Texas Border Business
By Joey Gomez
McALLEN, Texas – South Texas College Welding Department Assistant Chair and faculty member Baldemar Garcia has been given the college’s annual Faculty Spotlight award for his dedication to the diverse needs of his students and teaching beyond traditional boundaries.
Annually, STC recognizes faculty members who excel in teaching effectiveness, college and community service as well as professional and scholarly pursuits.
“I am honored to be a part of STC’s faculty spotlight and it’s encouraging to see that the work we as faculty are doing with students is making a difference,” Garcia said. “It’s about helping students and guiding them in the right direction and to open the same doors that were open to me.”
As a tenet to his teaching approach, Garcia said faculty have a duty to help students progress in their chosen fields and their lives.
The job doesn’t end when they leave class, rather faculty have a duty to help students progress in their chosen fields and their lives, Garcia said.
“By the time students leave my class, I want them to really have experienced what the trade is and what it’s all about,” Garcia said. “This program changed my life, so I want to give back the same way I was given.”
As an alumnus of the program he now teaches, Garcia said his personal mission is to give back to students as much as he received when he was in their shoes.
Starting as a student at STC in 2013, Garcia said he completed his associate degree in Welding while making his way in the industry first as a welding helper and then rig welder in the pipeline and refinery business from Texas to Wyoming.
“It’s about helping students and guiding them in the right direction and to open the same doors that were open to me,” Garcia said. “I had the same stresses and worries that the students have, so I know what it means to dedicate yourself to something and especially what it means to sacrifice. But I saw what the outcome was by just doing the program, letting it change my life and letting it guide me.”
Garcia said it amounts to teaching without limits. Arriving on campus by 7 a.m., he stays past 1:30 a.m. to teach “midnight madness” Welding courses created for students who cannot attend daytime or evening courses due to life responsibilities.
It is this effectiveness and unwavering dedication that earned him the recognition as an exceptional faculty by STC’s Academic Affairs division, which aims to celebrate excellence in teaching and learning at the college.
Leadership within STC’s Welding program say Garcia’s approach to teaching makes him a unique and vital addition to faculty.
“He (Garcia) is the type of instructor every student wants to have at some point in their college career,” said Welding Program Chair Hector Cavazos. “His passion and dedication to the program and students is what makes him truly unique.”
For Garcia, he hopes the impact he has made among students inspires them to keep growing so they help others entering the trade.
“This goes beyond the fundamentals behind the trade, I hope they leave with a renewed sense of passion, so they keep growing and progressing. Maybe they can help others in the future like I did with them,” Garcia said. “I think it’s important to treat others the way we want to be treated. We must be humble and have the willingness to keep the door open for somebody else because we never know when we might need help ourselves.”
For more information about STC’s Welding program, visit www.southtexascollege.edu/academics/welding/.
