(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Graduates and their families from Texas State Technical College’s Fort Bend County campus attended TSTC’s Fall 2022 Commencement held Friday, Dec. 2, at the Stafford Centre in Stafford.
Each of the over 110 graduates received either an Associate of Applied Science degree or a certificate of completion in their program.
Bryan Bowling, provost for TSTC’s Fort Bend County campus, expressed his excitement for and pride in the graduating students.
“Tonight represents a pivotal turning point in the lives of our soon-to-be alumni,” he said. “The commencement ceremony is a pure celebration of them and for them. Our graduates should be bursting with pride for their accomplishments, and I know our faculty and staff, friends and family — everyone who has supported them — will be joining in the celebratory chorus.”
The faculty that instructed and guided the students could be seen mingling and talking with them. Deogratias Nizigiyimana, lead instructor for Precision Machining Technology, was especially proud of the students graduating from his program.
“Helping a student change their life, that is most important,” he said.
He went on to say that many of the students in Precision Machining had jobs already lined up before graduation. He joked that some companies would come to him wanting to hire even first-semester students.
For the graduates, emotions ranged from excitement to relief.
“I chose the Electrical Power and Controls program, honestly, because it paid the most. I knew nothing about it going in, but now I feel prepared for a career,” Jose Rodriguez said. He graduated with his Associate of Applied Science degree.
Other students are also looking forward to the future. Nathan Vazquez is a graduate of the Cybersecurity program at the Fort Bend County campus. While he plans to work on receiving more certifications after graduation, he is grateful for the time and training he received at TSTC.
“I particularly like the instructors. Mr. Andrew Phillips was great,” he said.
For some students, job opportunities are already lined up. Hannah Balli, a Richmond resident who graduated with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Welding Technology, has been interning at Phillips 66. She has plans to transition to full-time work there.
“My dad works at refineries, which sparked my interest in welding. I have known this was a path I wanted to explore for a while now.”
Registration for TSTC’s spring semester is underway. For more information, go to tstc.edu.
