(HUTTO, Texas) – Representatives of The TSTC Foundation and the Hutto Education Foundation gathered virtually on Wednesday morning to honor recipients of a jointly sponsored scholarship for Hutto residents.
“The most significant thing with this partnership is that we are talking about retention,” said Beth Wooten, chief executive officer of The TSTC Foundation. “There are scholarship opportunities that help get students in the front door, but retention is a significant challenge. We all recognize that. The significance here is we are focusing on getting students across the finish line.”
The scholarship assists students in their third and fourth semesters at any Texas State Technical College campus. Recipients must be Hutto High School graduates and in good academic standing at TSTC.
“This is the best part of my job,” Wooten said. “The mission of The TSTC Foundation is really pretty simple: Our role is to raise scholarship funds and emergency aid to eliminate financial barriers for students.”
The scholarship recipients are Kevin Aguilar, Matthew Barringer, Joshua Carrillo, Daxxon Derton, Christopher Hawkins, Kent Jordan and Julio Diego Vazquez.
“Most of the students I have known since they were teeny-tiny,” said Michael Smith, a senior field development officer for The TSTC Foundation. “I am so excited to see what happens with you all.”
Barringer graduated in 2018 from Hutto High School and is studying Automotive Technology at TSTC’s Waco campus. For him, receiving the scholarship means he can pay for the fall semester and not take out a student loan. Barringer is scheduled to graduate in the spring.
“TSTC means a lot to me because I kind of found it when I was at a bad time and I was not enjoying regular school,” he said. “It was a saving grace for me. TSTC is probably one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.”
The city of Hutto and the Hutto Education Foundation are providing scholarship funding through The TSTC Foundation.
“This is just the beginning,” said Lizzie Samples, director of the Hutto Education Foundation. “Being Hutto Hippos, and the tools you have been given through Hutto ISD and the tools TSTC has provided you, you are going to make a difference in our world.”
Future and current Hutto High School graduates can talk to a TSTC enrollment coach for more information on the scholarship.
“My hope for Hutto ISD students is they continue to realize the value and viability of investing in their education right here in Hutto,” said Lissa Adams, associate provost of TSTC’s East Williamson County campus.
For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu.
