Category Archives: Education

STC to Launch AI Community Course

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In the new year, South Texas College is introducing a new community course – Essentials of AI, or artificial intelligence. T

In the new year, South Texas College is introducing a new community course – Essentials of AI, or artificial intelligence. The course, beginning Jan. 20 through STC’s Continuing Education and Workforce Development, is an entry-level introduction to AI. Faculty from STC’s Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics Technology and Cybersecurity programs will teach the course. Vice President and Provost of Academic Affairs and Economic Development Anahid Petrosian said for the last two…

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UTRGV Breaks Ground on Port Isabel Research Facility

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Marine Ecosystems Research Facility groundbreaking

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley held a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday for the Marine Ecosystems Research Facility, marking the start of construction on a $21.5 million coastal research center that will expand the university’s capacity in marine and environmental sciences. The project was approved earlier this year by The University of Texas System Board of Regents and will be constructed at 905 S. Garcia Street in Port Isabel. The 14,500-square-foot…

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STC Names 2025 Faculty of the Year

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Sharon O’Leary

Sharon O’Leary was hired at South Texas College in 1999 to start the college’s music program. Now, 26 years later, the program is going strong, and she has been named Faculty of the Year for largely contributing to its growth. “I cried when saw I had been named Faculty of the Year,” said O’Leary. “Since 2008, my Department Chair Daniel Cather has been nominating me and this year, I told…

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STC Supports Vets Making Transition

Education News Comments
Javier Cardenas, center in white shirt, and STC’s Student Veterans Affairs office work to bring representatives of the military and veterans’ organizations to campus. (Courtesy)

Going from active military service with its intensity of duties to normal civilian life can be jarring. “It’s a radical overnight change,” said Javier Cardenas, a VA certifying official at South Texas College in McAllen. “It has the potential to be catastrophic.” Cardenas would know. The McAllen native joined the Marines two weeks after graduating from high school. He would serve four years in the Marines and admits to feeling…

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Free GED and ESL Classes Begin at McAllen Public Library

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McAllen ESL & GED

McAllen Public Library is partnering with South Texas College to offer free GED and English as a Second Language classes beginning Oct. 13. Classes will take place at MPL locations and are open to qualifying students seeking to improve their English or earn a high school equivalency diploma. “Hosting these classes is one more way we can connect our community to free educational opportunities,” said Kate Horan, Library Director. “We…

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UTRGV Recognized as a Great College to Work For

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UTRGV

For the second consecutive year, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has been recognized as one of the Great Colleges to Work For. UTRGV is among only 76 institutions across the country awarded the 2025 Great Colleges to Work For distinction, based on direct feedback from faculty and staff. The Great Colleges to Work For program, now in its 18th year, highlights colleges that receive top ratings from employees…

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Plumbing and Pipefitting Program Debuts at TSTC

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Plumbing and Pipefitting, a program new to Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus, recently welcomed its first cohort of students as the fall semester got underway.  Among those students are Ricardo Cantu, David Martinez and Fernando Ochoa.  Cantu, of Lyford, is pursuing a Plumbing and Pipefitting – Tradesman certificate of completion. He said his goal is to mirror the skill and expertise demonstrated by his instructors. “I want to learn…

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STC Ranks as Top Hispanic-Serving Institution

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South Texas College graduation

South Texas College has earned the top spot in the nation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the Washington Monthly 2025 College Rankings report. Since 2005, Washington Monthly has ranked colleges based on their contributions to the country in three areas: social mobility, research and promoting public service. This year, in collaboration with Excelencia in Education, it also ranked how well Hispanic-Serving Institutions like STC, are serving this increasing population. “This ranking affirms…

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Tech Center Expands TSTC’s Possibilities

Education Manufacturing/Industrial News Comments
Construction work was finishing up in mid-August at the new Transportation Technologies Center at TSTC in Harlingen.

Texas State Technical College is starting a new school year with the opening of an 84,000-square-foot Transportation Technologies Center on the western end of the Harlingen campus. The new building opens up to big spaces on the major halves of the facility. The west side of the facility will be the work and training space for students in the diesel technology field that specializes in repair and maintenance of large…

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McAllen ISD Launches Adult HS Diploma Program

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diploma completion

McAllen ISD is now offering the Step-up Program, a free diploma completion program for adults ages 18 to 26 who left school before graduating. The program accommodates flexible scheduling, allowing students to attend in the morning or afternoon, Monday through Friday, to match their personal commitments and to proceed at their own pace. The program is planning to launch with approximately 50 students early this fall at McAllen ISD’s Lamar…

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