Texas Border Business
HARLINGEN, Texas – Texas State Technical College is known for its designation as a Military Friendly School. For U.S. Army veteran Adalberto “Beto” Mata Jr., he credits TSTC’s Veteran Services for its smooth process to begin his college journey.
“TSTC Veteran Services representative (Maricela) Zepeda is exceptional at her job, and the overall process was smooth,” Mata said. “Any question that I asked, she provided clarification. I recommend TSTC to any veteran because of the simplicity of their process.”
During Mata’s military service, he brainstormed ideas to establish his own real estate venture.
That business plan motivated Mata to pursue a certificate of completion in Building Construction – Craftsman at TSTC’s Harlingen campus in January. He is pending three classes to complete his certificate. Now he is pursuing a certificate of completion in HVAC Technician at the same campus to align his goals.
“Everything I am learning is in sync with my real estate goals,” he said. “I want to know everything about a building from scratch, beginning with the foundation.”
Steve Guevara, TSTC’s director of Veteran Services, said it is important that his team provides excellent customer service to make a veteran’s transition simplified.
“TSTC’s Veteran Services and the Veterans Center were created as a one-stop shop,” Guevara said. “Our department provides help with applications such as admissions, federal and state education benefits, financial aid and scholarships. We provide educational benefits information for veterans and their dependents. We also navigate the admissions process and find internal and external resources that will ensure our students’ educational success at TSTC.”
Guevara said there are a number of federal and state education benefits available to service members, veterans and their dependents.
“There are unique eligibility requirements, and those can be viewed by visiting the TSTC Veteran Services webpage at tstc.edu/admissions/veterans,” he said.
The hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except holidays. Contact Veteran Services at 956-364-4387 for more information.
At its Harlingen campus, TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in HVAC Technology and certificates of completion in HVAC Technician, HVAC Technology and HVAC Residential Service Technician.
For more information, visit tstc.edu.
