(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 accomplishments at TSTC,” Andy Weaver, provost of TSTC’s West Texas locations, said to the graduates. “You have worked hard to become a TSTC graduate and now have the skills to begin a successful career. We look forward to watching you succeed in the workforce and in life.”
The graduates were excited to walk the commencement stage and begin the next chapter of their lives.
“This is another step for me to begin my aviation mechanics career,” said Logan Crow, who received a certificate of completion in Aircraft Airframe Technology.
Linnea Elmore, a senior at Roscoe Collegiate High School, received her certificate of competition in Digital Media Design that she earned as a dual enrollment student at TSTC. She will receive her high school diploma later at her high school’s commencement ceremony.
“This is really exciting for me,” she said. “The program was really fun, and I loved what I was able to accomplish.”
Prior to TSTC’s commencement ceremony, the LVN to RN Transition Nursing program and the Emergency Medical Services program held separate events to honor their respective graduates. The nursing program held a pinning ceremony for its graduating class, while each Emergency Medical Technician graduate was presented with an EMT coin by the faculty.
The LVN to RN students honored were Kristy Bates, Nancy Canada, Ashley Daniel, Melina Delao, Ileen Engle, Alyssa Heltzel, Andrea Hernandez, Victoria Jones, Jackie Mayfield, Tiffany Norman, Mary Ondara, Miranda Powell, Brittney Rivera, Jacqueline Rodriguez, Riley Ross, Benita Sparrow, Sidoline Tifuh and Lorri Wood.
Sparrow, of Lancaster, described the past year as a roller coaster while addressing her classmates.
“Day one, we came in ready to change the world as RNs, and before the end of the day, we were asking if we could decelerate this accelerated program,” she said. “We were trying to get used to each instructor, manage life, keep our sanity and not gain 20 pounds. Somehow, we did it.”
EMT graduates presented with coins were Brylee Croy, Colton Dollar, Selena Edington, Gatlin Granger, Zoey Karr, Amree Lee, Gabriel Owen, Riley Pippin, Joshua Rains, Hunter Spohn and Gabby Ybarra.
Spohn, of Eula, spoke about his and his classmates’ experience in the program.
“Throughout our journey in this program, we have been shaped and molded into compassionate and competent health care professionals,” Spohn said. “Our chosen path in emergency medical services is not an easy one. It requires sacrifice, dedication, and a willingness to confront adversity head-on. But it is also a path filled with immense rewards.”
Registration for TSTC’s summer and fall semesters is underway. Learn more at tstc.edu.
