TSTC 1993 Farming Ranch Management alum.
(HARLINGEN) – David Ramirez spoke with local high school and Texas State Technical College Agricultural Technology students recently during the college’s eighth annual Agriculture Expo hosted by TSTC’s Office of Talent Management and Career Services.
This is Ramirez’s sixth year attending the event.
He is a 1993 graduate from TSTC’s Farming Ranch Management program, which is now Agricultural Technology and works with the Customs and Border Protection as a technician at the Brownsville Port of Entry.
“Coming to TSTC was one of my best decisions,” said Ramirez. “It feels great coming back and helping young minds find their way.”
Remembering that he was once in their shoes, Ramirez said he is thankful he is able to give back to a college that gave him so much.
“My goal is to make students aware of the career opportunities that are there for them once they graduate from TSTC,” he said. “And I cannot stress enough the importance of an education. I can’t wait to work with some of these students someday.”
Ramirez, in addition to other agencies such as six branches of the United State Department of Agriculture, Texas Department of Agriculture and the United States Border Control, presented information on career opportunities and their departments.
Guadalupe Gracia, Mexican fruit fly coordinator with the USDA Animal and Plant health Inspection Service facility in Harlingen, said she enjoys attending this event because highly-skilled and trained students in agriculture are in demand.
“This event is a great opportunity to recruit for our internships and temporary positions,” said Gracia. “We get great people from TSTC who don’t need to be retrained and have a great work ethic.”
Gracia said thanks to the USDA-Step2 Grant – a program designed to provide mentored research experiences in biological and agricultural sciences – shared through TSTC and other Texas colleges and universities, at least 25 agriculture students from TSTC’s program have already been awarded summer internships and scholarships.
“Most of the time our internships lead to temporary and permanent jobs with the USDA, which is a great advantage for those students,” she said. “It’s a win-win-win; for us, the college and its students.”
According to Gracia, the USDA will open a new facility in Edinburg in 2020 and will need to hire approximately 150 people.
TSTC’s Talent Management and Career Services Director Viviana Espinosa said this event is hosted annually to give TSTC students the opportunity of speaking first-hand with recruiters regarding volunteer, internship and job opportunities.
“We host this event to create an awareness of career possibilities in the Agriculture industry,” said Espinosa. “And it’s also a motivation and inspiration when they see TSTC alumni working with these agencies.”
Espinoza also added that many of these agencies, in addition to other industry partners, support TSTC’s career placement efforts by attending interview practicums, career fairs and Employee Spotlights.
“We work closely with the agriculture faculty here at TSTC,” said Gracia. “This college produces great students and we love to see them flourish and grow.”
To schedule a visit on campus for Employee Spotlights or for more information on the services offered by TSTC’s Talent Management and Career Services, call 956-364-4940 or visit tstc.edu.