(WACO) – More than 550 graduates received certificates and associate degrees at Texas State Technical College’s Spring 2017 Commencement held Monday, May 1, at the Waco Convention Center.

Students from TSTC’s campuses in Waco, Williamson County, North Texas and Fort Bend County took part in the ceremony. The Waco campus had 495 graduates, Williamson County had 48 graduates, North Texas had 15 graduates and Fort Bend County had one graduate.

Many of the graduates already have jobs and are ready to work.

Kody Teague, 20, of Rockdale and a graduate of Caldwell High School, received an associate degree in Electrical Power and Controls. He will start work soon as a relay technician at Power Grid Engineering LLC in Dallas.

“It feels pretty good at 20 making good money,” Teague said. “It’s not too bad.”

Teague said attending TSTC gave him the opportunity to meet new friends who share his interests and to learn life lessons.

“I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” he said.

Matthew Warrington, 21, of Corsicana received associate degrees in Diesel Equipment Technology Heavy Truck Specialization and Off-Highway Specialization. He will begin work this month at Waukesha-Pearce Industries in Pflugerville.

“I had fun and made a lot of friends,” Warrington said. “I liked the hands-on classes.”

TSTC had more than 1,200 graduates this spring across the state and has graduated more than 100,000 students in its more than 50-year history.

For more information, log on to tstc.edu.