More than 100 fall 2021 graduates walked the stage to receive their diplomas during the first in-person TSTC commencement ceremony since fall 2019.

“Tonight means the completion of two years of hard work paying off,” said Chase Carey, who earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Aircraft Powerplant Technology with honors. “Earning the honors means that all of my late nights of studying were worth the time and effort.”

Edward Deanda, who earned a certificate of completion in Aircraft Powerplant Technology, also graduated with honors.

“These honors accomplishments mean so much to me,” Deanda said. “But I am not through because I am coming back to work on a backup career in Digital Media Design. I want to have something to fall back on, and TSTC is the place to do that.”

For Omar Alvarez, it was the completion of a second degree program. After earning a degree in Automotive Technology, he returned to TSTC and earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Aircraft Airframe Technology. He graduated as a TSTC Board of Regents Honor Roll member.

“It was a lot of work for me, and it was worth it because I maintained a 4.0 grade-point average during each semester,” he said. “The best part is I now have a job lined up and am ready to start my career.”

Alfred Rodriguez also added to his TSTC collection of TSTC degrees. After earning a certificate of completion in Diesel Equipment Technology, he added an Associate of Applied Science degree in Industrial Systems.

“This is a great day for me, and I am so excited because it has already paid off for me at work,” he said.

Kiana Abarintos said she can now pursue her passion in aviation with her Associate of Applied Science degree in Aircraft Powerplant Technology.

“My father was in aviation for 20 years, and it was always something I wanted to do,” she said. “When my husband was transferred to Dyess Air Force Base, I did my research and found TSTC had an aviation program. I am so proud of myself for achieving this goal in my life.”

Misty Burton, who earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing, also realized a dream.

“This was 16 years in the making,” she said. “I graduated in licensed vocational nursing when my baby was a baby. That was 16 years ago, and I have completed my goal of completing the program. This has been an amazing experience.”

Ken Becker, interim executive director of the Sweetwater Enterprise for Economic Development, said students were given a key during the ceremony.

“The key is your hard work. The key is the completion of your studies,” he said. “The key is the certificate or associate degree that you will walk across the stage tonight to receive. It’s the key that can take you places you want to go.”

Registration for the spring semester at TSTC is underway. For more information, visit tstc.edu.

Garcia was born in Minnesota and moved to Harlingen with his family when he was in elementary school. He is a graduate of Harlingen High School and a U.S. Air Force veteran. He is married to Stephanie Garcia, a TSTC student recruitment representative.

How did you choose TSTC and Business Management Technology?

I have always been good at sales, but I needed some experience and education in business management to help me get started. That was my goal to get back to school. I went to class when it was face to face. The program was phenomenal, and the instructors were great. I felt very encouraged and very welcomed to be in class. It made it very easy for me to want to be there. I became president of the Business Management Technology Club.

What is a typical workday like?

We do a task breakdown with what we ended on the day before and what tasks we have for the day, and we go through prioritizing them on our list to arrange the jobs and tasks that need to be accomplished. From there, we get into those tasks. We have incoming calls. We deal with business-to-business sales (because) a lot of customers cannot leave their business because they are dealing with customers. We have to go visit our customers and take them color charts or samples so they can see them. I think that is the difference between us and others in the industry.

What motivates you to wake up each day?

I want to make my business grow and not fail at the dream that I created. I have had that dream forever, and I don’t want it to fail. As a father and family man, the ability to sustain myself and provide for my kids and my family. Those are basically what keep me going.

What career advice would you give to younger people thinking of pursuing your field?

I think a lot of people have an actual instinct for what they want to do or they feel they are good at. People need to find encouragement to continue on that path, whether you want to be an office administrator or a firefighter, whatever it is. Stick to it and drive forward.

TSTC’s online Business Management Technology program offers an associate degree and a certificate of completion, along with an occupational skills award in Basic Accounting/Bookkeeping.

For more information, go to tstc.edu.

Managing an office requires skills in different areas, and TSTC’s program will teach students how to handle each, according to instructor JoLynn Hightower. Graduates will be able to apply for different positions that are always in demand.

“According to onetonline.org, there are many job categories that graduates from our program would be qualified for,” she said. “And they are jobs with a bright outlook, including office clerks; first-line managers; receptionists/information clerks; bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks; and more.”

TSTC offers three academic plans in this program: an Associate of Applied Science degree, a certification of completion and an occupational skills award. Hightower said earning any of the three will benefit students.

“A certificate or degree is important as it shows an employer that you have obtained the required qualifications and proven dedication to your self-development and education,” she said.

Ron Howard, a 2019 graduate of the program and the Assistant Veterans Services Officer in Taylor County, said the program made him successful.

“I think people should embrace what they learn in the program. They will succeed,” he said. “TSTC’s Business Management Technology program is the best out there.”

Hightower said companies are hiring people as soon as they graduate.

“Job prospects are huge,” she said. “You can go into human resources, which in itself is a huge field with many different certifications to obtain, and office management and accounting.”

According to onetonline.org, Texas had 11,880 human resources assistants employed in 2018, and such jobs are expected to increase to more than 12,200 by 2028. Human resources assistants employed in Texas can earn an average annual salary of $43,380.

Hightower said there is benefit to completing the program.

“You could work for so many different employers, and skills are transferable to different areas,” she said. “You could even set up your own business with the skills that you have learned.”

More jobs that are expected to see growth over the next few years are those for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks. Onetonline.org forecasts that they will increase 8% by 2028 in Texas, with an average annual salary of $41,150.

Students interested in TSTC’s Business Management Technology program do not need any experience to begin.

“Students would benefit from a working knowledge of their computer and the internet, but even that is something we can help them become familiar with,” Hightower said.

Business Management Technology is an online program that allows students to learn at their own pace. Instructors are available to answer students’ questions and help with assignments. 

For more information, visit tstc.edu.

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – A relentless sun and heat index in the triple digits were not enough to deter applicants, prospective students and community members from attending Texas State Technical College’s drive-thru recruitment event Thursday on the Harlingen campus. 

Vehicles began lining up 30 minutes before the event’s official start time for the opportunity to cruise around the tents, which represented more than 17 hybrid and online programs.

Charisma Rodriguez was in one of those vehicles, parked at the table for TSTC’s Dental Hygiene program. Years ago, Rodriguez figured she would give dentistry a try. When she became certified as a dental assistant, she realized she really liked it.

After the birth of her child, Rodriguez decided it was time to return to school.

“I want to come back for dental hygiene,” she said.

Vivienne Cermeno, a TSTC Dental Hygiene instructor, handed out packets containing program requirements and small tubes of toothpaste to interested attendees. By her estimation, she had already spoken with a dozen people about the program within the first hour of the drive-thru recruitment event.

Cermeno was an enthusiastic source of information for attendees

“I’ve always liked going to the dentist — I was one of those weird kids,” she said. “Every time I’d go in, the hygienists were always really nice. Everything smelled like mint, and it was very clean.”

Cermeno is also a TSTC Dental Hygiene alumna.

“Since I was here, I always told my instructors it was my dream to come back and teach,” she said. “It’s my first year teaching — I’m so excited.”

In addition to allied health, programs within the fields of engineering and manufacturing, environmental and safety, and other industries set up tables beneath large, white tents for the drive-thru recruitment event. Many of them distributed information, candy and other small items, and a cooler full of cold water helped attendees beat the heat.

“It’s super exciting that we finally have an on-campus event, this large, for the community,” Jean Lashbrook, a TSTC associate provost, said about the drive-thru recruitment event. “The biggest secret of the Valley is our college. This really opens up everybody’s eyes. They’re able to come on campus and see what we’ve got. And the students actually being able to talk with the programs one-on-one is great.”

Applicants and prospective students who attended were entered into a drawing for a $1,500 scholarship, which was set to be drawn Friday.

Registration for the fall semester is underway. For more information, visit tstc.edu.

Barron earned his associate degree in 2016 and is currently a training specialist for the Center for Life Resources in Brownwood. He also helps with the company’s grant writing process and credits TSTC for his success.

“I manage the training for each department at Center for Life Resources,” he said. “I am in charge of recording all the certification for those training sessions. I have a lot to do when it comes to documents, the policies and procedures for the training department, and getting everyone scheduled for training.”

Barron began working for the Center for Life Resources through a grant. He was first responsible for helping veterans with utilities and rent. Once the grant expired, he remained with the company in his current position.

“I decided I wanted to stay because it is a great company to work for,” he said.

Barron credits the skills he learned at TSTC for helping him today. He said his time studying at TSTC were two great years.

“Getting to learn something new was awesome, especially since I was the only member of my family to graduate from college,” he said.

His skills are paying off in different ways.

“I have encountered several people who do not have the same technical skills I learned at TSTC,” Barron said. “I assist them with many different issues on a daily basis.”

It took Barron some time to decide to enroll in college.

“I wanted to go to college for my family and myself,” he said.

He is glad that he chose to enroll at TSTC and was pleased with how well his time was spent on campus.

“Everyone was very welcoming, nice, kind, and offered to assist me,” Barron said, adding that he wanted to help others by being part of the work-study program.

When people learn that Barron earned an associate degree, they want to know more about TSTC and the degree programs. He is quick to point them toward TSTC.

“I always guide them to more information,” he said. “The culture and atmosphere are great at TSTC. I think for anyone looking to further their education, TSTC is the best place to start.”

For more information, visit tstc.edu.

Graduates of the program have worked in different areas of business, from accounting to business management. Earning an associate degree or certificate has opened doors for many of the program’s graduates.

Ron Howard is now working for the Taylor County Veterans’ Service Office after earning an associate degree in 2019.

“Everything I learned in the program is helping me tremendously in my job. It has helped me with all of the computer skills and with Word documents,” he said. “My job all day is working on a computer.”

Howard said he could not have succeeded without the help of the TSTC instructors.

“The one-on-one time they give you is great. They do not tell you, ‘Here is the work, go do it’; they make sure you understand what to do,” he said. “The instructors will set you up to succeed.”

Howard would visit his former instructors before the coronavirus pandemic and now communicates with them via email.

“I hope we can get together again. They helped me so much,” the U.S. Marine Corps veteran said.

Instructor Duston Brooks said many students, including Howard, take the learning further by earning a bachelor’s degree.

With TSTC offering a certification and degree program online, Brooks said the cost is minimal.

“Students will need a laptop and good internet access, of course,” he said. 

Brooks said students would learn the skills needed for a business to succeed. These include a clear understanding of accounting and principles; efficient management processes; practical verbal, electronic, and visual communication skills, work; how to work with supervisors, customers, employees, and stakeholders; and knowledge of computer software, including word processing spreadsheets, and presentation software.

Small-business owners have taken the course to improve the company’s management end, Brooks said. He also has had students who worked in physical labor positions but took the course to work in an office.

Howard said the program offers people career choices.

“I think people should embrace what they learn in the program. They will succeed,” he said. “TSTC’s Business Management Technology program is the best out there.”

For more information, visit tstc.edu.

For 2020 graduate Sarah Smith, now a student recruiter at TSTC, she is using what she learned to promote the college while improving her organizational skills.

“I gained a lot of sales skills and organizational skills in the program,” she said. “I have modeled my work style from what I learned in the program.”

Smith is also able to tell students how studying online will benefit them and how instructors are always available.

“The instructors are very easy to work with,” she said. “They are consistently in contact with their students.”

One key area in which Smith said she saw improvement in herself was time management.

“I learned that to do things online, you do not need to get overwhelmed,” she said. “Our instructors are going to be checking on you. The program showed me the importance of time management.”

Instructor Duston Brooks said students of all ages and backgrounds have registered for the program. He said one student who worked as a truck driver completed the program while on the road.

“He could not attend a class on campus, so he took his laptop with him,” Brooks said. “And whenever he had time off the road, he would work on his online classes. So we were able to serve his needs. With the COVID situation now and the aftermath, I think the demand for online education will only grow.”

Smith said having completed online courses herself helps her while recruiting students to TSTC.

“For people who have to work or have children, completing the programs online was perfect for me,” she said.

In addition to organization and time management skills, students can expect to learn other skills needed in a business office. These skills include word processing, presentation graphics, accounting and business ethics, principles of accounting, computerized accounting, principles of management, small business operations and payroll accounting. 

For more information on TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

“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 Texas State Technical College. She took online classes to earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in Business Management Technology.

“I am extremely proud of the young woman Amanda has grown into,” said her mother Sherri Ruble, an instructor in TSTC’s Computer Networking and Systems Administration program in Waco. “She has always been goal-oriented. I know that once she sets her mind to do something, she will.”

Amanda Ruble was a marketing director when she was laid off in March. She now has businesses at her home selling candles and shirts.

The idea for Axtell’s farmers market came from an item on an Axtell-focused Facebook page. People thought it would be a great idea for those who grew vegetables to gather and sell them.

Amanda Ruble thought about the idea and decided to take the lead for residents. She started a Facebook page for the Axtell Farmers Market and Trade Days and asked Leroy-Axtell Fire and Rescue’s fire chief to allow the market to set up on land next door to their building.

Amanda Ruble learned the 20-member volunteer force needed a new Jaws of Life to enable them to answer emergency calls. She decided all proceeds from the farmers market would go toward this purchase.

“We have two deadly intersections out here, and people wreck all the time,” she said.

The first farmers’ market in July yielded more than $600 in donations. Eventually the younger Ruble was able to raise $15,000 with farmers markets held twice a month starting in August.

In late September, she had a meeting via video conferencing with representatives of Daniel Stark Injury Lawyers in Waco to discuss the Jaws of Life project. Ruble said she was surprised when the law firm offered to contribute $15,000 to enable the volunteer fire department to make the purchase.

Billy Brown, the Leroy-Axtell Fire and Rescue’s assistant fire chief, said the effort brought residents together. He said the volunteers found out through a group text about all of the Jaws of Life funding being raised.

“It’s great to know there are still kind-hearted people out there,” Brown said.

Ruble’s next goal is to raise money for a park for residents. The park is planned for the land the farmers market takes place on.

“We need something here,” she said.

The Axtell Farmers Market and Trade Days are held from 9 a.m. to noon on the first and third Saturdays of each month next to the Leroy-Axtell Fire and Rescue’s building. The last event of the year will be held Dec. 19. The event will restart in the spring. The market adheres to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and McLennan County health and safety guidelines for COVID-19.

For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu. 

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 have to be motivated to get your studies done if you are completely online and working,” Herbelin said.

Herbelin works at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center –  Hillcrest in Waco. She worked for18 years in the radiology department as a patient service specialist before taking a new job within the hospital in May as a supervisor of clinic operations – imaging services.

“That is the job I ultimately wanted to have,” she said.

She took her laptop to work, and whenever she could get a few spare minutes, even if it would be in the middle of a 12-hour shift before the sun rose, she would do homework.

“I would steal every single minute, every hour, during the day, night and weekends, to get everything done,” Herbelin said. “I tried to stay on top of it.”

She said that toward the end of her studies she could feel burnout coming on. She did not take a semester off during her studies.

“Holly demonstrated above-average scholastic capabilities and leadership skills while enrolled in my cooperative education course,” said Connie Moncus, an instructor in TSTC’s Business Management Technology program. “As a student, she expressed motivation through her thorough presentations, her challenging input and her insightful expositions.”

Steven Szymoniak, an instructor in TSTC’s Business Management Technology program, admired Herbelin’s work ethic throughout her time at TSTC.

“She is a very tenacious and focused student on her commitment and dedication toward success,” Szymoniak said.

For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu.

Prior to becoming an instructor at TSTC, Brooks worked on the financial side of his family’s dairy farm. He now brings that knowledge to his students as they work toward an Associate of Applied Science degree or certificate in Business Management Technology.

“I learned the financial side of things and how to use the software,” said Brooks, who has taught at TSTC since 2000.

When Brooks first started teaching, TSTC offered a degree in Computer Information Technology. It is now the five-semester Business Management Technology degree program.

Students learn three areas of business management. Brooks said the first part of the program focuses on accounting, followed by management and then software.

“Anybody who works at a computer desk at any business will benefit from this program,” he said.

Students learn a variety of skills, including word processing, presentation graphics, accounting, and business ethics, principles of accounting and management, small business operations, and payroll accounting.

“You will benefit from a well-rounded education,” Brooks said, adding that some graduates continue their education by earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

In addition to on-campus classes, TSTC’s Business Management Technology program is available online, which helps some students, Brooks said.

“We know that people are working and have kids. This gives them the feasibility to complete the program online and at their own pace,” he said.

Brooks said one student completed the course while being employed as a full-time truck driver.

“He could not attend a class on campus, so he took his laptop with him,” he said. “Whenever he had time off the road, he would work on his online classes.”

During his tenure at TSTC, Brooks has seen students of all ages complete the program.

“We have had students just out of high school to adults in their 50s and 60s. Some people want to come back and relearn skills or even learn brand-new skills in order to update their resume,” he said.

Completing the program, according to Brooks, allows graduates to interview for office management positions. He said through hard work, some graduates have worked their way up to higher positions.

Brooks has also had students who wanted to start their own business.

“There are people from our program working in small towns and bigger cities,” he said. “Students who want to move up from a physically challenging job can take our program to get them in a better office or management position.”

Business Management Technology is available at the Abilene, Breckenridge, Brownwood, Harlingen, and Marshall campuses.

For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu.