(FORT BEND) – From robot races to dressing up in HAZMAT suits, local high school juniors and seniors had the opportunity to experience the newest Texas State Technical College programs during the first Program Highlight Day.

TSTC recently hosted approximately 70 students from KIPP Generations Collegiate and Palacios High School, both schools nearly an hour away.

“This was a first-time event for us and we couldn’t be more excited about its success,” said Marigold Sagrado, TSTC student recruitment coordinator. “It was a great opportunity to showcase our campus and highlight our programs.”

Students were provided a tour of the Brazos Center, the newest building at TSTC’s Fort Bend County campus. They were also introduced to the four newest programs housed in the building: Environmental Technology – Compliance Specialization, Electrical Power and Controls Technology, Electrical Lineworker Technology and Robotics Technology.

“The goal behind this event is to expose students to the programs we offer and can lead to high-paying jobs,” said Sagrado. “These programs impact the areas that are essential to our daily lives and we need to fill the skills gap.”

Faculty and current students from TSTC’s newest programs offered hands-on activities or demonstrations for the juniors and seniors including racing robots, dressing up in HAZMAT suits and respirators and watching electricity safety and electrical lineworker climbing demonstrations.

For many students like junior Mario Arguello from Kipp Generations Collegiate, this was the best part of the day.

“I’m thinking of pursuing robotics at TSTC so this was definitely my favorite part,” said the 17-year-old. “I’ve always had an interest in robots so I was most excited about touring this program.”

When Arguello graduates in 2019, he said he hopes to attend TSTC and pursue an associate degree in Robotics Technology.

“After learning about the program and all of the career possibilities, I feel this is the right place for me.”

Sagrado said she was happy to see the students engaged in all of the activities and to hear the many positive responses she received.“Overall, this event was a success,” she said. “The students really enjoyed the tours and program demonstrations. Many even expressed their interest and excitement about enrolling.”

She added that she is looking forward to many more events like Program Highlight Day that give her and her team the opportunity of teaching the community what TSTC has to offer.

Registration for the Summer and Fall Semesters begins April 2.

For more information or to apply and register, visit tstc.edu.