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The CARES Act is intended to provide emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus.

This program combines the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant program with training in electronic health records and medical terminology to give you a competitive edge in the healthcare field. You will learn the professional traits and responsibilities to become a vital part of the healthcare team. You will also be prepared for the national certification exams.

Administrative healthcare workers are in high demand. Whether you are just starting your career or transitioning into a different field, there has never been a better time to become a Certified Medical Administrative Assistant or work in medical billing and coding.

Safety and security are essential to us. We want everyone to feel protected while on campus, whether you are a student, a faculty member, or a staff member.

We have partnered with Everbridge to offer an emergency notification system (ENS) to the TSTC community. The ENS will send emergency messages to participating TSTC community members via text, cellphones, landlines or email.

In partnership with ed2go, TSTC Workforce Development offers flexible, self-paced non-credit certificate programs to help you start a new career or advance within your current occupation.

A Gold Medal Technical Education

Join our team! Your unique role will make a positive impact on TSTC students. Whether you’re a faculty or staff member,  you’ll join the team who works together to achieve outstanding results.

Our value-priced courses provide the perfect opportunity to continue your education or retrain in a new field without drowning in debt. We are so confident in the quality of our technical education that with some of our high-demand, Money-Back Guarantee programs we guarantee you will find a job within six months of graduation—or your money back.

Scholarships are awards that do not have to be repaid. They are available to students who qualify based on financial need and academic standing.

We have resources to help your individual financial needs. Apply for a scholarship so you can focus on your schoolwork.

Harlingen

Veterinary assistants take charge of making sure office visits and procedures go smoothly for animals under veterinary care.

West Texas
Abilene, Breckenridge, Brownwood and Sweetwater

Are you concerned about a student’s physical or mental health? Has a student disrupted your class or caused you to worry about what might happen?

If it is an emergency, please call your campus police department or 911 right away.

TSTC cares, and we’ve got you covered. Learn more about how we’re protecting you from coronavirus, fighting gender discrimination, how you can report crimes and non-emergency situations, and more.

Phlebotomy Technicians are essential to proper healthcare worldwide as they are responsible for drawing blood needed for tests, donations, transfusions, and research. As the population ages and diseases spread across the globe, the need for qualified phlebotomists will only increase.

Being different is part of who we are.

Meet Daniella. She’s a pageant winner.

She’s also a TSTC Welding Technology graduate.

Your mental health and well-being as a student is important to us. That’s why we offer free mental health assistance through counseling offices located on campus.

Dental assistants play a valuable role in any dental care team, often handling a variety of tasks from assisting with treatment procedures to administrative duties.

Gifts made to The TSTC Foundation have the potential to change the direction of someone’s life. All while answering the needs of the Texas workforce.

Our goal is to keep our students and campus communities safe. One way is to report any suspicious incidents and behavioral concerns early. We are committed to creating a safe, supportive learning and working environment for all members of the campus community.

We participate in the Federal Direct Student Loan program. Direct loans are low-interest loans to students and parents to help pay for the cost of a student’s education after high school.

To apply for a loan, you must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submit supporting documentation.

Patient care technicians play a critical role at healthcare facilities, assisting with inpatient treatment and helping provide quality of life.

Pharmacy technicians assist and support licensed pharmacists in providing healthcare to patients. The Pharmacy Technician Online Certification Training Course was developed in response to a rising need for trained technicians to work in hospitals or retail pharmacies. However, this growing opportunity has also come with increased responsibility, making certification an essential issue for many industry employers and some state legislatures. Some states now require all individuals who work as pharmacy technicians to become nationally certified.

See the latest stats on our Emergency Medical Services/Paramedic program.

You’ve made it this far.

Let’s get you the support and training you need to help you get the job you want.

Unless posted otherwise, a person with a license to carry handguns under Chapter 411, Texas Government Code, may carry a handgun on campus if the handgun is concealed.  All other firearms are prohibited.

TSTC upholds non-discriminatory policies outlined in SOS HR 2.1.14, ensuring equal access to its programs and activities for applicants, employees, and students, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable laws.

Furthermore, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 reinforces this commitment by prohibiting sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs. This includes protection against sexual harassment, violence, pregnancy, and parental status discrimination. TSTC extends these safeguards to all employees and students, regardless of their pregnancy or parenthood circumstances, demonstrating a commitment to a supportive educational environment.

If you need to report an emergency that involves an imminent risk of harm to self or others, please call 911, or contact TSTC campus police or local police immediately.

Safety & Security

Texas State Technical College delivers your refund and provides you with your official School ID card, the TECH OneCard, with BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc

Earn your degree from TSTC, then transfer to one of our educational partners to further your education with a four-year degree. Interested in transferring? Talk to your enrollment coach to get started.

Texas State Technical College Testing Centers offer testing services to help students persist in their education. Additionally, we encourage our communities to use our services to support their educational and career goals. Testing Centers adhere to the National College Testing Association (NCTA) Professional Standards and Guidelines to maintain the integrity of our institution.

We provide testing services to assist you in assessing your knowledge and skills.

Our Standards of Academic Progress (SAP) have been adopted to determine continuing eligibility for students who are receiving or applying for financial aid. Academic progress will be reviewed at the end of each term to determine whether you are making satisfactory improvement. This review will include all periods of your enrollment, even those for which you did not receive financial aid.

You are expected to be continually aware of your grades.

The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) is a component of the accreditation process. It reflects and affirms our commitment to enhance student learning.

We are committed to providing efficient service when responding to requests for public information.

Growth, Upcoming Expansions and Improvements

Waco

Fort Bend County

TSTC Online

Every gift received by The TSTC Foundation introduces the possibility of transformation for TSTC students. Thank you to every person and organization that believes in our mission of placing more Texans in great-paying jobs.

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Seconds count in a medical crisis, and emergency medical technicians and paramedics often are the first health care professionals to respond with lifesaving skills to help a patient. Daryin Jones, Hiram Rodriguez and Anais Serrato are first-semester students in the Emergency Medical Services program at Texas State Technical College. They recently shared...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – When demand for health care professionals increased during the pandemic, Francisco Loza heard the call and decided to help. He enrolled in the Emergency Medical Services program at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen location, where he was awarded a certificate of completion in Emergency Medical Services – EMT in 2023, followed by...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Dr. Julia Nathan, Texas State Technical College’s Emergency Medical Services medical director, welcomed the spring 2022 cohort to the program recently in Harlingen. Nathan discussed many topics, including the program’s preliminary expectations, professionalism, instructor availability, learning from errors in medical knowledge, and the psychological responses involved with this career pathway. “The key...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – A paramedic often works side by side with firefighters to provide advanced medical support when helping a patient in a medical crisis. Texas State Technical College Emergency Medical Services alumnus Richard McLaughlin, who is a firefighter himself, has utilized his medical training to save people’s lives. “I used to live in Dallas...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – A car accident four years ago left a lasting impression on the Sanchez family. Each of them was in awe of the actions by the emergency medical services unit that came to their rescue. That would inspire mother Adriana, daughter Layla and son Seth to pursue Associate of Applied Science degrees in...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College alumnus Luis Martinez recently completed his first semester of teaching in TSTC’s Emergency Medical Services program. When he was a child, the U.S. Navy veteran could hear the sirens of ambulances as they sped through the expressway in his hometown — a memory that would spur his initial...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College alumnus Luis Martinez recently completed his first semester of teaching in TSTC’s Emergency Medical Services program. When he was a child, the U.S. Navy veteran could hear the sirens of ambulances as they sped through the expressway in his hometown — a memory that would spur his initial...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Imagine a scenario of being placed on a call in a fast-paced, life-changing situation to save a patient’s life. The Emergency Medical Services program at Texas State Technical College recently introduced three Lifecast medical manikins to provide a new sense of realism for educational purposes and training. Previously students had to use...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College student Destiny De La Fuente became interested in the health care field when she saw the career success of a close friend who is a paramedic. “(He) spoke about the rush of patient care through various high-intense situations in an ambulance,” she said. “I felt that it was...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Eight people were transported to Abilene area hospitals on April 27 as a result of a two-vehicle accident near the Texas State Technical College campus on Quantum Loop in Abilene. The good news is that it was only a staged exercise for TSTC’s Emergency Medical Services students to work with first responders...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Dezeray Collier remembers how first responders treated her grandmother each time they responded to a medical call. In choosing a career, Collier decided that working as a first responder would be the perfect choice. She is currently a first-semester student in Texas State Technical College’s Emergency Medical Services program, with plans to...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Emergency Medical Services students from Texas State Technical College recently learned about some of the career paths available to them during a visit by members of the city of Pharr’s Emergency Medical Services recruitment team, some of whom are also TSTC alumni. The EMS professionals from Pharr discussed new equipment that their...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Training future medical professionals is a vital component of meeting Texas’ workforce demands, and an integral part of that process for any medical education program is being accredited. Recently the Emergency Medical Services program at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus had a successful site visit to show that it complies with...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Nicole King made a decision that changed her career path dramatically. The former educator/coach and social worker decided that she wanted to work in the medical field. King said Texas State Technical College’s Emergency Medical Services program would lead her to a career in which she could continue to grow. “I did...

(WACO, Texas) – Their role in saving lives is critical, and there is a need for more of them in Texas. Paramedics and emergency medical technicians are some of the first medical personnel that people encounter when they need to be transported to a hospital or receive lifesaving procedures. “Due to the nationwide shortage of...

(ABILENE, Texas) – To commemorate the 50th anniversary of National EMS (Emergency Medical Services) Week from May 19 to 25, Texas State Technical College revisited some of its past. With the 2024 EMS Week theme of “Honoring Our Past, Forging Our Future” in mind, current and former TSTC EMS instructors and students gathered Wednesday, May...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Emergency medical technicians and paramedics are among the first responders at the scene of medical emergencies, and now Texas State Technical College Emergency Medical Services graduate Mackayla Ledezma is joining their ranks as a full-time paramedic with the South Texas Emergency Care (STEC) Foundation in Harlingen. Ledezma, who recently graduated with a...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Students enrolled in Texas State Technical College’s Emergency Medical Services program are in good hands as they learn from instructors who not only have knowledge of the industry, but also have experienced working in the field themselves. TSTC Emergency Medical Services instructor Ruben Ramirez spends his days in the classroom while also...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – More than 130 students from Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus participated in an emergency drill that was staged on a closed runway at Valley International Airport on Thursday, Oct. 12. Some of TSTC’s Biomedical Equipment Technology, Dental Hygiene, Emergency Medical Services, Nursing, and Surgical Technology students collaborated with first responders from...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Recently some Texas State Technical College Dental Hygiene and Emergency Medical Services students won medals during their first time competing at a SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary State Leadership and Skills Conference. Diana Rocha, of Los Fresnos, and Miriam Sanchez, of Edinburg, represented TSTC’s Dental Hygiene program at the competition, which was held in...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Vanessa Hurtado had a special reason to reenroll at Texas State Technical College. The San Benito native’s desire to adopt a child inspired her to want to help others, and she hopes that a certificate of completion in Emergency Medical Services that she is working on, along with the biology degree that...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – The fast pace of the profession led April Stanke, of San Angelo, to begin her journey to becoming an emergency medical technician. The longtime certified nursing assistant is studying for her new career path in Texas State Technical College’s Emergency Medical Services program. “I enjoy the fast pace of the medical field....

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – A two-car accident, flashing emergency lights, first responders and patients with simulated traumatic injuries set the scene earlier this week at Texas State Technical College during the first mock disaster drill hosted by the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program on campus. “This drill served as a training for our students and to...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Sierra Jauregui decided to show her three children what hard work can accomplish. She also hopes to inspire others, as well. Jauregui began Texas State Technical College’s Emergency Medical Services program this fall, and before she knew it, her third child was born. During the first few weeks of class, Jauregui gave...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Maria Compian was elated when two of her sons, Brian and Brandon, graduated from the Electrical Lineworker and Management Technology program at Texas State Technical College’s summer commencement in Harlingen two months ago. Their achievement emboldened Compian to pursue a career that she had often thought about: emergency medical services. “I have...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Innovations in medical equipment technology are leading to life-changing results for patients, and that is how Texas State Technical College is raising the bar for one of its allied health programs. Recently US Med-Equip donated more than 25 pieces of medical equipment to be used by students in the Biomedical Equipment Technology...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – When repairs are needed for biomedical equipment in the Houston area, Rene Torres and Javier Valdez are ready to answer the call. Graduates of Texas State Technical College’s Biomedical Equipment Technology program, they founded iServe Biomedical in 2016. The equipment that iServe Biomedical services is used to diagnose, prevent and treat diseases...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s mission is to place more Texans in great-paying jobs, and now three of its Biomedical Equipment Technology students are the recipients of new career opportunities. Juan Aguilar, Eber Trejo and Joseph Ybarra, each of whom is working on an Associate of Applied Science degree, recently were hired as...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Steven McCaslin is no stranger to Texas State Technical College’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program. After several years in the field as a paramedic, McCaslin, who graduated from TSTC’s Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedic programs, returned to the college in October 2021 as the program’s clinical coordinator. He now has a new...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – For many firefighters in central Texas, Brownwood will be home for the next few months — at least one day of the week. Some firefighters from Brownwood, Mason and Stephenville, along with an emergency medical technician (EMT) with Lifeguard Ambulance Service of Texas, are part of Texas State Technical College’s Emergency Medical...

(ABILENE, Texas) – From a young age, Joseph Flores knew he wanted to help people. The Abilene High School graduate had hoped to enroll in his high school’s emergency medical services (EMS) class, but it was canceled. His uncle Nathan Loflin, the program team lead for Texas State Technical College’s aviation maintenance programs in Abilene,...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – With nine years of field experience, Tim Scalley is bringing a unique perspective to Texas State Technical College’s Emergency Medical Services program. Before beginning his time as the EMS instructor at TSTC in Brownwood, Scalley worked as a paramedic for five years and spent four years serving as a flight medic. His...

(ABILENE, Texas) – When Austin-Travis County EMS purchased an Immersive Interactive lab, its staff members wanted to learn what the lab could do from an organization that had experience with the technology. That is why department members traveled to Abilene recently to tour Texas State Technical College’s Immersive Interactive lab and its ambulance simulator after...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Women paramedics are increasing in number, and Kenley Johnson is determined to join their ranks. Johnson, who earned her emergency medical technician certification while still a student at Bangs High School and now works for Comanche County EMS, is in her first semester of the Paramedic program at Texas State Technical College....

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – When Texas State Technical College student Daniel Rendon was growing up in Alton, he dreamed of having a respectable job like members of his family had in the petroleum, construction and medical fields. After working at some unfulfilling jobs as an adult, Rendon knew that a change was imminent. Based on their...

(ABILENE Texas) – Texas State Technical College Emergency Medical Services student Laura Jungling is close to achieving a major milestone in her life. “I began the paramedic program this week, and I am one year from my goal of becoming a paramedic,” she said. Like many people, Jungling enrolled in the EMS program with a...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Before she begins medical school, Mackenzie Brigman decided to spend part of her gap year attending Texas State Technical College. Brigman, originally from Jacksonville, Florida, said she wanted to gain paramedic experience and enrolled in the Emergency Medical Services program. “I have always had an interest in the medical field,” she said....

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Motivated by a desire to serve his community, Justin Vasquez is currently nearing the end of his time as an Emergency Medical Services student at Texas State Technical College. The Harlingen native, who is set to graduate this semester, credits TSTC’s small class sizes as one of the main reasons he learned...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Time for an upgrade? The Emergency Medical Services program at Texas State Technical College in Abilene recently created a program that brings more opportunity to current and future students. The EMS program now gives certified paramedics and emergency medical technicians college credit for some certifications they already have. The certifications are transferred...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Texas, Dustin Bostick had to pivot his career path. After earning a bachelor’s degree in nutrition, the Brownwood native had plans to pursue a career as a physician’s assistant. But the pandemic shut down clinical sessions, and he decided to become an emergency medical technician (EMT). Becoming...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program is training students to meet the growing demand for emergency medical professionals across Texas. America Cruz, of McAllen, is studying for an Associate of Applied Science degree in Paramedic at TSTC. “I work as a full-time EMT with an ambulance service in McAllen...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Training to save lives requires dedication by both students and instructors. At Texas State Technical College, the Emergency Medical Services program has taken training students to a new level with the introduction of the first complete ambulance simulator in North America. In June, Echo Healthcare delivered to TSTC’s Abilene campus a Ford...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College Biomedical Equipment Technology instructor Oziel Capetillo is gratified that his 25 years of industry experience in the electronics and medical fields have helped lead graduates to career success. “This is my sixth year teaching in the program,” Capetillo said. “It’s important that students grasp hands-on training. I’ve seen...

(ABILENE, Texas) – It was a team effort to treat 15 “patients” during a staged mass casualty training event on Texas State Technical College’s Abilene campus on Thursday, Dec. 7. Students in TSTC’s Associate Degree in Nursing and Emergency Medical Services programs participated in an extrication day activity along with local first responders. The exercise...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Ruben Ramirez was only 17-years-old when he began his career in Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and since then his passion for the field and training newer generations of EMS technicians and paramedics has only grown, leading him to Texas State Technical College. The Harlingen native is a coordinator and instructor for TSTC’s...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – By competing in the 58th annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, Texas State Technical College student Destiny Roberts found out something about herself. The Emergency Medical Services student said her confidence grew by competing in the state and national events. It surprised her when it was announced that she had won...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Growing up in Hawley, Kyle Nichols was taught to care for others and to pay it forward. He decided to follow a family tradition by entering the medical field. Nichols is in his first semester of Texas State Technical College’s Paramedic program and is excited about what he has learned and accomplished...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College keeps up to date with the latest technologies, such as those commemorated on Feb. 16 of each year on Innovation Day, that will benefit students for success. TSTC’s Biomedical Equipment Technology program recently incorporated into its curriculum a Stryker Tower, which provides visualization and documentation for various medical...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Every hour of every day, in hospitals and doctors’ offices everywhere, patients trust that the equipment being used to diagnose, prevent and treat their illnesses is working properly. More and more, however, there are not enough technicians who can calibrate, troubleshoot and repair that equipment to go around. The Biomedical Equipment Technology...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – U.S. Army veteran Adrian Yanez worked as a truck driver for more than 20 years. After a career on the open road, he pursued an education at Texas State Technical College, where he graduated with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Computer Networking and Security Technology in 2012. “I helped people...

(WACO, Texas) – Jay Jackson is not daunted by a little hard work. Jackson, of Bosqueville, is studying Biomedical Equipment Technology at Texas State Technical College and working on his family’s dairy farm in rural McLennan County. He also has a dream of attending medical school in Texas. So far at TSTC, Jackson has learned...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College Biomedical Equipment Technology alumna Esmeralda Estrella developed a strong interest in helping people at a young age. Now she is helping to educate the next generation of biomedical equipment technicians as a new instructor at TSTC. The San Benito resident was introduced to the technical side of health...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – State Sen. Dawn Buckingham, R-Lakeway, was able to see Texas State Technical College students in training during a visit to the Brownwood campus this week. Buckingham, who represents District 24 in the Texas Senate, competed with students in a CPR race designed to help students’ rhythm. At one point she led the...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Emergency Medical Services program is preparing for a new group of first responders. Registration for the fall semester is underway, and instructors are excited to train the next cohort of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics, especially in the new Immersive Interactive labs available at the Abilene, Brownwood...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Two Lifeguard Ambulance Service emergency medical technicians began their medical careers in similar fashion. Michelle Bates and Brittney Evans did not immediately begin studying to become EMTs. Now the two first responders are completing their third semester in Texas State Technical College’s Emergency Medical Services Paramedic program. Bates, of Fort Worth, earned...

(WACO, Texas) – Mason Gomez, of Belton, is pursuing an Associate of Applied Science degree in Biomedical Equipment Technology at Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus. He will begin in mid-December an internship at Ultimate Biomedical Solutions in Austin and is scheduled to graduate in spring 2023. Gomez grew up in Cypress and is a...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College offers a broad range of programs of study that military veterans can choose from to gain the technical skills they need for a high-paying job. Javier Escobar Jr., a U.S. Army veteran and Texas Army National Guard specialist, learned about TSTC’s Biomedical Equipment Technology program from a program...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Kaylee Jimenez, of Rio Hondo, hopes to have a career in the medical field with a connection to engineering in a hospital setting. Her choice to pursue the Biomedical Equipment Technology program at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus has been a rewarding one. The program teaches students how to inspect, calibrate,...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Siblings often have a powerful influence on each other’s lives, and that can correlate to a professional career. Texas State Technical College Biomedical Equipment Technology student Saul Turrubiates became interested in the health care field after he saw the career success that his older brother has achieved as a biomedical equipment technician....

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Armando Galvan Jr., a biomedical technician II at Fresenius Kidney Care, credits his degree from Texas State Technical College to his current success in his position. “The Biomedical Equipment Technology program at TSTC really helped me gain the skills and knowledge that I needed to choose a great career path,” he said....

(WACO, Texas) = Natalie Ozment looks forward to working in her hometown of Temple after she graduates from Texas State Technical College. Ozment, a third-semester Biomedical Equipment Technology student, eventually wants to work as an on-site technician at a hospital. “The biomedical field is definitely in need of women because the field is lacking,” she...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Recent Texas State Technical College graduate Suhey Flores is taking her passion for the medical field to Utah, where she was offered a job with XOtech LLC. “I was hired as a biomedical technician in Ogden, Utah,” the Brownsville native said. “It feels nice to start my career and begin a new...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Texas State Technical College recently hired Stephen Sharp, a resilient and experienced paramedic, as the new emergency medical services instructor for the Brownwood campus. Sharp has come a long way from last year. He was working for Life Guard Ambulance Service on February 20, 2018 when the unthinkable happened.  After dropping off...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – From ambulances and sirens to a classroom setting, Crystal Espinoza is Texas State Technical College’s newest Emergency Medical Services instructor. Completing her sixth week on campus, the 32-year-old said this is a dream come true. “Since stepping foot into my paramedic class, I knew I wanted to teach,” said the McAllen native....

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Thanks to a grant from the Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation, the Emergency Medical Services and Dental Hygiene programs at Texas State Technical College received some welcome additions to better serve students. Upgrades include adding top-of-the-line equipment to the real-world setting of the Dental Hygiene program, as well as an indoor ambulance simulator...

(ABILENE, Texas) – What started out as four television monitors on top of a vehicle dashboard is now the first complete ambulance simulator in North America. Texas State Technical College’s Emergency Medical Services program hosted area first responders at the unveiling of the simulator, a multinational project between the college, Echo Healthcare, and SimLeader, a...

(ABILENE, Texas) – For many people, June 14 is observed as Flag Day. For three Texas State Technical College Paramedic students, the date has added meaning. U.S. Army veterans David Aman, Sarah Franklin and Shawn James take a few minutes every year to celebrate June 14 as the birthday of their military branch. On June...

(HARLINGEN) – Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) and paramedics are in high demand across the region and the state with a projected growth of 15 percent, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And EMS instructor Ruben Ramirez said Texas State Technical College is working to fill...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Eric Interiano graduated from high school in the top ten percent of his class, but with no college plans or career path to follow. For the now 20-year-old, who recently earned his associate degree in Biomedical Equipment Technology, this was concerning on many levels. As a top 10 percent, general academics dual-enrollment...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Virtual reality can be a game-changer for some technical programs in higher education — and that is no exception for the Biomedical Equipment Technology program at Texas State Technical College. Recently the program in Harlingen introduced a virtual reality training system developed and provided by NVRT Labs. Using preconfigured Meta Quest 2...

Vilze Gamboa didn’t think college was in the books for him, but nearly eight years later he graduated from the Biomedical Equipment Technology program at Texas State Technical College in Harlingen making him the first in his family to graduate from college. After graduating from Harlingen High School in 2011, the Harlingen native immediately enlisted...

Gold medalists will go on to compete on the national level at SkillsUSA (ROSENBERG, Texas) – Texas State Technical College students earned a total of 47 medals — 18 gold, 15 silver and 14 bronze — during the recent statewide SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary Leadership and Skills Conference in Houston. The three-day competition ended Saturday, April...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Crystal Neudigate-Sharp did not want a medical condition to stop her from earning an Emergency Medical Technician certificate at Texas State Technical College. “I wanted to teach my children that once you start something, you need to complete it, no matter the obstacles,” said Neudigate-Sharp, a candidate for graduation this semester. After...

Some EMS students had chance to help with COVID-19 vaccination clinic (HARLINGEN, Texas) – The Emergency Medical Services program at Texas State Technical College takes pride in preparing students for their futures in health care with hands-on training that will allow them to get to work on day one. Instructor Daniel Forbing discussed the emphasis...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus recently held its sixth annual Nursing Expo, where more than 85 TSTC Nursing students presented their resumes and credentials to area medical representatives. Around 33 companies from across the Rio Grande Valley provided information on job opportunities, company benefits, and the qualifications they are looking for...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Brothers Edgar and Paul Alcala, of San Benito, are enrolled in the Biomedical Equipment Technology program at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus. Now in their third semester at TSTC, they continue to persevere in their college journey toward Associate of Applied Science degrees. What drew you to this program of study...

(MARSHALL, Texas) – Texas State Technical College took Felicia Pruitt on a journey she never could have imagined. It began when she traded her patient care technician job to begin studying Biomedical Equipment Technology. “I decided I couldn’t do patient care because I got too attached to the patients. I wanted to help them in...

(WACO, Texas) – Staff from GE HealthCare’s Houston location visited Texas State Technical College’s Biomedical Equipment Technology program, which includes the Medical Imaging Systems Technology Specialization program, on Tuesday, April 16, to talk to students about the company’s work and to conduct interviews. GE HealthCare is a worldwide medical technology and pharmaceutical diagnostics company. TSTC...

(MARSHALL) – Students in Texas State Technical College’s Troubleshooting Distribution Systems class were doing hands-on learning before the sun rose Thursday. The third semester students in the Electrical Lineworker Technology program experienced their first in-the-dark emergency simulation lab at the Marshall campus campus’ pole yard behind the South Building. “It went really good,” said Stephen...

(WACO, Texas) – As doctors and nurses battle the COVID-19 pandemic, biomedical equipment technicians are alongside them keeping devices and machines functioning. CardioQuip in College Station has two Texas State Technical College alumni encountering the most serious work they have done so far in their careers. David De La Hoya is a training associate and...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Erik Duenes was asked a simple question while working in his hometown of Ozona. “I was working in maintenance at a nursing home, and the director of the EMS (emergency medical services) asked me if I wanted to drive an ambulance,” said the Texas State Technical College student. “I knew it was...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Destiny Roberts knew there was a chance she could compete at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, Georgia in June. Roberts, a Texas State Technical College Emergency Medical Services student in Brownwood, was an alternate for nationals after earning a silver medal in First Aid-CPR at the Texas Postsecondary...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Maria Morales remembers the happiness that she felt when she was awarded an Associate of Applied Science degree in Health Information Technology during Texas State Technical College’s recent Spring Commencement. That happiness increased exponentially two days later when Morales accepted a full-time job offer as a medical records clerk at South Heart...

(HUTTO, Texas) – Austin West sought job security through a Texas State Technical College education and landed a promising internship with medical technology company ICU Medical before graduation. West is in the final semester of his Associate of Applied Science degree in Industrial Systems at Texas State Technical College’s East Williamson County campus. “ICU Medical...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Navy veteran Lucia Zifko, of Harlingen, had an adoring relationship with her grandfather, who suffered from a heart problem. Since his death, her focus has been to honor his memory by earning an education related to health care at Texas State Technical College. Before she enrolled at TSTC, Zifko researched medical careers...

(WACO, Texas) – The technical well-being of patients at Navarro Regional Hospital is in Travis Recksiek’s hands. Recksiek, a biomedical technician, is responsible for about 1,500 pieces of medical equipment at the hospital and four clinics in Corsicana. He usually starts his workday at 6 a.m., almost an hour ahead of when operating room doctors...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Like most people, Sarah Johnson was looking for job stability. After graduating from Texas State Technical College in November 2019 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Health Information Technology, she found that stability. Johnson credits TSTC for helping her find a job as a medical coder at Hendrick Health System....

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Seth Johnston is following other members of his family’s career path into the medical field. The 18-year-old is a first-year student in Texas State Technical College’s Emergency Medical Services program. Johnston plans to join his mother, who is a registered nurse, father, a computerized tomography technician, and brother, an X-ray technician, in...

(ABILENE, Texas) – When college students begin competing at the 2024 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference on Monday, June 24, Texas State Technical College’s West Texas locations will be well represented. Five students, representing TSTC’s Abilene, Breckenridge and Sweetwater locations, will be in Atlanta, Georgia, along with fellow state gold medalists. TSTC’s students are...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Rebecca Mendez is committed to completing Texas State Technical College’s Paramedic program. Living in Sweetwater, working in Abilene and taking classes in Brownwood is Mendez’s weekly routine. She said it takes support from everyone — from her family to co-workers, TSTC Emergency Medical Services instructor Tim Scalley and fellow students. “It has...

(ABILENE, Texas) – With the spotlight shining, Texas State Technical College honored more than 90 graduates from the four West Texas campuses during the Fall 2023 Commencement on Tuesday, Dec. 12, at the Abilene Convention Center. Graduates who received Associate of Applied Science degrees or certificates of completion in various programs were congratulated by the...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Eighty Texas State Technical College students were celebrated as graduates during the Spring 2024 Commencement at the Abilene Convention Center on Friday, April 26. Students from TSTC’s West Texas locations in Abilene, Breckenridge, Brownwood and Sweetwater were awarded Associate of Applied Science degrees or certificates of completion. “Tonight we are celebrating your...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Texas State Technical College is preparing for the next group of emergency medical technician and paramedic students. TSTC Emergency Medical Services instructor Richard Sharp said students who recently completed the program had a 100 percent passing rate on the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians certification exam, and each graduate found employment....

(WACO, Texas) – Nick Meyer is a Biomedical Equipment Technology student at Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus. He is scheduled to graduate in spring 2023. “I knew I wanted to be in the medical field, but I could not really handle nursing tasks,” the Harker Heights resident said. “That is why I wanted to...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Many health care professionals who earned degrees from Texas State Technical College are making a difference in the medical field. TSTC students can choose from an array of health care programs, including Dental Hygiene, Emergency Medical Services, Nursing, and Surgical Technology. Anna San Pedro, associate provost for TSTC’s Harlingen campus, said the...

(ABILENE, Texas) – When a medical crisis occurs, one of the first phone calls is to 911. Emergency medical technicians are among the first responders on the scene to help a patient. Texas State Technical College’s Emergency Medical Services students use online learning to prepare them for a medical situation. Abilene EMS instructor James Pitts...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Four Texas State Technical College students in West Texas claimed gold medals at the recent SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary State Leadership and Skills Conference in Houston. Aulton Lira, Kimberly Lozano-Ryman and the team of Joshua Rains and Hunter Spohn won their respective events and have the opportunity to represent TSTC at the SkillsUSA...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Even though Misty Lane started a new job three days after graduating from Texas State Technical College, she wanted to do more. Lane, who is from Brownwood and currently lives in Cleburne, graduated from TSTC’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program in 2021. She has returned to the TSTC campus in Brownwood to...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Wind Energy Technology students know that safety is a top priority. During the program, they hear daily about safety precautions. However, one aspect that students learn outside of the lab is what to do if someone is having a medical emergency. The training by Joni Coons, leadership coach...

(WACO, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s statewide Workforce Training office is offering an 11-hour online Telehealth and COVID-19 bundle aimed at providing guidance to people working in medical coding and billing. Participants who register for the training can take the 10 sessions through the Practice Management Institute at their own pace, but there is...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Health information technology enables people to work wherever they want to do their part to keep patients’ health care records organized. Beyda Ramirez, an instructor in Texas State Technical College’s Health Information Technology program in Harlingen, said graduates do more than handle billing and coding. They also maintain the accuracy of electronic...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College and Practice Management Institute (PMI) are providing a system-wide training initiative for Hendrick Health employees in Abilene.  The program will bring front desk, management, coding, compliance and billing courses to hospital employees. It will also include certifications for Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM), Certified Medical Coder (CMC), Certified...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – The scene: a neighborhood garage. The actor: an unresponsive elderly male. And — action. Texas State Technical College Paramedic students in Brownwood were not outside a home. They were on campus, in a classroom, with a 360-degree view of the garage. The students were performing their first scenario in TSTC’s newest technology...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – It was quite an experience for Pedro Casillas and more than 40 of his peers as they helped save lives in a mock two-vehicle accident during Extrication Day hosted by the Texas State Technical College Emergency Medical Services program. “This was a great opportunity to practice what I’ve learned in the classroom,”...

(WACO, Texas) – Trinati Montes, of West, is in her fifth semester in the Biomedical Equipment Technology program at Texas State Technical College in Waco. The West High School graduate was hired last December by SPBS Inc., a clinical equipment services provider located in Lubbock, as a medical equipment technician. She is using the spring...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Health Information Technology instructor Sarah Brooks has taught at Texas State Technical College for 17 years. Her excitement upon discovering the many opportunities available in health information guided her to a career as department chair at TSTC. Brooks discussed the advantages of earning a Medical Office Specialist certificate online, as well as...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Leaders from Texas State Technical College and the Rio-South Texas Education and Community Development Foundation Inc. (RSTEF) gathered Thursday, Sept. 30, at TSTC’s Harlingen campus to celebrate a $310,250 grant to The TSTC Foundation for TSTC’s Biomedical Equipment Technology program and The TSTC Foundation’s Goal Line Assistance Scholarship. The RSTEF has pledged...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College recently welcomed more than 30 high school students from La Feria, Lyford, Mission and San Benito who are getting immersed in a college freshman experience by exploring technical programs of study in the Migrant Academic Achievement Residential Summer (MAARS) program held at TSTC’s Harlingen campus. The program is...

(WACO, Texas) – Two new members of the Texas State Technical College System Board of Regents were sworn in Wednesday, Feb. 5, during a ceremony led by board chairman John K. Hatchel. Kathy Powell and Ron Widup, who were appointed to serve as TSTC regents along with returning regent Keith Honey by Gov. Greg Abbott...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – The Allied Health division at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus will host a community event from 3 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 6, at the Cultural Arts Center at the corner of North Loop 499 and Jasmine Street. Prospective TSTC students who are interested in beginning a specialized health care...

  (HARLINGEN, Texas) – Some Texas State Technical College students from the Harlingen location medaled at the recent 2024 SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary State Leadership and Skills Conference in Houston. Winning gold medals were Allison Agundiz, of Donna, in Welding Sculpture; Mohamed Deyab, of Harlingen, in Sheet Metal; Rene Garay Jr., of Brownsville, Matthew Muniz, of...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Allied Health programs are sponsoring a conference that will give TSTC students a chance to network with regional health care providers. The inaugural Empowering Rural West Texas Allied Health Conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the D.A. Pevehouse Technology Center on the Sweetwater...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – The Emergency Medical Technician program at Texas State Technical College in Harlingen recently made changes that bring more opportunity to current and future students. Last year, after being under Workforce Training and Continuing Education for more than a decade, TSTC’s EMS program received the accreditation it needed to offer a certificate and...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Not all heroes wear capes, but some do arrive in big red fire trucks. Three Brownwood firefighters, Ron Groom, John Hendrix and Justin Prince, volunteered to further their education and attend the Texas State Technical College Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program in Brownwood to become paramedics. It almost requires superhuman strength for...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – After 20 years of serving his country in the military, Paul Cuellar is ready to continue serving his community as a civilian.    Cuellar is both an active-duty member of the National Guard and a full-time student at Texas State Technical College in the Emergency Medical Services Emergency Medical Technician program.   ...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Students in Texas State Technical College’s Emergency Medical Services program are trained to be prepared for almost anything they might encounter in the field. By using the iSimulate REALITi simulator in lab sessions, instructor Tim Scalley can program various situations for students to address. The simulator also can mimic the cardiac monitors...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College recently welcomed more than 380 students and alumni as they filled the Industry Job Fair at TSTC’s Harlingen campus Thursday, Nov. 10. The attendees were ready with their resumes and networked with more than 60 business and industry representatives from across Texas and the United States. The companies...

(HARLINGEN) – Texas State Technical College and Valley Regional Medical Center have recently formed a partnership to provide workforce training and development to more than 100 employees at the hospital. And, to ensure that every employees receives the customized training needed for advancement and success, the Texas Workforce Commission and Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez,...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – As the medical field has evolved over the decades, so has the diversity of its nurses. As more males are pursuing nursing, Texas State Technical College is seeing an increase in the number of men enrolling in its nursing program. Alex Zuniga, of Harlingen, shares a common interest among his other male...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Nursing program has a reputation for producing top-quality nurses like Cassandra Borjas. Borjas has worked hard both academically and professionally to get where she is today, and now she is studying for a Doctor of Nursing Practice Family Nurse Practitioner degree at Baylor University. “As a person, I...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Some Texas State Technical College Nursing students recently learned about potential careers that await them after they graduate. Representatives from Harlingen Medical Center discussed the company’s job outlook, culture, employee turnover rate, tuition reimbursement and other key topics. “Our hospital employs more than 600 people for professions such as electricians, radiology technicians,...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – Amanda Cardenas credits Texas State Technical College for a successful career. Cardenas, of San Benito, graduated from TSTC in 2023 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Health Information Technology and is currently the interim health information manager at Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville. “The Health Information Technology program was...

(WACO, Texas) – A Texas State Technical College student has received a scholarship from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation. Rudolph Wagner of Killeen has been awarded the AAMI Foundation Michael J. Miller Scholarship. He is studying to earn associate degrees in Biomedical Equipment Technology and Medical Imaging Systems Technology Specialization. Wagner is...

(WACO, Texas) – Texas State Technical College Biomedical Equipment Technology instructor Garrett Seeley recently made two presentations at a nationwide conference for biomedical and health technology managers. Seeley gave talks on managing cyberattacks and an introduction to digital imaging and communications in medicine at the MD Expo in Tampa, Florida. He said the topics have...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Some Texas State Technical College Nursing students recently heard about some job opportunities that they might pursue after they graduate. During an employer spotlight held at TSTC’s Harlingen campus, representatives from Valley Baptist Medical Center discussed their company’s job outlook at the Harlingen and Brownsville locations, a nurse residency program, tuition reimbursement,...

(ABILENE, Texas) – This week marks the 45th annual National EMS Week, which honors the dedication of those who provide lifesaving services each day. As the next generation of emergency medical service providers prepares to enter the workforce, Texas State Technical College students and faculty remember why they chose to serve. “National EMS Week allows...

(WACO, Texas) – The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund provides Texas State Technical College with the means to help full- and part-time students who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly $4.9 million in funding has been received by TSTC for expenses related to the disruption...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – June is National Safety Month — as well as the start of the hurricane season — and Texas State Technical College is ready to spring into action to safeguard the well-being of its students, faculty and staff. Roberto Benavides, TSTC’s Safety, Health and Environmental Affairs officer, said his department partners with the...

(HUTTO, Texas) – For Peter Wilson, of Georgetown, it is the best maintenance job he said he has ever had. “It’s something new every day, and we are constantly learning,” he said. Wilson, a graduate of Texas State Technical College’s Industrial Systems – Mechanical Specialization program in East Williamson County, is a mechanic at ICU...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Two Texas State Technical College student representatives from the Harlingen campus achieved excellence at the recent 58th annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Recent TSTC graduate Carina Garcia earned a gold medal in Early Childhood Education, and current student Raymundo Salinas received a silver medal in Medical Terminology....

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – As a new parent, Jennifer Ortiz became concerned with her toddler’s health conditions — and that would inspire a new career direction for her. “My son had a bacterial infection in his blood, bronchiolitis, and respiratory syncytial virus when he was 1 year old,” she said. “After I saw how well a...

(MARSHALL, Texas) – Toby Toney’s 21-year career in truck driving ended after he had a seizure. “It’s stated clearly: you have one seizure, you’re done,” Toney said. “They take your CDL (commercial driver’s license) away. I basically lost everything overnight.” The Longview resident struggled with medical issues for almost a year and a half while...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Bags filled with treats put smiles on the faces of several nurses in Abilene recently. The Texas State Technical College Nursing and Emergency Medical Services programs teamed up to donate food to nurses at Abilene Regional Medical Center and Hendrick Medical Center. “When this COVID-19 pandemic hit, everyone sent our nurses breakfast,...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – The state and national shortage of registered nurses is increasing, with 203,000 job openings projected nationally through 2026, according to onetonline.org. And the Dallas Observer recently reported that Texas will have the second-largest shortage in the country. TSTC’s Director of Nursing Shirley Byrd said most of the program’s grads are hired before...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Terry Kolb, of Comanche, admits he has always cared about people and their well-being. After spending the majority of his life in the construction industry, Kolb decided to help others in a different way. To show his young son what he can do if he puts his mind to it, Kolb enrolled...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Texas state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, toured Texas State Technical College’s newest Industrial Technology Center last week.   “TSTC is training the workforce of tomorrow,” he said of his first visit to the Abilene campus. “Many of the things we take for granted, like turning on the power, are being taught and trained...

(ABILENE, Texas) – High school students from the Texas Panhandle to Abilene’s Wylie High School, and everywhere in between, discovered the technologies and career possibilities available at Texas State Technical College during a Discovery Day on Thursday, Nov. 9. The event was held at TSTC’s Industrial Technology Center in Abilene, and it featured hands-on activities...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – Three Texas State Technical College students from West Texas made history at the 2024 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. David Aman and Hunter Spohn teamed up to win the Emergency Medical Technician competition, while Toby Styron won the Facilithon event. The three students are the first to win...

With complex surgeries on the rise and an increase in advancing robotic procedures and surgeries, the need for highly-skilled surgical technologists is on the rise and Texas State Technical College is working to fill that demand with its Surgical Technology program. TSTC Surgical Technology Program Director and Master Instructor Robert Sanchez said the program’s faculty...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Medical office specialists are often among the first faces that patients see as soon as they enter a clinic. Compassion, care and a genuine desire to help others are a few of the traits that define those in this profession. Remote learning at Texas State Technical College has made earning a Medical...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – A compliment can have an uplifting effect on a person’s life. For Texas State Technical College graduate Joanna Cerda, compliments that she received about her smile would lead her to a rewarding 14-year career as a dental hygienist. Cerda earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Dental Hygiene from TSTC’s Harlingen...

(WACO, Texas) – A Texas State Technical College student has received a scholarship from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation.  Joseph Rowan of Waco has been awarded the AAMI Foundation Michael J. Miller Scholarship. He is a TSTC candidate for graduation this month and will earn associate degrees in Biomedical Equipment Technology and...

(BRECKENRIDGE, Texas) – Drew Young is ready to show his pride for Texas State Technical College at next month’s SkillsUSA state contest in Houston. Young, a Vocational Nursing student, will represent TSTC in drug administration and dosing while also supporting some of his classmates, who will compete in medical terminology. “We are working to motivate...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Linette Jackson and Johnny Sierra, both graduates of Texas State Technical College’s Phlebotomy Technician workforce training program, have experienced successful careers helping other people. Jackson and Sierra now work at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen. Jackson is a laboratory technician, while Sierra is a laboratory assistant. Additionally, Jackson is a part-time...

(Abilene) – Two employees at Texas State Technical College in Abilene have been honored for their dedication and service. Matt Briggs, the clinical coordinator for the Emergency Medical Services program, and Susan Cowart, an instructor for academic English and Humanities, were selected to receive TSTC’s Chancellor’s Excellence Awards. “The Chancellor’s Excellence Award is a yearly...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – On Monday, May 4, Texas State Technical College was a little less lonely as some students made their way back to campus to finish lab hours required before they graduate.   The return to TSTC was authorized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which has identified career and technical education as...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Brittany Hanley did not have to look far for motivation when she enrolled in Texas State Technical College’s Emergency Medical Services program. “My youngest son was diagnosed with a heart condition,” she said. “I did not want to be one of those parents that would freak out. I wanted to be the...

(ABILENE, Texas) – While working in her hometown of Snyder, Veronica Hernandez talked to a Scurry County EMS paramedic daily. The more she talked to the first responder, the more her interest grew in becoming one herself. Hernandez decided it was a good career option and began Texas State Technical College’s Emergency Medical Services program...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Brittney Sims said she received a second chance at life for a reason. In 2005, Sims attempted to take her own life as a teenager and at one point was not responsive to paramedics trying to save her. Sixteen years later, Sims is now a student in Texas State Technical College’s Paramedic...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Anthony Monaco has been around first responders his entire life. When Monaco lived in New York, his father was a volunteer firefighter, and his mother was a nurse. After his father’s job moved the family to Fort Worth, Monaco wanted to continue the family tradition. After high school, Monaco attended a firefighter...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – The excitement of graduation was electric as Texas State Technical College celebrated the return to an in-person ceremony at the Fall 2021 Commencement held Wednesday, Dec. 8, at the Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg. More than 300 graduates from TSTC’s Harlingen campus walked across the stage with smiles gleaming and accepted a...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College unveiled the first Immersive Interactive training labs in the state of Texas at ribbon-cutting ceremonies on May 18. The new labs, located at the Abilene and Brownwood campuses, will be used by Emergency Medical Services students to train in a variety of virtual settings that can help prepare...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College will host an Immersive Interactive training lab ribbon-cutting ceremony on its Harlingen campus. The event is scheduled for June 7 at 10 a.m. TSTC Emergency Medical Services students will use the new lab to train in several virtual environments that can help prepare them for tense and challenging...

(ABILENE, Texas) – The newest members of the state’s workforce were honored during Texas State Technical College’s Summer Commencement on Friday, September 2. TSTC honored 88 graduates representing the four West Texas campuses in the exhibit hall at the Abilene Civic Center.  Andy Weaver, provost of the West Texas campuses, congratulated the college’s newest alumni....

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Rep. Phil King (R-Weatherford) and Rep. David Spiller (R-Jacksboro) learned about the importance of Texas State Technical College to the state’s workforce during a tour of TSTC’s Brownwood campus on Monday, October 3. It was the first time that the state legislators had toured the campus. “I am impressed with the relationship...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Railroad Commission of Texas Commissioner Christi Craddick left Texas State Technical College’s Abilene campus on Thursday, Oct. 20, with a new impression of the state’s next generation of workers. Craddick toured programs in the Industrial Technology Center and Aviation Technology hangar to see the equipment that students train with on a daily...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – What started out as a normal tour of the Texas State Technical College campus in Brownwood quickly became a hands-on learning experience for area high school students. During Allied Health Day earlier this month, students from the Bangs, Brownwood, Comanche and Richland Springs school districts were immersed into the health care field....

(WACO, Texas) – Zachary Womack balances working as an emergency medical technician in Gatesville with taking HVAC Technology classes at Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus. “I was just talking to my wife about my schedule,” the Harker Heights resident said. “With emergency medical services, I work 24 hours on and I am off for...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – The Texas State Technical College police department has one mission for its 10 campus communities: to serve and protect. All TSTC police departments adhere to TSTC’s core values of excellence, accountability, service and integrity. Michael Salinas, a TSTC field training officer at the Harlingen campus, noted that those values have a major...

(WACO, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Biomedical Equipment Technology program has loaned ventilators to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Hillcrest in Waco to use, if needed, during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Terry Whitworth, a program instructor, said the Puritan Bennett 840 ventilators that students use in classes are the same kind used...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Melinda Cannon had the support of her family while attending Texas State Technical College. The mother of two TSTC graduates decided to go to school knowing she would need a support system. She is now a candidate for graduation with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Health Information Technology. Cannon, who...

(ABILENE, Texas) – The health care industry is one of the most complex industries in the world because it constantly changes. To help keep up with new trends, Texas State Technical College and Practice Management Institute have teamed up to train Hendrick Health staff members on the new upscale medical and billing coding systems. The...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Jesus Herrera will never forget when his young daughter was being treated in the intensive care unit at Valley Baptist Medical Center for a rare medical condition. His daughter improved, and the patient care provided by the nurses inspired Herrera to pursue an education in health care at Texas State Technical College’s...

(BRECKENRIDGE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College Vocational Nursing student Lacey Hampton has a progression plan for her medical career. “Since I have been doing the job of nurses for the past six years as a CMA (certified medical assistant), I decided, why not climb that professional ladder and become a vocational nurse?” she said....

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College Surgical Technology alumna Rebecca Vargas recalls when she accepted a full-time job from Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen earlier this year. Since beginning her career in August, Vargas has proved herself as a surgical technologist by utilizing the hands-on technical skills she gained while studying at TSTC....

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – A group of Texas State Technical College Surgical Technology students recently engaged with one of the latest technological medical advancements, the da Vinci Xi robotic surgical system, in a one-day hands-on training session at Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville. The training was provided by American biotechnology company Intuitive Surgical Inc. It...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Started in 2016, iServe Biomedical is a leading provider of medical equipment repairs serving the Houston area. Founders Javier Valdez and Rene Torres discussed their time at Texas State Technical College and how their Associate of Applied Science degrees in Biomedical Equipment Technology prepared them for this venture. “TSTC provided the foundation...

For Amber Vega, every day brings new challenges as a registered nurse at the emergency room in Harlingen Medical Center. But as an alumnus from three TSTC nursing programs, the 25-year-old said she is more than ready to handle what comes her way. “I’ve seen everything: birth to death, and everything in between,” said Vega....

(Sweetwater) – April is Sexual Assault Awareness month, and Texas State Technical College is helping to raise awareness of sexual assault and domestic violence by partnering with representatives from Hendrick Medical Center and Rolling Plains Memorial Hospital to provide information seminars. A session was held on the TSTC campus in Sweetwater on Friday, April 12,...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Texas State Technical College graduate John Hendrix was happy to see the Emergency Medical Services program come to Brownwood. In 2016, Hendrix had the chance to build on his advanced certification when the EMS program began at the Brownwood campus. “The closest place a paramedic program was available was more than one...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – They enrolled. They trained. They conquered! Texas State Technical College graduates echoed phrases such as “this is for you” and “it’s time to celebrate” at TSTC’s Summer 2022 Commencement held Saturday, August 27, at the Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg. Cheers of excitement filled the arena when more than 280 graduates from...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College will introduce an online program this fall for students who want to pursue a career in health care but are undecided about which pathway to take, as well as for students who need to take prerequisite courses for related areas of study. TSTC’s new Pre-Allied Health certificate of...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – With the need for first responders always high, Texas State Technical College will showcase two programs filling that need statewide. The inaugural Allied Health Program Highlight for high school students will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, April 29, at the TSTC campus in Brownwood. Faculty members from...

(HUTTO) – Students at C.H. Yoe High School in Cameron recently ended their first semester taking dual enrollment classes through Texas State Technical College. Twelve students completed the Principles of Accounting I class as part of the Business Management Technology certificate. And, more than 30 students took the online Medical Terminology class under the Medical...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – With the aging of baby boomers and with a population with an overall longer life span, the need for health care services is growing, increasing the demand for vocational nurses. According to the U.S. Bureau Labor Statistics, vocational nursing is projected to grow faster than any other occupation by 2026. Texas State...

(HUTTO, Texas) – Edreich Torres grew up in Georgetown taking broken items and putting them back together. “I believe that my love for knowing how things work and wanting to fix them has always driven me to pursue the next big challenge that awaits me,” he said. Torres graduated in 2016 with an Associate of...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – The ever-growing medical field is more vital than it has ever been. Health care workers are an essential part of our well-being, and the Surgical Technology program at Texas State Technical College not only boasts a high completion rate, but it is also a very hands-on academic journey that prepares students for...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College Culinary Arts students recently gave back to first responders by way of homemade meals that also served as a learning experience for their American Regional course. In the class, students prepare recipes from six different regions of the United States. The course prepares them with the essential skills...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College is known for providing hands-on learning to students who enroll in its many programs. Throughout every semester, one thing is certain: Students are its top priority. Various resources exist at the college to ensure that those enrolled have everything they need in order to succeed. Grants, scholarships and...

(HUTTO, Texas) – ICU Medical Inc., a company in Austin specializing in pure-play infusion therapy, has partnered with Texas State Technical College in East Williamson County’s Industrial Systems program to offer apprenticeships to selected students. “It’s really huge for our program,” said Lance Antilley, lead instructor in TSTC’s Industrial Systems program at the East Williamson...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College alumni Louie Munoz and Julio Hernandez recently conducted a seminar to TSTC Surgical Technology students. The purpose was to share with current students the proper procedures on how to apply an arm cast. This is the second year in a row that the graduates have offered their professional...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Some Texas State Technical College students are flying high because as SkillsUSA gold medalists they will advance to the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference that will be held June 20-24, 2022, in Atlanta, Georgia. Alfredo Aldape, Omar Escalon, Carina Garcia, Caleb Garza, Carlos Lara, Adrian Nacianceno, Alfredo Martinez, Isela Munoz and...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – To help fill a medical need in Brown County and the surrounding area, Texas State Technical College is providing an answer. TSTC will offer a seven-week National Phlebotomy course beginning Monday, April 3, at the Brownwood campus. The course will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. weekdays, according to Doug Jeter,...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Some Texas State Technical College students are raising their SkillsUSA gold medals with pride because they will advance to the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference that will be held June 19-23, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia. Jessica Alaniz, Jessie Contreras, Julia Farris, Melanie Limon, Alfredo Molina, Reymundo Salinas and Edna Vargas will...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s nursing students continue to work using the values that Florence Nightingale established as early as the 1850s. But as nursing students graduate and move into jobs at hospitals and other medical care facilities, they are finding an increasing shortage of needed personnel. The Texas Department of Health and...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Edward Rivas always had his heart set on working in the medical field, and he is making that dream a reality. After going to work for Valley Baptist Medical Center as a surgical attendant in 2020, Rivas was encouraged by some of the staff there to join the Associate of Applied Science...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Jobs, of all levels, are in demand in the health industry, especially in the medically underserved Rio Grande Valley, and Workforce Training at Texas State Technical College is helping employers meet their needs and fill a skills gap with its new Allied Health courses being offered. This is the first time that...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – In recent months the world has gone digital. Learning from home has become the new normal, and that new normal means that even though students may be many miles from a Texas State Technical College campus, they can still receive quality technical instruction. El Paso resident and New Jersey native Emily Mancini...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – February is a time to celebrate technical skills. Feb. 6-10 is SkillsUSA Week, a time for high school and postsecondary advisors to promote the organization and the benefits that students can gain from it. SkillsUSA is a professional organization focused on employability, leadership and technical skills that can help high school and...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – A commitment to patient care often motivates many vocational nurses to do more for patients — especially to further their medical education. That pledge became the driving force for Jeana Flores, who recently graduated with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing from Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus. “My family...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – From hosting hundreds of prospective students at its Harlingen campus and launching hundreds of graduates into the Texas workforce, from breaking ground for major campus building projects to announcing the addition of new programs, Texas State Technical College can look back on a successful 2023. Here are some of the year’s highlights....

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – A technical education, such as Texas State Technical College provides, can give students the skills they need for good-paying jobs — a fact that is highlighted each February during Career and Technical Education (CTE) month. Seth Fernandez, Mariana Hernandez and Isaac Lopez are students at TSTC’s Harlingen campus. Recently they shared how...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College in Harlingen will host its first of four registration rallies for the summer on Wednesday, June 12. The event, to be held at the Engineering Technology Center on Airport Drive, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. will focus on programs: Architectural Design & Engineering Graphics, Biomedical Equipment Technology,...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Jean Lashbrook was 19 when she knew she wanted to change lives serving in the medical field. Her journey as an emergency medical technician and a registered nurse led her to her current role: an associate provost at Texas State Technical College. “I was recruited by a friend who was working at...

(ABILENE Texas) – Dayna Williams admits that she has faced obstacles during her life. After leaving high school as a sophomore, Williams completed her high school requirements through the Texas Online Preparatory School. Without a diploma in hand, Williams explained her situation and was able to enroll in Texas State Technical College’s Emergency Medical Services...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College students found that the need for employees is high across the state during the college’s Industry Job Fair on Tuesday, April 5. Representatives from around 60 companies provided information on job opportunities, employment benefits and possible interviews at TSTC’s Industrial Technology Center in Abilene. More than 170 TSTC...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Through a new partnership, representatives of Texas State Technical College’s Nursing program in Harlingen and Doctors Hospital at Renaissance (DHR) Health recently gathered at a luncheon to recognize seven TSTC Nursing students who are doing clinicals and preceptorships at DHR Health’s facility in Edinburg. Each of the students received a $1,500 scholarship...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – Six students from Texas State Technical College’s West Texas campuses qualified for the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference with gold medal victories at the state conference earlier this month. Zachary Atwell, Dustin Bostick, Mackenzie Brigman, Thomas Kalman, Philip Taylor and Axel Torres will compete at the national event scheduled for June...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – Texas State Technical College Nursing students have been inspired to enter the health care field for various reasons. In honor of National Nurses Week, which is celebrated May 6-12, Associate Degree in Nursing and Vocational Nursing students at TSTC’s Breckenridge and Sweetwater campuses recently shared their reasons for wanting to become nurses....

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – The month of April promises to be a thrilling and competitive challenge for more than 80 students from Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen location. The students are preparing for the 2024 SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary Leadership and Skills Conference, which will be held April 18-20 in Houston. SkillsUSA is a professional organization focused...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – More than 30 area high school students from the Edcouch-Elsa, La Feria, Lyford, Mission and San Benito school districts were immersed in a college experience this summer by participating in the Migrant Academic Achievement Residential Summer (MAARS) program held at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus. The program is designed to help...

(WACO, Texas) – Nathan Craig of Hamilton found his footing on Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus, following the path of a few family members.  Coming from a family of first responders, Craig, 21, has a strong interest in the emergency services field. When he came to TSTC, he was unsure of what route to...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – The transition from high school to college can be challenging.  For Texas State Technical College student Ruben Rodriguez, the transition also led to anxiety about not having enough to eat. But TSTC was there to alleviate the stress until he could get back on his feet. “My first semester at TSTC was...

(WACO, Texas) – As the COVID-19 pandemic rampaged across the world, Texas State Technical College responded. And that plan has received recognition from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board with a 2021 Star Award, which recognized higher education institutions in Texas for their response efforts to the pandemic. TSTC activated its statewide Emergency Operations Team...

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – It can be easy to think of lineworkers’ jobs as being emergency-focused. When a storm rolls in and power lines are down, lineworkers roll in to restore electricity to homes and businesses. But while that is an essential role they play, the work they do every day to keep the lights on...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Safety is a top priority in many of the programs taught at Texas State Technical College not only during National Safety Month in June, but also throughout the rest of the year. Hector Rosa is TSTC’s Building Construction Technology program team lead at TSTC’s Harlingen location. Recently he talked about how safety...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – For more than 270 Texas State Technical College graduates, the culmination of their college journey came to fruition during the Summer 2024 Commencement as they thanked their families for their support. TSTC graduates walked across the stage at the Harlingen Convention Center on Wednesday, Aug. 21 to receive certificates of completion or...

(WACO, Texas) – Before Courtney Balzadua, 27, of Waco became a pharmacy technician at the Family Health Center, she balanced working as a waitress and being the mother of a small child. She knew she needed to make a career change. “I wanted to be in the medical field in some way,” said Balzadua, a...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – It has been nearly 40 years since Robert Sanchez stepped foot on a Texas State Technical College campus for the first time, and now he is moving onward with a new chapter in his life: retirement. The 70-year-old and his dedication to the college and its Surgical Technology students were recently celebrated...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Eight students from Texas State Technical College representing its West Texas campuses won medals at the 2020 SkillsUSA virtual conference meet. The students earned five gold medals, one silver medal and four bronze medals.  William Hancock earned gold medals in two events, Information Technology Services and Telecommunications Cabling. Victoria Jones earned a...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – It took encouragement by her supervisor for Melissa Rice to go back to college. Rice, a longtime licensed vocational nurse at Lake Granbury Medical Center, is a candidate to graduate from Texas State Technical College this fall with an associate of applied science degree in nursing. “I have always had a deep...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – Shannon Powell is now working in a field she fell in love with at the age of 19. Powell, who received an associate degree in Nursing at Texas State Technical College in 2020, passed the National Council Licensure Examination earlier this year. Today, she is a registered nurse in the medical-surgical department...

Opportunities gets college-level learning in gear for younger students (HARLINGEN, Texas) – After so much time spent learning virtually, GEAR UP student Lila Quintero is looking forward to being back in the classroom — even if it is the middle of summer vacation. The rising sophomore at Santa Rosa ISD was on campus at Texas...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Wearing her heart on her sleeve and helping others is what Esmeralda Sosa, of Harlingen, has planned for her medical career. She is pursuing a certificate of completion in Vocational Nursing at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus. Her medical journey began in 2017 after she became a certified nursing assistant. “I...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Magdalena Maciel, of Harlingen, has a love for baking. Her goal is to launch a catering business that specializes in desserts. She enrolled in the Culinary Arts program at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus for the spring 2022 semester and is studying for an Associate of Applied Science degree. Her first...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – For six years prior to the pandemic, Primitiva Martinez, of Harlingen, was a paralegal. When the pandemic became a reality, she sought a new, more engaging career direction. After she researched multiple educational options, the Surgical Technology program at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus appealed to her. “I really enjoyed what...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Although Erzsebet Pigler-Guerra had worked as a registered nurse for 12 years in her native Hungary and in England, she discovered that her nursing qualifications differed from those required in America when she started a new life in Harlingen with her husband, who had been stationed overseas in the U.S. Air Force....

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – As the health care field introduces the latest advancements in medical technologies, Texas State Technical College implements similar resources to prepare its students for real-world careers. The Surgical Technology program at TSTC’s Harlingen campus recently introduced a new PeriopSim surgical simulator to be used by students during lab sessions. The software was...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – A surgical technician has a respected role as the “backbone” of a surgical team. Prospective students who want to become one of these vital team members can develop hands-on technical skills in the Surgical Technology program at Texas State Technical College. Students learn how to assist nurses and surgeons in preparation for...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Pursuing a postsecondary education is a life-changing choice for many individuals that can lead to a better life — especially when that mastery in technical skills begins at Texas State Technical College. This year, National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. It is a celebration of the...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Recent Texas State Technical College graduate Celestial Martinez decided to study Surgical Technology after her own positive experience as a patient at DHR Health in McAllen, where she has been offered a full-time job as a surgical technician pending completion of her internship there and passing the required certifying examination. “I used...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – It is common for a brother and sister to have a strong relationship. For Adrian and Ana Hernandez, the siblings motivated each other while they studied at Texas State Technical College to earn their respective degrees. Not only did they graduate together with associate degrees from the LVN to RN Transition Nursing...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – It was May 2009 in the neonatal intensive care unit when life changed for Texas State Technical College vocational nursing alum Jesus Herrera and he realized nursing was his life’s passion and path. The 35-year-old’s eldest daughter was born with gastroschisis, a birth defect of the abdominal wall in which the baby’s...

(HOUSTON, Texas) – The SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary Leadership and Skills Conference has kicked off, and Texas State Technical College has students competing in a variety of skills. Along with other students representing roughly 30 different technical and community colleges across the state, they have gathered in Houston looking to win big. For a few of...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Two employees at Texas State Technical College in Abilene have been honored for their dedication and service. Matt Briggs, the clinical coordinator for the Emergency Medical Services program, and Susan Cowart, an instructor for academic English and Humanities, were selected to receive TSTC’s Chancellor’s Excellence Awards. “The Chancellor’s Excellence Award is a...

(ABILENE, Texas) – More than 100 graduates received certificates and associate degrees at Texas State Technical College’s Spring 2019 Commencement held Friday, April 26, at the Abilene Convention Center. Graduates from TSTC’s West Texas campuses in Abilene, Breckenridge, Brownwood and Sweetwater were recognized. For Mary Madden, an instructor in Electromechanical Technology at TSTC in Sweetwater,...

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Two years ago when Hurricane Harvey devastated the Gulf Coast, Texas State Technical College student Nolen Maraman and his family lost their home to flooding, forcing them to start over, yet through it all he also found a new career. “We had to evacuate north, in the middle of the storm,” said...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Texas State Technical College will offer a certificate and an associate of applied science degree in Emergency Medical Services Paramedic at the Brownwood campus beginning next semester.  “We are very excited to offer the paramedic program at the Brownwood campus and believe this will be a great opportunity for local community members,”...

(ABILENE, Texas) – With Texas State Technical College recruiters working from home, creativity is being used to attract potential students. Daniel Martin, TSTC’s director of Student Recruiting in West Texas, and his team are using technology to gauge the interest of prospective students and keep in touch with current applicants. “We have been really productive,”...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College graduates help their communities thrive because of their capacity to dive into their new careers as soon as their college chapters come to an end. The adversity due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has impacted their final semester and commencement is not ideal, but the TSTC spirit is...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – When classes begin at Texas State Technical College’s Sweetwater campus on Monday, Aug. 31, it will mark 50 years of service in West Texas. On Sept. 1, 1970, the first classes at the former Texas State Technical Institute Rolling Plains campus were held in Sweetwater. The college offered seven day courses and...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Taylor and Jason Bigbie are spending a lot of time together. The Bigbies are enrolled in Texas State Technical College’s Welding Technology program in Brownwood. For Jason Bigbie, he wants to use his education to open a business, while Taylor Bigbie wants to help him when she is not working as a...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College honored 30 employees with service award drive-thru celebrations this month. With COVID-19 restrictions limiting large gatherings, the celebrations were planned to honor employees with five to 35 years of experience. Celebrations were held at the Abilene, Sweetwater and Breckenridge campuses. Lance Eastman, interim provost for the West Texas...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – Joni Coons knows how important Texas State Technical College is to West Texas and beyond. Coons was recently honored for 30 years of service to TSTC, but her time with the college goes back even further. While serving as a secretary for an ambulance company in Ballinger, Coons was asked to help...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – Texas State Technical College Nursing students in Harlingen and Sweetwater will be able to use simulators that will help them in the future. TSTC was recently awarded Nursing Innovation Grant Program grants totaling $153,205. The program is facilitated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and is funded through the Texas Tobacco...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – There is a hint of sibling rivalry between Vanessa and Allen Hurtado. But they put it aside while studying to become paramedics at Texas State Technical College. The brother and sister said they have a common goal. “We really enjoy helping people and want to be there when they need help,” Allen...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Before Janie Rodriguez became the newest Nursing instructor at Texas State Technical College’s campus in Harlingen, she already knew many of her future colleagues — and even students. She completed her master’s degree practicum at TSTC in March, implementing an experiential learning activity for the cohort of students at the time alongside...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College recently honored 20 employees from its four West Texas campuses for their years of service to the college. Employees with five, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 35 years of employment were honored during a West Texas virtual staff meeting hosted by Andy Weaver, interim provost of TSTC in...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Andy Weaver has been named provost of Texas State Technical College’s West Texas campuses. Weaver served as interim provost for the past year, as well as director of division support for TSTC’s Allied Health program. He also has served in various other roles since he began his career at TSTC in 2001....

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Some 300 students from nine area high schools visited Texas State Technical College during an open house held on the Harlingen campus Thursday, March 10. The participating schools included Grulla, La Feria, Lopez Early College, PSJA Sonia M. Sotomayor Early College, Raymondville, Rio Grande City, Rio Hondo, Santa Maria, and Vanguard Beethoven...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – June is National Safety Month, and Texas State Technical College’s police department recently held a Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) training session to better prepare TSTC employees if an active assailant event were to occur. The training is an extension of the Avoid Deny Defend strategy established by the Advanced...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College honored several employees for their service to the college during a recent employee appreciation day celebration. Andy Weaver, provost of the West Texas campuses, thanked each employee for their contributions to the college. “The lives we are able to change every day when we come to work are...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Ninety-eight graduates are ready to enter the workforce after earning Associate of Applied Science degrees or certificates of completion from Texas State Technical College on Thursday, April 27. TSTC honored graduates from the Abilene, Breckenridge, Brownwood and Sweetwater campuses during the Spring Commencement at the Abilene Convention Center.  Andy Weaver, provost of...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – For more than 260 graduates from Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus, the sounds of friends and families cheering and applauding reflected the soul of the ceremony. The proud graduates walked the stage and received their long-awaited certificates of completion or associate degrees at TSTC’s Spring 2023 Commencement held May 2 at...

(HUTTO, Texas) – Brad Herridge, a performance-based education mentor at Texas State Technical College’s East Williamson County campus, has been allergic to certain forms of dairy since he was a baby. He manages his food allergy by avoiding Italian food and has learned how to order Mexican food without dairy products. So it is a...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College will showcase six of its programs during the inaugural TechFest from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 8, at the Taylor County Expo Center. The free event will provide residents of Abilene and surrounding areas with the opportunity to try some of the equipment that TSTC...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College honored 58 employees from the four West Texas campuses for their service during the summer Employee Appreciation Day last month. Employees and their families enjoyed a cookout prepared by faculty and staff, several inflatable bounce houses and slides, and a visit to the Abilene Zoo. Door prizes were...

(ABILENE, Texas) – More than 100 students were recognized during Texas State Technical College’s Summer 2023 Commencement ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 7, at the Abilene Convention Center. Students were presented with Associate of Applied Science degrees or certificates of completion in various programs offered at TSTC’s campuses in Abilene, Breckenridge, Brownwood and Sweetwater. Andy Weaver,...

(ABILENE, Texas) – For one day, Abilene Independent School District seniors had the opportunity to see what it was like being a college student. “We wanted to expose our students to the postsecondary experience, and show them that TSTC (Texas State Technical College) is a fantastic option to get an education and into the workforce,”...

(MARSHALL, Texas) – The instructors and staff of Texas State Technical College’s Marshall campus dedicate themselves to the school and their students by working to reach the college’s goal of placing more Texans in great-paying jobs. For some of them, the work does not stop at 5 p.m. It simply changes. Veronique Ramirez, a Student...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) -When Sessia Wyche III is teaching and leading ministries he is changing lives, and for these contributions and more to the Rio Grande Valley, the Texas State Technical College Mathematics instructor was recently presented with a House of Representatives Congressional Record recognition by U.S. Congressman Filemon Vela.  “When I received the call about...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – Winning is so nice, she did it twice. Now Kacee Merrifield wants it again, and so does one of her classmates. Merrifield is a nursing student enrolled in the associate degree program at Texas State Technical College in Sweetwater. She has competed at SkillsUSA two years in a row, winning state both...

(WACO, Texas) – Five technical programs at Texas State Technical College were recently recognized by the Office of the Governor’s Texas Workforce Investment Council at a ceremony in Austin. Associate of Applied Science degree programs for Biomedical Equipment Technology, Electrical Lineworker Technology, Process Operations, Solar Energy Technology and Wind Energy Technology were recognized for merging...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – From serving his country overseas to serving his local community, Texas State Technical College student James Phillips III has dedicated his life to helping others. Phillips, a Big Spring native, is an Army veteran and a Vocational Nursing student at TSTC. He recently competed at the state-level SkillsUSA Postsecondary Leadership and Skills...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Nacona Tovar did not expect to have a career in welding like his father. But as an adult, something changed, and he picked up his own welding torch. After receiving his welding certification from Texas State Technical College in December, Tovar was hired by BNSF Railway in Fort Worth. Someday he would...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Jamie Nowotny is taking advantage of Texas State Technical College’s online Health Information Technology program this fall. The first-semester student said she wanted to pursue a certificate in the medical records field but did not have time to be in the classroom. “The only way I would be able to attend school...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Leigh Anne Folger is using her life experience as a road map to help others. Folger, a 2017 graduate of Texas State Technical College’s Chemical Dependency Counseling program, is a counselor at Addiction Behavioral Services. Prior to joining the staff, she worked as a counselor at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s...

Health Information Technology students, graduates input patient data during event (HARLINGEN, Texas) – Kayla Halmon, of Harlingen, was glad to volunteer during a recent morning at a COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Primera that was hosted by Cameron County Public Health. Halmon, a spring 2021 graduate of Texas State Technical College’s Health Information Technology program, input...

Opportunity for learning extends beyond biology field (HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College Biology students have the chance to cultivate their lab skills in an internship at the Texas A&M University-Kingsville Citrus Center that restarted last week following a hiatus due to the pandemic. As the interns help identify invasive species or pathogens in...

(WACO, Texas) – This was a visit several decades in the making for Dr. Charles P. Fletcher, of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Fletcher, 95, visited the airport at Texas State Technical College in Waco during the recent Father’s Day weekend while traveling with his family. The land the college is on was once Waco Army Air...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – For those with a strong desire to help others, a degree in nursing can lead to a fulfilling career. Texas State Technical College offers prospective nurses the chance to learn from experienced instructors and in local hospitals during the 16-month Licensed Vocational Nursing program in Breckenridge, Harlingen and Sweetwater. Applications for prospective...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Halfway into their 12-week internships at the Texas A&M University-Kingsville Citrus Center, TSTC Biology students Paloma Gallardo and Sammy Huerta are thriving. Gallardo uses DNA extraction and PCR — polymerase chain reaction — in the leaf tissues of a plant to identify citrus greening disease. Huerta, working on an entomology project, examines...

(MARSHALL, Texas) – Texas State Technical College in Marshall is offering more dual enrollment opportunities this year for high school students. Some of TSTC’s technical programs that were previously taught in person on select campuses are now available in online formats. Some of TSTC’s programs that high school students are taking include Architectural Design and...

(BRECKENRIDGE, Texas) – It was only natural for Kelly Nelson to take the next step in her medical career. Nelson has been a certified nursing assistant for 16 years and a certified medical assistant for 10 years. With that experience on her resume, She decided to take the next step and is studying to become...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College recently hosted 50 active-duty U.S. Army soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas, during their two-day visit to the Harlingen campus. The soldiers, who are in the Army Recovery Care Program’s Soldier Recovery Unit (SRU), toured TSTC programs and enjoyed lunch at TSTC’s Cultural Arts Center. Kenneth Buford, TSTC’s statewide...

(BRECKENRIDGE, Texas) – Abbey Demere was not discouraged when her first attempt to study nursing did not go as expected. Demere enrolled in a registered nursing program but quickly realized that she was not ready for the rigorous schedule. After taking some time to think about her options, she learned about the Texas State Technical...

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – As the bell sounded around 8 a.m. on a recent morning, high school students who were dressed in chef’s jackets, medical scrubs, automotive work shirts and other uniforms filled the hallways of Fort Bend ISD’s James Reese Career and Technical Center in Sugar Land. Senior Ryan Watassek was among them, on his...

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Occupational safety and environmental compliance jobs are already challenging and in demand, particularly in industry-heavy Houston. However, COVID-19 has added new hurdles for professionals on both the occupational and the environmental sides of the industry. “It’s actually pretty chaotic,” said Andrea Skinner-Creeks, a Texas State Technical College Occupational Safety and Environmental Compliance...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College alumna Lily Conde, a Rio Hondo resident, knew the medical field was her calling. She had a great high school experience as an active member of the Health Occupations Students of America. That interest led her to enroll in TSTC’s Dental Hygiene program. She earned a certificate of...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – The game of chess is known to require the utmost patience, preparation and strategy. Those same principles are comparable to the welding industry. Four TSTC alumni have established the direction of their program into a cohesive Welding Technology program at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus. Manuel Ahumada, Isaac Rivas, Raul Saldivar...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Aaron Cantu, of Harlingen, knew he had to choose a career pathway when he was a student at San Benito High School. His decision to choose health care led him to future success in the health care field. Not only is he a nursing assistant teacher at his former high school, but...

(BRECKENRIDGE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College is accepting applications for the Vocational Nursing program’s spring cohort. Students who plan to apply must submit a completed application packet by September 30. TSTC’s Breckenridge and Sweetwater campuses are accepting students for the 16-month program scheduled to begin in January. Marchelle Taylor, TSTC’s Vocational Nursing program director,...

(HUTTO, Texas) – Alejandro Garcia Puente, of Round Rock, is excited about the career change he is making as a student at Texas State Technical College in East Williamson County. “Most of my jobs have been construction-related,” he said. “This will be more technical.” Garcia Puente is scheduled to graduate in December with an Associate...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Nursing program recently celebrated their graduates in two pinning ceremonies held at TSTC’s Harlingen campus. Thirty-two Nursing and 13 Vocational Nursing graduates were honored for their commitment to providing the best patient care. The smiling Nursing graduates walked across the stage and received a traditional nurse’s cap (with...

(HUTTO, Texas) – Alejandro Garcia Puente, of Round Rock, is an Industrial Systems – Mechanical Specialization student at Texas State Technical College in East Williamson County. He is scheduled to graduate in December. Garcia Puente is a graduate of Vista Ridge High School in Cedar Park and is in the U.S. Navy Reserve. What did...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – The health of community residents is important to many people. For 38 years, Texas State Technical College has partnered with Rolling Plains Memorial Hospital and the Sweetwater-Nolan County Health Department to showcase the agencies that strive to provide quality health care in the region. On Tuesday, October 11, more than 40 agencies...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Erin Gordon recalled a moment during the pandemic when she was in a hospital for a procedure and a nurse provided her with comfort. “The nurse did a great job to ensure I wasn’t stressed,” she said. “Her job caught my interest because her approach was excellent. Additionally, my mother was enrolled...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Some Texas State Technical College Surgical Technology students recently engaged in a one-day hands-on training session with the da Vinci Xi surgical system provided by medical company Intuitive Surgical Inc. It is the second year that TSTC’s Surgical Technology program and Intuitive have collaborated to immerse students in cutting-edge technology to prepare...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus opened the doors to its annual Industry Job Fair, where more than 250 students and alumni presented their resumes and credentials to business and industry representatives, on Thursday, March 30. Representatives of around 75 companies from across Texas and the United States provided information on job...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – The Associate Degree in Nursing program at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus will host an open house from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, April 14, at the TSTC Nursing Education Building at the corner of North Loop 499 and Oak Street. Prospective students who are interested in beginning the...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – Ten Texas State Technical College students will represent the West Texas campuses at the SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary Leadership and Skills Conference scheduled for this week in Houston. SkillsUSA is a professional organization focused on employability, leadership and technical skills that help college students pursue successful careers and be part of a skilled...

(AUSTIN, Texas) – An Austin company is utilizing Texas State Technical College as a resource to fill critical positions needed to keep operations running smoothly. Flex is a multinational contract manufacturer that partners with many different companies across multiple industries. Flex pioneers within industries such as automotive, aerospace, computer hardware, medical devices, and renewable/solar. One...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College recently welcomed around 20 high school counselors and career and technical education teachers from across the Rio Grande Valley to immerse themselves in some of the college’s technologies and hands-on labs during TECHcelerate, a three-day technical education conference held at TSTC’s Harlingen campus. Kadie Svrcek, TSTC’s statewide dual...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Seven Texas State Technical College students will compete for gold medals at the 59th annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference next week. Jessica Alaniz, Julia Farris, Melanie Limon, Alfredo Molina, Christopher Paul, Reymundo Salinas and Edna Vargas will represent TSTC’s Harlingen campus. Amanda Posada, provost at TSTC’s Harlingen campus, said the...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – A commitment to patient care is something that Martha Arellano is familiar with not only as a former dental assistant, but also as the wife of a registered nurse. That dedication to helping others led her to the Vocational Nursing program at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus, where she is studying...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – For Mark Braswell, it was like coming home when he returned to Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus to teach Surgical Technology after working as a surgical technician at St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital in San Antonio. Braswell graduated with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Surgical Technology from TSTC in 2009....

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Students in the Vocational Nursing and LVN to RN Transition programs at Texas State Technical College are committed to treating patients as if they were members of their own families. That dedication is spotlighted each year from Feb. 1 to 7 during National Patient Recognition Week. Eleazar Leos, who is studying for...

(WACO, Texas) – Richard Rensing has taken off. Rensing was exposed to flying aircraft at an early age and took classes at the McKinney Independent School District’s McKinney Aviation Academy. He graduated in 2019 from Texas State Technical College’s Aircraft Pilot Training Technology program at the Waco campus. Now Rensing is a captain at Piedmont...

(MARSHALL, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Marshall campus hosted its annual Community Resource Fair on Wednesday, Feb. 14. A total of 25 tables displayed resources that are available both on and off campus to help TSTC students. “We set up the Community Resource Fair to allow students the exposure to all of the resources...

(HOUSTON, Texas) – More than 200 students and faculty members from Texas State Technical College have arrived in Houston to participate in the 2024 SkillsUSA Texas Leadership and Skills Conference. The conference began Thursday, April 18, and will end with the awards ceremony on Saturday, April 20. The event’s contests are being held at locations...

(MARSHALL, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Health Information Technology program can be seen as the cybersecurity of health care. “We’re behind the scenes in health care,” Sarah Brooks, TSTC’s interim director of alignment for Health Information Technology, said. “We take care of patients by ensuring that patient information is accessible when needed and keeping...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – A pledge to patient care is a bond that Illiana Rodriguez shares with her mother, Celina Romo, as Rodriguez pursues a medical education at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen location just as her mother did. Their dedication to health care is one of the reasons why they and others like them are...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – During an evening of celebration on May 10 at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen location, a group of 24 TSTC Workforce Training and Continuing Education graduates received their certificates of completion. The graduates were from the Advanced Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Machining, NCCER Maritime Welding, and Patient Care Technician programs. Myra De...

(MARSHALL, Texas) – Three Texas State Technical College graduates, Ivy Delong, Amy Gonzales and Jamie Thompson, proved that the path to success can be found even in the hardest of times and now are instructors for the college’s Chemical Dependency Counseling program. Connie Schaaf, director of alignment and program team lead for the program, said...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – The Career Services department at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus recently held an Interview Practicum to help more than 200 TSTC students prepare for real-life interviews, with several area business and industry representatives serving as interviewers/coaches. Participating were students from Auto Collision and Management Technology, Automotive Technology, Biomedical Equipment Technology, Building...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Arlene Vargas knew that she wanted to pursue a career in the dental field after her own personal experience. “I visited Harlingen Family Dentistry for monthly follow ups because I used to wear braces,” Vargas said. “I really liked how the team of dental professionals interacted with me. I asked what their...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Workforce Training and Continuing Education department will offer four new certification courses at the Harlingen campus this fall, including Fiber Optics – Broadband Technician, NCCER Basic Rigger, Phlebotomy Technician, and Remote Drone Pilot. “The four programs we’re offering are short-term training that can lead to a high-paying job,”...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Surgical Technology students at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus experience a rewarding medical education in preparation for their work in operating rooms. Their commitment takes on added significance during National Surgical Technologists Week, which is observed annually during the third week of September and was designated as such in 1984 by...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Construction of Texas State Technical College’s three newest facilities at the Harlingen campus is on schedule. The building projects include a nearly 84,000-square-foot technology facility for the Automotive Technology and Diesel Equipment Technology programs, a 7,000-square-foot building for the Electrical Lineworker and Management Technology program, and renovation of an existing building that...

(WACO, Texas) – More than 500 graduates received certificates and associate degrees at Texas State Technical College’s Spring 2019 Commencement held Tuesday, May 7, at the Waco Convention Center. Many of the graduates already have jobs. David De La Hoya of Italy, Texas, received an Associate of Applied Science degree in Biomedical Equipment Technology and...

(WACO, Texas) – Students attending Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus will see differences in how they learn and interact as they start the fall semester on Monday, Aug. 31. “We are constantly looking at our process and how we can make the campus safer,” said Jerome Mendias, TSTC’s associate provost. “Safety is our priority....

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Many Rio Grande Valley high schoolers are taking advantage of Texas State Technical College’s dual enrollment program this school year. TSTC has active dual enrollment partnerships for the 2021-22 school year with Brownsville ISD, Harlingen CISD, La Feria ISD, Los Fresnos CISD, Lyford CISD, Mercedes ISD, Raymondville ISD, Rio Hondo ISD and...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) -AnaDi Arispe is a student at Texas State Technical College, taking the prerequisite courses she needs to apply for TSTC’s Vocational Nursing program this fall. The 34-year-old has worked as a licensed pharmacy technician for eight years and said that’s where her passion for nursing began. She expects to earn her certificate in...

(BRECKENRIDGE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College will offer Occupational Safety Compliance (OSC) Technology at its Breckenridge campus starting this fall, and two current TSTC students can hardly wait to take advantage of it.   Ivan Chavez and Brittoni Thornhill are both students in the Environmental Technology program and are expected to graduate in spring 2020...

(WACO, Texas) – Tristan Landers compares working at a construction site to saving lives in a hospital. “Commercial construction in general is very comfortable for me,” said Landers, a graduate of Texas State Technical College and a health, safety and environmental senior coordinator for the Austin area for Flintco. “It is very much like working...

By Amanda Sotelo (HARLINGEN, Texas) – Fifteen inches of water took it all from Texas State Technical College student Nelda Chavez and her family. “The only way to describe the situation is devastating and overwhelming,” said the 52-year-old.  “The image and smell of the mess and debris still haunts me.” The family returned to their...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – From one day to the next, Texas State Technical College student Josephine Delgado faced homelessness. But TSTC was there to make sure that did not happen. Delgado said that the Sunday she lost the security of having a roof over her head began as a fun day. She headed to church without...

(WACO, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Environmental Technology program has purchased two mobile decontamination trailers for students to use in labs at the Fort Bend County and Waco campuses. The trailers will be used in the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) Training and Related Topics class offered in the fifth semester of...

(WACO, Texas) – The current global climate has brought unforeseen bumps in the road for Texas State Technical College students. However, Marissa Hunsucker is one of many who have proven that despite trials and tribulations, there is nothing that can get in the way of those who are “TSTC strong.” The Waco native recently utilized...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – Jere Lowe, of Bryson, had a career goal. Due to unforeseen circumstances in her life, Lowe put her dream of being a traveling nurse on hold to take care of her family. When an opportunity to pursue her goal opened, Lowe enrolled in Texas State Technical College’s Nursing program. The longtime licensed...

(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...

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Texas State Technical College Environmental Technology instructor Maria Vaughan brings knowledge and a passion for environmental safety into her classroom every day. Her time at TSTC has brought her not only many wonderful memories, but also a stronger sense of purpose as she continues to educate the future employees of the industry...

(WACO, Texas) – Amanda Ruble has quickly put her fundraising and marketing skills to good use for the betterment of Axtell, an unincorporated area of McLennan County. “It does not have a big-city feel,” she said. “We have a good school district out here.” Ruble, who grew up in Gatesville, is a 2017 graduate of...

(WACO, Texas) – The Texas Mutual Insurance Co.’s $150,000 grant awarded in late 2020 through The TSTC Foundation to Texas State Technical College means that students can continue to learn technical skills quickly and receive assistance to ease life’s burdens. The college’s Rapid Industry Skills and Employability (RISE) program will receive $100,000 of the grant....

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College was recently awarded a Texas Reskilling Support Fund Grant in the amount of $300,000 by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). Reskilling grants allow Texas higher education institutions to provide financial assistance to students who are experiencing adversities and have had to drop out of college because...

Police went above and beyond to keep campus safe (HARLINGEN, Texas) – When Texas State Technical College buckled down to prepare for the unprecedented winter storm that recently made its way across the state, TSTC campus police immediately answered the call to ensure that both the campus and its residents were safe. The TSTC Incident...

(BRECKENRIDGE, Texas) – The compassionate voice of a nurse led Blaine O’Byrne into the health care field. O’Byrne is studying to become a licensed vocational nurse at Texas State Technical College and plans to become a registered nurse. For now, she is excited that she is able to complete clinical sessions while remembering why she...

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Texas State Technical College is known for adapting its technical programs to fit the needs of industry. Starting this fall, a new degree will enable students to learn to protect the health and safety of others. The Associate of Applied Science degree in Occupational Safety and Environmental Compliance combines two previous degrees...

(WACO, Texas) – Representatives from Texas State Technical College and Phillips 66 gathered on TSTC’s Waco campus on Thursday to celebrate a relationship that not only benefits TSTC students through scholarships provided by Phillips 66, but also benefits the energy giant with a reliable source of skilled technicians in the form of TSTC graduates. Rachel...

(WACO, Texas) – Texas State Technical College is known for adapting its technical programs to fit the needs of industry. Starting this fall, a new degree will enable students to learn to protect the health and safety of others. The Associate of Applied Science degree in Occupational Safety and Environmental Compliance combines two previous degrees...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Aron Guajardo grew up in Donna, Texas, and is a graduate of the South Texas High School for Health Professions in Mercedes. He also has an Associate of Applied Science degree in Mechatronics Technology from Texas State Technical College in Harlingen. Guajardo has a maintenance position at PVC pipe manufacturer JM Eagle...

(BRECKENRIDGE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s newest program in Breckenridge will be on display Friday, Aug. 6. A spotlight event for the Occupational Safety and Environmental Compliance program is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Breckenridge campus, located at 415 N. Breckenridge Ave. To register for the event, visit https://tstc.secure.force.com/events/targetX_eventsb__events#/esr?eid=a1L2M0000061mHmUAI. The...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Wind Energy Technology program offers students the chance to reach the very top of their potential. “The wind program takes you to new heights because you’re literally climbing 300 feet in the air,” TSTC Wind Energy Technology instructor Patrick Zoerner said. “If you’re interested in learning about electronics...

(RED OAK, Texas) – Now is a great time to become a diesel equipment technician. “Technology in our industry is constantly changing, from hybrid trucks that use electric axles to compressed natural gas engines being used now,” said Matthew Dobbs, lead instructor in the Diesel Equipment Technology program at Texas State Technical College in North...

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – A chilly but bright morning welcomed Texas State Technical College students to the Fort Bend County campus Monday, Jan. 10, on the first day of the spring 2022 semester. It was El Campo resident Joshua Laslie’s first semester at TSTC, though he intends to finish his bachelor’s degree in emergency management from...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College has received two grants from the Texas Reskilling and Upskilling for Education (TRUE) Institutional Capacity Grants program for workforce training. The money is available through the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund. TSTC has received $129,987 to support the college’s statewide effort to expand industrial training opportunities by adding...

(BRECKENRIDGE, Texas) – Raquel Rios wants people to be less wasteful in order to help protect the environment. That is one reason she is studying Occupational Safety and Environmental Compliance at Texas State Technical College. She is in her third semester of the Associate of Applied Science degree program and has enjoyed each aspect of...

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Vladimir Hidrovo discovered a passion for keeping people safe during his military career. The veteran spent four years in the U.S. Marines and retired from the U.S. Army after 19 years. Hidrovo, who lives in Richmond, visited Texas State Technical College’s campus in Fort Bend County with his brother-in-law, who was interested...

(BRECKENRIDGE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College will showcase its Occupational Safety and Environmental Compliance program lab to the public on Thursday, May 5. During the Lunch and Learn event, school and community leaders will learn more about the program and the state-of-the-art equipment that students are able to use. A catered lunch by Beehive...

(BRECKENRIDGE, Texas) – Christina Rhodes is ready to take everything she learned at Texas State Technical College into her new job. Rhodes, who graduated in April with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Occupational Safety and Environmental Compliance, is now working for Pactiv Evergreen in Abilene as the company’s lone safety leader. “It was...

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Occupational Safety and Environmental Compliance program gives students the experience and training they need to pursue successful careers in a variety of industries. After all, companies both big and small need professionals on hand to help maintain the safety of their employees and compliance of their operations. These...

(WACO, Texas) – Two students from Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus won medals at the recent 58th annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Michael Lopez, of Taylor, is a Diesel Equipment Technology student who won a silver medal in the Facilithon event, and Chris Martinez, of Marlin, is a Plumbing...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College will begin offering commercial driver’s license (CDL) classes at its Abilene campus later this year. Through grants and donations, TSTC will offer four-week classes beginning September 12 to prepare students for the CDL written examination, while teaching general truck-driving skills with a hands-on component and instruction coordinated with...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Members of the Texas State Technical College Police Department participated in the annual National Night Out with the Harlingen Police Department, Primera Police Department, Cameron County Sheriff’s Department, and other area entities. TSTC police officers David Sarabia and Juan Lucio greeted families and offered free goodies to children. Sarabia said the turnout...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – With the Texas State Technical College fall 2022 semester beginning Monday, August 29, TSTC students will have the opportunity to learn more about TSTC’s Harlingen campus when they engage in Welcome Week activities. Representatives from TSTC’s Advocacy and Resource Center will answer students’ inquiries at information stations. In addition, TSTC administration will...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – For many Texas State Technical College students, a great college journey begins with an engaging program experience, an enjoyable campus culture and a pleasant dormitory. Lorena Garza-Garcia, TSTC’s student housing director in Harlingen, said the TSTC student housing team does its best to ensure a comfortable living environment for new and returning...

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Darwin Henriquez is pursuing a certificate of completion in the Electrical Lineworker and Management Technology program at Texas State Technical College’s Fort Bend County campus. He is scheduled to graduate in December. Henriquez, of Missouri City, is a graduate of Hightower High School. How did you become interested in TSTC and your...

(MARSHALL, Texas) – More skilled truck drivers will be on the highways, thanks to an alliance between Arrow Truck Sales and Texas State Technical College. Brock Gavin, president of Arrow Truck Sales, said partnering with TSTC’s Professional Driving Academy was a perfect opportunity to showcase the need for commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders in the...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Two Taylor County business owners did not hesitate when asked to help Texas State Technical College’s Professional Driving Academy. Circle C Hauling and Dunagin Transport were honored for their donations of two tractor-trailers to the commercial driver’s license (CDL) program during a ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 27. Circle C Hauling also donated...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Beginning with the spring semester, Texas State Technical College’s Occupational Safety and Environmental Compliance program will be offered in Abilene. The program will be taught at the U.S. Highway 80 campus by Teresa Purcell. Since the move from the Breckenridge campus was announced, Purcell said the news has been well received by...

(WACO, Texas) – Two technical programs at Texas State Technical College are paying homage to Building Safety Month, a time to celebrate the dedicated professionals who work to ensure that buildings are not only well-built, but also safe and secure. “We are human, and mistakes will be made,” said Rick Vargas, the state chair of...

(WACO, Texas) – More than 480 graduates from Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus received associate degrees, certificates of completion or occupational skills achievement awards at TSTC’s Spring 2023 Commencement held Thursday, May 4, at the BASE at Extraco Events Center in Waco. “Graduation represents the culmination of all the hard work of our students,”...

(ABILENE, Texas) – With several industries calling West Texas home, environmental safety technicians are in high demand. To train these technicians, Texas State Technical College offers an Associate of Applied Science degree, certificates of completion, and an occupational skills achievement award in Occupational Safety and Environmental Compliance.  Two TSTC alumni in particular know that the...

(MARSHALL, Texas) – Texas State Technical College is about new beginnings. Most students are taking their first steps into their professional lives while being on their own for the first time. There is little time to take in the new environment before classes, homework, bills and roommates come into play. Facing so many changes so...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s police department recently held a Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) training session to raise awareness for TSTC employees in case an active assailant event were to occur on campus. This year TSTC police have provided about 50 statewide CRASE sessions either in person or online. TSTC...

(WACO, Texas) – When working with farm and ranch equipment, it is important to know the risks involved. “To be safe, you have to be smart — educate yourself, read the manual, know the capabilities and limitations of the equipment you are working with,” said Matthew Peterson, an instructor in Texas State Technical College’s Diesel...

(WACO, Texas) – The wind and rain did not diminish the enthusiasm of the first day of the spring semester at Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus on Monday, Jan. 8. “The first day of class is electric,” said Lucinda Dentremont, the college’s assistant director of enrollment. “There is a lot of expectation and a...

(ABILENE, Texas) – The AEP Foundation has contributed $300,000 to The TSTC Foundation to provide scholarships for members of underserved and underrepresented populations to participate in Texas State Technical College’s new Electrical Lineworker and Management Technology program in Abilene. TSTC’s Abilene campus will offer an Associate of Applied Science degree and a certificate of completion...

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Out of all the questions that Laura Kelner gets as the student accounting coordinator at Texas State Technical College’s Fort Bend County campus, the most common is “How do I pay for school?” TSTC operates with the ideology that a good education can, and should, land you a high-paying job. To get...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Nurses have an important role of explaining and giving medication to improve the health of their patients. That awareness is emphasized in the Vocational Nursing and LVN to RN Transition programs at Texas State Technical College — especially during Medication Safety Week, which is observed April 1-7. Heather Sauceda, TSTC’s Vocational Nursing...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – “It was a blessing.” That is how Jackie Norman, a Texas State Technical College Metallica Scholar and Automotive Technology student, described his feelings after several people stepped up to offer financial assistance. Earlier this year, the engine on Norman’s pickup truck blew out, and he thought it would be a quick and...

(HUTTO, Texas) – Lauren Caprio got her first welding job in 2016 shortly after graduating with a certificate from the Welding Technology program at Texas State Technical College in Williamson County. Caprio, 33, of Pflugerville is a level III ultra-high-purity welder at Dynamic Manufacturing Solutions in Austin, where she works in a humidity-controlled clean room...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Alissa Sosa, 19, expects to earn her associate degree this semester from Texas State Technical College. The Harlingen native is an active member of the TSTC Leadership Academy and the Chemical Technology Club. With her participation in both organizations, Sosa has also been able to complete community service activities such as beach...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Lizett Garza is a Health Information Technology student at Texas State Technical College; she expects to earn her associate degree in Spring 2020. The 32-year-old said she has always been interested in the medical field and said her sister inspired her to leave a customer service job of nearly a decade to...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Ivette Cruz started her journey at Texas State Technical College as a biology major with the dream of becoming a nurse. And while it’s been a long road for the single mother, t she can finally call herself a licensed vocational nurse. “Aside from the program being demanding, I had the challenge...

(HUTTO, Texas)  – Texas State Technical College recently received an in-kind equipment donation from a Georgetown company. Trendsetter Electronics gave capacitors valued at more than $19,800 to the East Williamson County campus in Hutto. Capacitors are two-terminal electrical components that store energy used in circuits. “You have a great school, and it is our honor...

(MARSHALL, Texas) – Just like illnesses invade the body, so can viruses of a more technical kind invade digital devices. The health care industry is entrusted with sensitive patient information, and Texas State Technical College’s Cyber Security program trains technicians to diagnose vulnerabilities and protect data from intrusion in digital systems such as those maintained...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – The Spring 2019 Dental Hygiene class at Texas State Technical College has made the college proud by earning not one, but two, 100 percent pass rates on their national board and clinical exams. “This is something very difficult to do,” said Victoria Martin, TSTC Dental Hygiene instructor. “The boards are a challenging...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – A gallon of gas was $1.10, a movie ticket was $2.50 and Dan Bodnar was beginning his career at Texas State Technical College. The year was 1984. As a witness to the college’s transition from typewriters to computers, Bodnar was recently recognized for his 35 years of service during TSTC’s Employee Appreciation...

(WACO, Texas) – It is an achievement that Letha Novosad, lead instructor in Texas State Technical College’s Electrical Construction program, is happy to see happen. For the first time since she began teaching at TSTC in 2010, Novosad will see three women complete the Electrical Construction certificate program this summer. Chrystal Robinson of Killeen is...

By Amanda Sotelo (HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College student Madison Freeman is a long way from her hometown of Sulphur Springs, Texas, and her move to the Rio Grande Valley was inspired by TSTC’s Mechatronics Technology program.  As a woman who grew up in the foster care system, being a college student is...

(WACO, Texas) – A Texas State Technical College police officer was among four local law enforcement officers honored Tuesday by the Lacy Lakeview City Council. TSTC police officer Landon Rowell, along with Lacy Lakeview Police Department officer Scott Dent, received the Blackinton Commendation Bar, Life Saving for their work in helping to keep a woman...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – With commencement only a few months away, Texas State Technical College student Gabriel Flores still can’t believe that he’ll become a college graduate at only 19-years-old. The Precision Machining Technology student said college was always the only option in his home, but when got to his senior year in high school panic...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – After four years in the Navy, Mayra Diaz set out to find a new career she could love and new goals she could achieve; this led her to Texas State Technical College. The 27-year-old is now expected to graduate from TSTC’s Cybersecurity program in Spring 2020 and Diaz couldn’t be any happier...

(WACO, Texas) – Jake Pringle and Fernando Venegas have known each other for as long as they can remember. They grew up together attending Groesbeck schools and now are attending Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus where they are in the Welding Technology program. Pringle is working toward a certificate, and Venegas is studying for...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Cooking and baking are only a couple of the skills students learn in Culinary Arts at Texas State Technical College. Emma Creps, TSTC Culinary Arts lead instructor, said with an industry that is growing, graduates from the program can find opportunities to begin their careers. “Many of our graduates are placed in...

(ABILENE, Texas) – When someone is in need, you can count on Texas State Technical College students to answer the call.  On Friday morning, more than 25 TSTC students, faculty and staff, along with some of their family members, volunteered their time with local nonprofit organization Houses for Healing.  Houses for Healing provides free temporary...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Alyssa Parker spoke about overcoming her struggles and getting a second chance in her speech as salutatorian of the Texas State Technical College Vocational Nursing class of Fall 2019. She spread her message during the program’s Vocational Pinning Ceremony hosted Thursday night at the TSTC Cultural Arts Center. “Trust yourself, have confidence...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Physics is a study of matter, motion and behavior through space and time related to energy and force. In Texas State Technical College’s Physics program, students receive the building blocks to support technical programs and educational goals. TSTC Physics campus department chair Jose Alvarez said that the mastery of physics can lead...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Leaders from Texas State Technical College, the Texas Workforce Commission and Hendrick Health System gathered Friday to commemorate a TWC Skills Development Fund grant. The $198,022 grant will enable 115 current employees and 19 new workers to earn up to three certifications and take 19 classes covering coding, claim accuracy, clinical documentation,...

(HUTTO, Texas) – As Central Texans adapt to an uncertain future of self-isolation and businesses temporarily closing, online shopping is becoming the way for consumers to acquire what they want. “That is where everybody is headed, especially with the coronavirus,” said Joshua Schier, a Cybersecurity instructor at Texas State Technical College’s Williamson County campus. “It...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Roxanna “Roxy” Marfileno is studying Surgical Technology at Texas State Technical College and recently hit a roadblock in her studies because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The lack of personal protective equipment around the country has led facilities to recommend that students stop visiting hospitals at this time. However, despite her clinicals...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Seventeen years at Texas State Technical College have brought Sarah Brooks many moments she will never forget. Serving as program chair for Health Information Technology, she not only has found a meaningful career but also has guided students toward fulfilling aspirations of their own. What inspired you to take on a role...

(BRECKENRIDGE, Texas) – Seven Breckenridge High School seniors will get a head start toward a nursing career this fall. A partnership between Texas State Technical College, Breckenridge ISD and the Breckenridge Economic Development Corp. was formed to provide Nursing program classes at TSTC’s Breckenridge campus. The students’ tuition for the four classes will be paid...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – As students gear up to start classes this fall, Texas State Technical College has been diligently planning and preparing for a new way of learning. The coronavirus has very quickly changed the way we go about our daily lives, a change that has also had an impact on how TSTC distributes curriculum....

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – With guidance from her sister, Taryn Crow made the decision to pursue a career in the medical field. Now she is one of 28 graduates who will receive an Associate of Applied Science degree in Surgical Technology this month from Texas State Technical College. The Los Fresnos native is grateful for how...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Trials and tribulations come in many shapes and sizes. For recent Texas State Technical College graduate Gracie Arias, those trials and tribulations came when she was about to begin her second semester on the path to an Associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing. That was when her doctor said, “The tumor...

(WACO, Texas) – The last three years will be a period that Holly Herbelin will not forget. Herbelin dealt with family health issues and worked through the COVID-19 pandemic to pursue an Associate of Applied Science degree in Business Management Technology from Texas State Technical College. She completed the online program in August. “You really...

(RED OAK, Texas) – Companies looking to move to cities need an available workforce and job training options. Warren Ketteman, president and chief executive officer of the Waxahachie Economic Development Corp., said Texas State Technical College is important to the city’s economic development because of its training and technical programs. “Without TSTC and other partners,...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Mandy Jenkins, a mother of five, knows that her options will be open when she completes the Computer Networking and Systems Administration program at Texas State Technical College next year. “There is so much you learn in the program,” she said. “I know that I will have a lot of options. But...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – Gabrianna Pena had her goal in sight, only it took longer than she expected to reach it. The 2014 graduate of Winter High School is a candidate for graduation from Texas State Technical College’s Nursing program. She expects to receive a certificate in vocational nursing this month. “After I graduated high school,...

(HUTTO, Texas) – Hutto High School students with an interest in culinary arts have a quicker pathway to earning an associate degree at Texas State Technical College’s East Williamson County campus through dual enrollment classes. “Dual enrollment students have the benefit of seeing the culinary world before having to pay,” said Brian Bohannon, a Culinary...

(MARSHALL, Texas) – Kevin McLaughlin grew up in DeBerry in Panola County and graduated in 2019 from Texas State Technical College in Marshall with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Process Operations Technology. He works at Plastipak Packaging Inc. in Garland, where he is a production supervisor overseeing day-to-day operations of production lines. He...

Other TSTC instructors’ children have also studied on campus (HARLINGEN, Texas) – When Horam Ardalani begins his studies for an Associate of Science degree in Mathematics this fall at TSTC, he will be the third of his siblings to study at the college. He decided to follow the same path of success as his older...

(RED OAK, Texas) – Texas State Technical College in North Texas will work with four high schools, a charter school and two affiliates of the Texas Home School Coalition to offer dual enrollment classes in the upcoming academic year. Students will take classes at TSTC’s North Texas campus in Red Oak, at their home campuses...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – People with a passion to help others have many job options in the medical field. One of the fastest-growing jobs is that of registered nurse. Texas State Technical College trains future registered nurses at its campuses in Harlingen and Sweetwater through the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program. TSTC is now accepting applications...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College celebrated its summer 2021 graduates Thursday evening, lauding Harlingen campus students for their achievements during a virtual ceremony streamed on Facebook Live. “As provost for the Harlingen campus, I had the privilege to welcome you to our TSTC family when you first started this journey,” Cledia Hernandez said...

(ABILENE, Texas) – A new wave of computer technicians is learning to keep the world connected at Texas State Technical College. Adrian Medrano, a Computer Networking and Systems Administration instructor, said the program’s goal is to produce a graduate who is knowledgeable in all areas of information technology. “We do not focus on one area,...

(BRECKENRIDGE, Texas) – Sammi Stephenson hopes to become a trendsetter. Stephenson hopes that more nurses like her enroll in Texas State Technical College’s Occupational Safety and Environmental Compliance program. She admitted that she began the program because it interested her but quickly learned that it was more than she expected. “The program did interest me....

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Jose Rodriguez, of Brownsville, developed an interest in precision machining when he was a student at Hanna Early College High School. His former high school had offered both precision machining and welding in the same shop, and he was intrigued by the demonstrations of how things were made. Now he is pursuing...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – It is fascinating to consider that a video gamer’s hand-eye coordination and response time could easily translate to the realm of a LapSim ST, a laparoscopic simulator used by students for lab purposes in the Surgical Technology program at Texas State Technical College. That is exactly the case for Celestino Salazar, who...

(WACO, Texas) – Five U.S. Army soldiers stationed in Kansas and Texas completed the Manufacturing Institute’s Heroes MAKE America program Thursday, Nov. 18, making up the second such cohort to attend classes at Texas State Technical College. The 12-week program enabled soldiers to travel to Waco four days a week to take classes in mechatronics,...

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Austin Barnhart has set a goal for his life. The Brownwood native is studying Welding Technology at Texas State Technical College with a purpose. He wants to help others, as well as his younger brother. Barnhart suffered from Chiari I malformation, a brain disorder, after discovering that he could not feel the...

(HUTTO, Texas) – More than 40 graduates received certificates and associate degrees at Texas State Technical College’s Fall 2021 Commencement held Friday, Dec. 10, at Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in Round Rock. Lissa Adams, provost of TSTC’s East Williamson County campus, was excited for the first in-person TSTC commencement ceremony to be held in two...

(WACO, Texas) – Kenneth Davis, of Robinson, wore white earbuds to cancel out as much noise as possible at Texas State Technical College’s Fall 2021 Commencement held Dec. 11 in Waco. Davis, who has autism, completed an Associate of Applied Science degree in Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Technology last spring but chose to walk...

The busy fall semester at Texas State Technical College’s campus in Harlingen has included many moments of pride. Here is a look back at some of the semester’s highlights: New leadership Amanda Posada, TSTC’s executive director of Dual Enrollment, became the interim provost of the Harlingen campus. Former campus provost Cledia Hernandez took on the...

(HUTTO, Texas) – Richie Cooper, of Hutto, realized early on that he could use his hands and mind to be the technically skilled worker that a company wants. Cooper recently started his second semester at Texas State Technical College in East Williamson County in the Industrial Systems – Mechanical Specialization program, where he is working...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College alumna Kari Alonso, of Brownsville, recalled her childhood memories of observing her father work on auto body repair projects outside their home. Little did she realize that would steer her toward a prosperous career in manufacturing. She grew a keen interest in the medical field after graduating from...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Career Services department recently held a virtual Interview Practicum aimed at offering TSTC spring 2022 candidates for graduation a real-life interview experience. In addition, Big Interview (biginterview.com), a virtual interview platform, was introduced. It helps users sharpen their interview skills and allows them to interview virtually, wherever they...

(HOUSTON, Texas) – Students and faculty members from eight of Texas State Technical College’s campuses have converged on Houston for the SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary Leadership and Skills Conference. The conference began with an opening ceremony held April 7 at the Omni Houston Hotel. Competitions began after the opening ceremony and continue Friday at locations throughout...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – “I made it!” and “my journey is over” were among the phrases heard by Texas State Technical College graduates at TSTC’s Spring 2022 Commencement held Tuesday, April 26, at the Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg. More than 270 graduates from TSTC’s Harlingen campus raised their diplomas with enthusiasm and accepted certificates of...

(ABILENE, Texas) – Meeting the challenge of earning an associate degree during a pandemic was celebrated by six Texas State Technical College Nursing students during a pinning ceremony for them and their families on Thursday, April 28. TSTC Nursing division leader Lisa van Cleave said the graduates will be successful in the health care field...

Dien Nguyen motivates TSTC HVAC students with challenges from his own experience (ROSENBERG, Texas) – Texas State Technical College HVAC Technology instructor Dien Nguyen has a catchphrase. “It’s in the book, son,” he said, laughing. He says it so often that his students made a sign for his office — and an embroidered hat —...

(ATLANTA) – Students and faculty members representing six of Texas State Technical College’s campuses arrived in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday, June 20, for this week’s 58th annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. Students from the Breckenridge, Brownwood, Harlingen, Marshall, North Texas and Waco campuses will compete against the nation’s best in events such as...

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Linda Sanchez has always been passionate about taking care of other people — and planet Earth. In the 1980s, she lived at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where scientific and medical evidence showed an association between exposure to contaminants in the drinking water and the development of certain diseases....

(WACO, Texas) – Texas State Technical College in Waco is hosting several Texas A&M University College of  Engineering students who are taking summer classes at TSTC. Students are participating in the Basic Electromechanical Automation (PLC), Integrated Manufacturing Processes, Basic Machining, and Welding – Multiple Processes occupational skills achievement award programs. The students are taking classes...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – Classes for Texas State Technical College’s fall semester begin Monday, August 29, but it is another day that excites Lupe Navarrette, the Sweetwater campus’ housing director. On Friday, August 26, Navarrette and his student resident assistants welcomed new and returning students to campus during move-in day. Navarrette said 84 students will be...

(WACO, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s counselors want to know what is on students’ minds, especially as they adjust to a new academic year. “They are also having to ‘adult’ and think about bills, school, job and families,” said Amy Buchanan, a counselor for TSTC’s West Texas campuses. “Life does not stop because you...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – To commemorate National Surgical Technologists Week from Sept. 18-24, the Surgical Technology program at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus will host its 15th annual meet-and-greet on Thursday, Sept. 22. Every September, Surgical Technology professionals promote the profession and educate individuals about the vital role that surgical technologists provide in operating rooms...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – September is Library Card Sign-Up Month, an opportunity for libraries to educate lifelong learners about the value of library cards. At Texas State Technical College, a student ID functions as a library card. This enables students to gain access to many of the educational resources at TSTC’s Library Services. Julio Solis, of...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Children are the world’s future, and nowhere is their health emphasized more than in the Nursing program at Texas State Technical College — especially on National Child Health Day on Monday, Oct. 3. Judy Medrano, a TSTC Nursing instructor, said the students are educated about the development of a child from birth...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – In an effort to help fill the nearly 1,800 vocational nursing job openings in the state, Texas State Technical College has extended the deadline to submit applications for its Vocational Nursing cohort scheduled to begin in January. Prospective students have until November 1 to submit a completed application for the 16-month program....

(ABILENE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College students had one mission during the Industry Job Fair on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at the college’s Industrial Technology Center. “The students came dressed to impress with their resumes in hand,” said Brittany Wilson, a TSTC Career Services representative in West Texas. “This has been a great opportunity for...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Career Services department recently held its first in-person Interview Practicum after holding them virtually for two years due to the pandemic. The two-day event offered practice interview experiences for more than 100 TSTC students, who met with business representatives to discuss their job qualifications. Every two-hour session had...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Student Recruitment department recently held its first in-person Counselor Update after holding them virtually for two years due to the pandemic. Counselors from area secondary schools had the opportunity to visit with TSTC instructors and administrators, as well as TSTC industry partners who talked about their workforce needs....

(ABILENE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s faculty and staff pride themselves on helping military veterans transition to the civilian workforce. Annette Collins, TSTC’s Veteran Services program officer in Abilene, strives to make sure that veterans have everything they need to begin their college journey. She knows about the paperwork that veterans face while enrolling...

(BRECKENRIDGE, Texas) – Mineral Wells High School juniors and seniors were able to experience what Texas State Technical College students do on a daily basis with the technology available in the college’s labs. More than 20 students recently toured TSTC’s Breckenridge campus to learn what programs are available there and at the other nine TSTC...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – November has been a busy time for the Student Recruitment department at Texas State Technical College, and prospective students from area high schools are learning what makes TSTC an exceptional institution. One recent visit was by Porter Early College High School in Brownsville. Some 150 seniors were greeted by six TSTC recruiters...

(HUTTO, Texas) – More than 50 graduates from Texas State Technical College’s East Williamson County campus received associate degrees and certificates of completion at TSTC’s Fall 2022 Commencement held Friday, Dec. 16, at Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in Round Rock. Hunter Henry, a Career Services associate at the East Williamson County campus, said 70 percent...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College hosted state Sen.-elect Morgan LaMantia, D-Brownsville, for a tour of the Harlingen campus on Friday, Dec. 16. Members of TSTC’s Harlingen campus administrative team, including Amanda Posada, provost, and Cledia Hernandez, associate vice chancellor for External Relations and Workforce Development, told LaMantia about the various programs that are...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – Some Texas State Technical College Vocational Nursing graduates recently learned about the world of pediatric home health care. Destiny Guelker, a registered nurse and clinical case manager for Angels of Care Pediatric Home Health in Abilene, discussed the company’s nurses’ roles during an employer spotlight with graduates from TSTC’s Breckenridge and Sweetwater...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – While it is true that Texas Instruments is known for making calculators, some Texas State Technical College students recently learned that the Dallas-based company does much more than that. “Our calculators are the only thing that says Texas Instruments on the outside,” said Katie Peebles, a technician supervisor for the company. Students...

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – On Valentine’s Day, Texas State Technical College helped spread the love at the Fort Bend County campus’ annual resource fair, which connected participating TSTC students with some community resources. TSTC strives to help break down barriers to students’ success in their education. While many needs can be met with on-campus resources, the...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – American Heart Month, which is observed each February, is a time to spotlight the correlation of diet and exercise to heart health. Recently Texas State Technical College’s Nursing program and Wellness and Recreation Center offered ideas for heart-healthy activities. Adrienne Reyes, TSTC’s Nursing program director in Harlingen, shared suggestions to help lower...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – The key to healthy living begins with a person’s heart. Each February is proclaimed American Heart Month by the president to raise awareness about the importance of having a healthy heart. Texas State Technical College Vocational Nursing students are learning how to help someone facing a heart incident and the ways that...

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Precision machining has become a process more and more automated since its inception. With many industries needing vast amounts of specific parts, manual machining simply cannot keep up with the demand. As such, Texas State Technical College prepares students to face the modern challenges of the profession, training them to be the...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College hosted state Rep. Janie Lopez, R-San Benito, for a tour of the Harlingen campus on Friday, March 10. Being a TSTC alumna herself, Lopez said she was excited to return to TSTC. “I was a first-generation college student who studied bookkeeping at the time,” she said. “It feels...

(HUTTO, Texas) – Several students from Texas State Technical College’s East Williamson County campus attended the Spring 2023 Industry Job Fair on Tuesday, March 21, at TSTC’s Waco campus.  The event was spread out across the Waco campus to include the Col. James T. Connally Aerospace Center, the Industrial Technology Center, and the Murray Watson...

(WACO, Texas) – More than 800 Texas State Technical College students and alumni attended TSTC’s Spring 2023 Industry Job Fair held Tuesday, March 21, in Waco. The event was spread out across the Waco campus to include the Col. James T. Connally Aerospace Center, the Industrial Technology Center, and the Murray Watson Jr. Student Recreation...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – An operating room is where miracles can happen, and Alejandra Rubio can attest to that. The Texas State Technical College alumna began her career in 2012 as a surgical technician at McAllen’s Rio Grande Regional Hospital, where she has flourished. Rubio, of Weslaco, graduated from TSTC in 2009 with an Associate of...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Jeana Flores and Noemi Rodriguez are two mothers who also are enrolled as students in the Associate Degree in Nursing program at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus. Flores is a mother of three children, and Rodriguez is a mother of four. Recently they shared how they have been able to balance...

(ATLANTA, Georgia) – Students and faculty members representing seven of Texas State Technical College’s 10 campuses traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday, June 19, for this week’s 59th annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. More than 20 students from the Brownwood, East Williamson County, Harlingen, Marshall, North Texas, Sweetwater and Waco campuses will compete...

(WACO, Texas) – Leaders from Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus and the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) ceremonially broke ground on Wednesday, June 28, for a renovation project for two campus buildings. When completed by April 2025, the Electrical Electronics Center and the Technical Studies Center will be revamped to house five TSTC programs:...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – More than 170 Texas State Technical College students presented their resumes and cover letters and greeted area business and industry representatives who served as interviewers/coaches at a recent Interview Practicum presented by TSTC’s Career Services department. The mock-interview event focused on preparing summer 2023 candidates for graduation for real-life job interviews. The...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Dental Hygiene program is training students to meet the need for workers in Texas. According to a recent American Dental Association report, the dental sector is facing a serious workforce shortage. Vacant positions in dental assisting and dental hygiene have reduced dental practice capacity by an estimated 10%...

(KILLEEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus hosted the Operation Reclass recruitment event on Saturday, July 15, at the Killeen Special Events Center. Faculty members representing more than 10 of TSTC’s technical programs had information tables that attendees visited to learn more information. Some of the programs highlighted were Automotive Technology, Biomedical Equipment...

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Imagine sitting in traffic, trying to get home. Hundreds of cars are lined up, all making their way toward a single exit. The road may be wide enough to fit them, but the exit is far from adequate. They are trapped because of a bottleneck. The same idea can be applied to...

(MARSHALL, Texas) – Few people know that multiple machines all over the world are used to create each of their cellphone’s components, along with nearly everything else that society uses. But those machines cannot do the job alone, and that is where machinists come in. “Everything you interact with every day would not exist if...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – The sounds of families cheering and applauding captured a special moment for more than 250 graduates from Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus at TSTC’s Summer 2023 Commencement held Tuesday, Aug. 22, at the South Padre Island Convention Center. Each proud graduate walked the stage and received either an associate degree or...

(RED OAK, Texas) – Chanel Hinton, a Cybersecurity student at Texas State Technical College, recently began an internship with the U.S. Coast Guard. Keith Kooyman, the statewide online Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics lead instructor for TSTC, said Hinton is a dependable and dedicated student. “She has always been a very hard worker, she has always...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Surgical technicians ensure a sterile and organized environment for a surgical team, and their dedication to patient care is shared by the Surgical Technology program at Texas State Technical College — especially during National Surgical Technologists Week from Sept. 17 to 23. Every September, professionals in the surgical technology industry recognize the...

(HUTTO, Texas) – More than 20 Texas State Technical College students from the East Williamson County campus attended TSTC’s Fall 2023 Industry Job Fair held Tuesday, Oct. 10, at TSTC’s Waco campus. Representatives of more than 200 companies were stationed at the campus’s Col. James T. Connally Aerospace Center, Industrial Technology Center and Murray Watson...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – The sun gleamed across the sky as representatives of Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 7. The ceremony celebrated construction of two new facilities and renovation of one existing building at the Harlingen campus, including space for two programs new to the campus: Diesel...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Cheers rang out at the South Padre Island Convention Center for more than 240 graduates as they walked across the stage and received certificates of completion or associate degrees at Texas State Technical College’s Fall 2023 Commencement held Tuesday, Dec. 5. David Campos, interim provost at TSTC’s Harlingen campus, welcomed the graduates...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – Victoria is not a real patient, but “she” does play a vital role in the training of Texas State Technical College’s Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) students. Victoria is a medical manikin that simulates a full range of obstetrical events to facilitate teamwork and deepen critical thinking skills for nursing students, according...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – The sun was gleaming and a cold January breeze made its presence felt across South Texas, including at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus where more than 2,220 students began the spring 2024 semester on Monday, Jan. 8. The new year brings a focused mindset not only to TSTC students who have...

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Local organizations from across the county and Houston metro area came together Tuesday, February 13, on Texas State Technical College’s Fort Bend County campus to raise awareness of the various area resources available to TSTC students. In addition to having the goal of helping students achieve a quality education and a great-paying...

(MARSHALL, Texas) – Marshall native Amanda McMinn knew early on that she never wanted to work a desk job.  Thanks to Texas State Technical College, she holds a Process Technology (now Process Operations) Associate of Applied Science degree and works as a process safety management and risk management technician for Texas Instruments in Dallas. “TSTC...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – The Advocacy and Resource Center at Texas State Technical College believes in student success, and it goes above and beyond to ensure that students have the resources they need to achieve their goals. Recently the center’s lending library expanded its inventory of books and tools to better serve student needs at the...

(ABILENE, Texas) – From learning how to set up a welding machine to treating a medical manikin, some high school students and residents of the Big Country participated in Texas State Technical College’s TechXperience open house on Thursday, Feb. 29. “This was our chance to open the campus to showcase what we have to offer...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Sometimes it takes a while for someone to realize that a job is just not for them. For six years Samuel Gonzales worked as a medical phlebotomist but was not especially happy. Then one day he had an “aha!” moment and decided to pursue an automotive education at Texas State Technical College....

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Career Services department recently held an Interview Practicum to help prepare TSTC students to use critical thinking, soft skills and communication to land high-paying jobs after graduation. More than 135 students from programs including Auto Collision and Management Technology, Biomedical Equipment Technology, Building Construction Technology, Cybersecurity, and Wind...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – To commemorate Dental Hygienist Appreciation Week during the second week of April, Texas State Technical College’s Dental Hygiene program will host its second annual dental hygienist networking event in collaboration with dental supply companies Dentsply Sirona and Patterson Dental from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, at SMOKE: Texas BBQ...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – More than 400 Texas State Technical College students and alumni recently discussed their job skills and qualifications with representatives from some 70 companies at TSTC’s Industry Job Fair at the Harlingen location on Thursday, April 4. Business and industry representatives described their company cultures, job benefits, and the qualifications they are looking...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – For more than 235 Texas State Technical College graduates, it was a rewarding moment as they walked across the stage at the South Padre Island Convention Center and received certificates of completion or associate degrees at TSTC’s Spring 2024 Commencement on Tuesday, April 30. Eladio Jaimez, provost at TSTC’s Harlingen location, welcomed...

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – “Everyone needs us, even if they don’t know it yet.” That is what Andrew Phillips, lead instructor for the Cybersecurity program at Texas State Technical College’s Fort Bend County location, often says when asked by his students who is hiring. Although Phillips finds that there are a lot of possible paths for...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – As a child, Joshua Joel Anstead was fascinated with doing hands-on projects in his backyard. Years later, he was introduced to welding by a friend and it would spark a career interest. Anstead, who earned a certificate of completion in Welding Advanced Pipe Specialization from Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen location in...

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Almost any industry, from retail and medical to construction and manufacturing, needs to comply with safety and environmental standards. These standards help protect people as well as the earth from dangerous situations and materials. The Occupational Safety and Environmental Compliance program at Texas State Technical College provides students with the knowledge and...

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – As a full-time admissions advisor at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus, TSTC alumnus Carlos Ortega helps prospective students find career pathways. But his own path to his current job was somewhat circuitous. “I started this job when I was a work-study student,” the Harlingen resident said. After earning his Associate of...

(SWEETWATER, Texas) – His name is HAL. Pediatric HAL S2225, the newest medical manikin in Texas State Technical College’s LVN to RN Transition Nursing Program, has several special features, including the ability to converse with students.  Students recently got to meet HAL and will begin training with him regularly this fall. “It is unbelievable that...

(WACO, Texas) – More than 450 graduates from Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus received associate degrees or certificates of completion at TSTC’s Summer 2024 Commencement held Friday, Aug. 16, at the BASE at Extraco Events Center in Waco. “It’s the best night of the year,” said Beth Wooten, provost of TSTC’s Waco campus. “It’s...