Texas Border Business
HARLINGEN, Texas – More than 600 high school students and visitors toured Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus during TechXperience Day on Thursday, Feb. 29, to learn more about the technical career pathways and state-of-the-art technologies that the college offers.
The participating schools included some from Donna, Edinburg, La Joya, McAllen, Mission, Monte Alto, Palmview, Port Isabel, Progreso and Roma.
Stephanie Garcia, TSTC’s senior admissions advisor in Harlingen, said students were thrilled to encounter an interactive and immersive experience during TechXperience Day.
“Students from across the Rio Grande Valley engaged in hands-on demonstrations that brought technology to life,” she said. “We are thrilled that our programs sparked the interest of many juniors and seniors. Hopefully they will consider studying a technical career at TSTC.”
Rey Corpus, a La Joya High School senior, said he liked how friendly the college environment is.
“One of the presentations that I enjoyed was in the Building Construction Technology program,” he said. “The instructors explained how they help their students understand the education so they can succeed. That’s great to know because it shows they care.”
Yolanda Ramirez, TSTC’s Surgical Technology program director, said TechXperience Day gave students a look at what a surgical technologist does.
“They were intrigued by our program’s laparoscopic simulator and what the abdominal organs look like,” she said. “Some of our current students showcased how they coordinate the camera during a laparoscopic procedure. That helps to view the structures that a surgeon would be working on.”
Jorge Gonzalez, an Agricultural Science and Welding teacher at Roma High School, said his students were impressed with the versatility of programs that are available at the college.
“My group visited the Surgical Technology, Welding Technology and Automotive Technology programs,” he said. “Since my students are specialized in welding, the welding instructors demonstrated shielded metal arc and TIG (tungsten inert gas) welds for them to see. They definitely noticed how up to date the technology is because that’s what is being utilized in each career field.”
For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.
