “They got pretty competitive on the crane.”

Bryan Rogers, an Engineering and Robotics teacher at Red Oak High School, said the school believes that students should see the opportunities that exist for their future education.

“The crane lab was engaging,” Rogers said. “The school system sees the benefits of exposing the students to the option of a technical education, so we’ll continue to bring groups over.”

TSTC’s first Program Highlight Day was held Dec. 11, with students from Red Oak, Waxahachie, Palmer and Ferris High Schools learning about Precision Machining and Computer-Aided Drafting. The students designed their school’s logo in Computer-Aided Drafting programs and etched the logo onto a plastic plaque in the machining lab.

TSTC is enrolling now for the fall semester. For more information on the college, or to apply, visit www.tstc.edu.

Texas State Technical College in North Texas is proud to introduce Amanda Warren, M. Ed, as the new Director of Student Services.

Warren, an Ohio native, moved to Texas several years ago after her husband had a job transfer. She has lived in the north Texas area for four years. Warren joins the TSTC team after most recently serving as Associate Dean of Workforce and Continuing Education at the Dallas County Community College District.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Notre Dame College of Ohio in 1996, and later, a Master of Education in 2001 from Ashland University. Warren is currently taking classes towards a doctorate in education from Grand Canyon University, and anticipates graduating in December.

Vice President of Student Services Sarah Patterson said Warren’s experience will bring great things to TSTC.

“Amanda’s credentials speak for themselves,” Patterson said. “She brings innovative ideas and new energy to our department. In addition, she will be a great asset in our Veteran outreach efforts. We’re excited she’s decided to join the TSTC family.”

As Director of Student Services, Warren will oversee student’s rights and responsibilities, including student conduct, student complaints and customer service, Title IX and retention.

Warren was excited to join the TSTC team.

“I really found myself agreeing with the philosophy and the approach TSTC is taking to providing technical education,” she said. “From the vision of the college — helping students gain employment — to even how they’re breaking down payment schedules to assist students in understanding exactly what they’re paying for and what it will help them achieve. I thought ‘Wow this is kind of different!’ and that’s what attracted me.”

In addition to serving as director of Student Services, Warren will also assist with Veteran Services. Warren began working with veterans in 1999, and, with her father also being a retired army veteran, holds a special appreciation for them.

“First, they’re so important for their service to our country,” Warren said. “Growing up with a veteran really helped me understand what they go through, and also what it’s like for the family members. I think a lot of people tend to forget that the entire family is impacted.”

Warren served as a director for the College Credit for Heroes statewide initiative – a program that ensures our active duty, former and retired military personnel receive the credit they earned for their service to our country – when it first began in 2011.

“I’ve worked with addiction, anger management and with helping veterans reintegrate into civilian and academic life,” Warren said. “It’s always been such a challenging system with figuring out how to get your credits transferred, figuring out if they will even be recognized, and using your GI funds. When I was offered the opportunity to work with College Credit for Heroes, it was what I had been waiting for pretty much my whole life. You’d think we should be so far with our services for veterans, but then you realize we still have such a long way to go.”

Warren will also utilize her background by teaching a psychology class at TSTC.

“That is my idea of stress relief,” Warren laughed. “I love being in the classroom with the students, and teaching undergrad psychology is great. I’ve taught psychology courses for many years. To me, it’s not really work. I don’t see it as a challenge because I enjoy what I’m doing. It doesn’t feel like hard work when you like it. I look forward to coming in every day.”

So far, Warren’s favorite part of the job is getting to know the students.

“I like getting some of their ideas on where they would like to see things go,” Warren said. “Their enthusiasm is energizing. I love seeing the creativity. I’m looking forward to helping the students implement some of their ideas.”

TSTC prides itself on being a great place to work. For opportunities at TSTC in your area, visit our website at tstc.edu/about/employment.