Tag Archives: Texas State Technical College

TSTC Graduates Keep Hospitals Going

April 1, 2024

Esmeralda Estrella’s students in a Texas State Technical College classroom are huddled around incubator equipment used to support newborns in neonatal intensive care units. The students on the Harlingen campus are enrolled in TSTC’s biomedical equipment technology program. Students jot down notes and confer in teams as if they were in real-world hospital settings. Maintenance and repair of this sort of equipment is critical to sustaining and saving lives. “The…

TSTC Breaks Ground on Campus Transformation

December 14, 2023

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Representatives of Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony on Dec. 7 for two new facilities and renovation of one existing building. The new additions will provide space for two programs new to the campus: Diesel Equipment Technology, and Plumbing and Pipefitting Technology. The Automotive Technology and Diesel Equipment Technology programs will share nearly 50,000 square feet in one building. In addition, the Electrical Lineworker and Management…

Wind Energy Gives Students New Challenges

December 1, 2023

Ricardo D. Cavazos, VBR content editor

Education Featured News Technology Comments

Andrew Garza spent over a decade in the fast-food industry, rising to management positions at Chick-fil-A and Pizza Hut. He enjoys working in teams and helping to lead them. Garza figured there was another industry where his experience would prove valuable. “The green energy field is growing, here in the Valley and around the world,” Garza said. “I see really good opportunities in wind energy technology. Hopefully, at some point,…

Colleges Create Programs To Fit Needs

December 1, 2023

Ricardo D. Cavazos, VBR content editor

Education Manufacturing/Industrial News Comments

SpaceX has more than gained a foothold in southern Cameron County with its imposing rockets looming over Boca Chica Beach. More than 2,000 employees work at Starbase, a production and launch site just across the Laguna Madre from South Padre Island. Keeping such a large operation going as it pursues audacious goals related to space travel requires vast amounts of skill and know-how from its teams of employees. South Texas…

SpaceX, LNG Put RGV On Industrial Map

November 1, 2023

Ricardo D. Cavazos, VBR content editor

Manufacturing/Industrial News Comments

For decades, the scenario was the same for Rio Grande Valley residents when it came time to make job choices after receiving their technical training and education at area colleges. The better jobs and higher pay were elsewhere. Be it at the Port of Houston or jobs at aviation manufacturing facilities in California, Valley natives searched nationwide for careers that could match their aspirations. That equation is beginning to change…

TSTC Prepares To Fill Hygienist Shortage

July 26, 2023

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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 percent nationally. Raquel Rico, TSTC’s Dental Hygiene program director in Harlingen, said the primary focus of the program’s education is about hands-on training.…

TSTC Prepares Aviation Maintenance Students

April 20, 2023

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Highly skilled aircraft technicians are in short supply, and the aviation maintenance program at Texas State Technical College is training students in an effort to meet demand for them across Texas. Isaac Pena of Rio Grande City is a second-semester Aircraft Powerplant Technology student at TSTC. He said the technician shortage creates a promising outlook for upcoming aviation maintenance graduates. “It’s beneficial because there’s more demand, opportunities and potentially increased pay,” he said. “As I’m…

TSTC Spotlights Vocational Nursing At Open House

March 30, 2023

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The Vocational Nursing certificate of completion program at Texas State Technical College will host an open house on March 31. The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Lucio Allied Health Technologies Building at the corner of North Loop 499 and Jasmine Street on the college’s Harlingen campus. The college encourages prospective students with an interest in beginning the Vocational Nursing program next fall to attend the event.…

TSTC Ranks Top in Texas For Two-Year Institutions

September 18, 2021

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Texas State Technical College, which has 10 campuses statewide, has been ranked first in Texas and third nationally among two-year institutions by Niche.com. TSTC received high marks in six categories: diversity, location, professors, safety, student life and value. The technical college was lauded for its 100-percent acceptance rate and its average $10,237 yearly tuition. Also receiving recognition is TSTC’s awarding of more than $6,699 in yearly average financial aid. “We’re…

TSTC Transforms Mechanics Into Technicians

September 16, 2021

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e-Brief Features Education Featured News Comments

Texas State Technical College Automotive Technology instructor Miguel Zoleta is making sure his program’s students stay plugged in to advancements in the automotive industry. “Right now, we’re seeing that a lot out of industry is electrical vehicles, and electrical vehicles are coming out in every dealership,” he said. “Every company is trying to come out with at least one line of an electrical vehicle.” The bells and whistles that come…