{"id":1886,"date":"2017-07-31T08:00:10","date_gmt":"2017-07-31T08:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/?p=1886"},"modified":"2017-07-28T14:51:47","modified_gmt":"2017-07-28T14:51:47","slug":"student-finds-her-formula-to-a-better-life-at-tstc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/?p=1886","title":{"rendered":"Student Finds her Formula to a Better Life at TSTC"},"content":{"rendered":"

(HARLINGEN) – Recent Rio Hondo High School graduate and former Texas State Technical College dual enrollment student Griselda Gonzalez Olvera is back, this time pursuing an associate degree in Chemical Technology.<\/p>\n

It was during Olvera\u2019s senior year in high school, while taking algebra and precalculus at TSTC, when she learned about the Chemical Technology program.<\/p>\n

\u201cHad it not been for my TSTC Success Coach Anna Cortez who took the time to talk to me about my interests I would have never known about this program,\u201d said Olvera.<\/p>\n

The 19-year-old said chemistry first peaked her interest her sophomore year in high school. She said that year was the moment she knew it was a career she needed to pursue.<\/p>\n

However, for Olvera and her\u00a0family money was tight and she couldn\u2019t afford a four-year university.<\/p>\n

\u201cTSTC was a great option for me,\u201d said Olvera. \u201cIt\u2019s affordable, there\u2019s more one-on-one with instructors and because classes are smaller it\u2019s easier to interact with your peers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Olvera added that her favorite part of the program is the hands-on experience she is receiving.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m the type of person that learns by doing,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd in this program you get to practice what you study. I don\u2019t think I\u00a0would have gotten this kind of training anywhere else.\u201d\"Griselda<\/a><\/p>\n

After graduating in Spring 2018, Olvera hopes to return, this time to pursue an associate degree in Physics.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Olvera hopes to become a chemical analyst.<\/p>\n

\u201cI eventually hope to transfer to pursue a bachelor\u2019s degree, but for now I know that TSTC will give me the skills I need to start a rewarding career and be successful at a university.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chemical Technology Lead Instructor Robert Hernandez said this program is a right fit for students like Olvera who have a love and passion for math and science.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is Griselda\u2019s love for chemistry that drew her to the program. It\u2019s her constant curiosity that keeps her engaged,\u201d said Hernandez. \u201cShe is a hard worker and I know she has a bright future ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

For students such as Olvera who are completing the five-semester program, they can graduate to become lab, research, chemical and environmental technicians and chemical plant and system operators.<\/p>\n

Hernandez said the program\u2019s placement rate averages above 90 percent.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have any problems placing our students,\u201d he said. \u201cThe majority of students receive job offers before they even graduate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Refineries, testing laboratories and companies such as Shell, Chevron and Valero hire graduates from this program.<\/p>\n

Hernandez said what sets his students apart from other job candidates are the skills and hands-on experience they receive throughout the program by using identical, if not similar tools that are in industry and participating in real-world work experiences such as sampling water and other chemicals and touring treatment plants and landfills.<\/p>\n

Hernandez said TSTC Chemical Technology has been around for 35 years and has a great reputation with employers. So much so, that the Shell Foundation recently awarded the program a $10,000 grant for student scholarships.<\/p>\n

The scholarships go to the first 20 new students who enroll and register for Fall 2017 in Chemical Technology. Each scholarship is worth $500.<\/p>\n

For more information or to register visit tstc.edu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(HARLINGEN) – Recent Rio Hondo High School graduate and former Texas State Technical College dual enrollment student Griselda Gonzalez Olvera is back, this time pursuing an associate degree in Chemical Technology. It was during Olvera\u2019s senior year in high school, while taking algebra and precalculus at TSTC, when she learned about the Chemical Technology program. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-harlingen"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1886"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1886\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1890,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1886\/revisions\/1890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}