Category Archives: Education

TSC Helps Those In Need With Career Training

TSC receives its first Self Sufficiency Fund Grant by the TWC during a recent ceremony at the TSC ITEC Center. Pictured are TSC Board of Trustee Alejandra Aldrete, TSC Board of Trustee and past Board Chair Adela Garza, TWC Director for Outreach and Employer Initiatives Mary York, and TSC President Jesus Roberto Rodriguez. (photo TSC)

Families facing financial hardships can now access required construction trade skills training for employment at Texas Southmost College. Funding for the training comes from the Texas Workforce Commission via a $351,794 Self Sufficiency Fund Grant. The grant will help provide training in welding, plumbing, insulation, scaffolding, forklift driving and electrical work. The grant, the first of its kind for TSC, will allow the college to provide training to adult Temporary…

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Advanced Manufacturing Training Coming To RGV

TRAIN

The Texas A&M University System and two of its state engineering agencies recently announced a new initiative to invigorate an important Rio Grande Valley industry sector, advanced manufacturing. Together with the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station and the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, the system will provide workforce development programs that will prepare people for high-need jobs. The Texas A&M RGV Advanced Manufacturing/Training Innovation Now program gathers community input, creates…

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Nurse Gives Back After Receiving So Much

After passing the National Council Licensure Examination, Gilda Lee Sauceda worked at Fresenius Kidney Care before choosing to become a traveling dialysis nurse.

When you learn, teach. When you get, give.  ~Maya Angelou Weslaco native Gilda Lee Sauceda grew up with a single mom who became disabled when her daughter was just 10 years old. She felt grateful that they had a roof over their head and their basic necessities, but the struggles were real. The labels were there — eighth-grade drop-out, GED holder, low-income — but Sauceda did not allow labels to…

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MECA Wins Gold

Mercedes Early College Academy is the recent recipient of the College Success Gold Award from GreatSchools.org. MECA is one of only 1,770 public high schools among 26 states to achieve the College Success Award with the new Gold distinction. For the GreatSchools.org College Success Award, a public school must have a data verifying the college enrollment and college success of its graduates. To reach the Gold level, a school must…

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Brownsville Schools Receive Blue Ribbon Distinction

Brownsville ISD

Two elementary schools in the Brownsville Independent School District now hold the distinction of National Blue Ribbon Schools. Dr. Ruben Gallegos Elementary and Mittie A. Pullam Elementary received the honors from the U.S. Department of Education. Schools receive recognition in one of two performance categories. These are on the basis of all student scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates: Exemplary High Performing Schools are among their state’s highest performing…

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TSTC Ranks Top in Texas For Two-Year Institutions

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…

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TSTC Transforms Mechanics Into Technicians

(photo TSTC)

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…

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Local Businessman Donates To TSC Scholarships

  Brownsville native and entrepreneur Steven De La Garza understands, firsthand, the vital role community colleges have in developing the next generation workforce. To ensure students have access to high-quality education that will connect them with careers that are in demand, he is funding scholarships at Texas Southmost College.  His first donation of $30,000 will go toward full student scholarships for workforce training programs. This includes welding, industrial scaffolding, plumbing…

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McAllen Welcomes UTRGV Expanded Cancer Center

UT Health RGV

The University of Texas Health Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine is expanding its healthcare offerings in South Texas with a new Cancer and Surgery Center at its McAllen Academic Medical Campus. McAllen officials are hoping to establish and develop the area around the campus as a medical center for the region. “I am so proud of the efforts being made by UT Health RGV School of Medicine to expand…

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Life-Changing Decision Leads To Nursing Career

Maria Delgado

When McAllen resident Maria Delgado first applied to the Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement in 2012 after learning about it from an outreach counselor at South Texas College, the VIDA staff knew she was an excellent candidate. Delgado was a single mother with two daughters, ages 11 and 5, unemployed and on public assistance and a first-generation college student. She served in the National Guard for two-and-a-half years. But…

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