Category Archives: Education

TSTC Breaks Ground on Campus Transformation

TSTC Vice Chancellor of External Relations in Harlingen Cledia Hernandez talks about new facilities and programs of study that are scheduled to open in spring 2026 during a recent groundbreaking ceremony at TSTC’s Harlingen campus. (Photo TSTC)

Representatives of Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony on Dec. 7 for two new facilities and renovation of one existing building. The new additions will provide space for two programs new to the campus: Diesel Equipment Technology, and Plumbing and Pipefitting Technology.  The Automotive Technology and Diesel Equipment Technology programs will share nearly 50,000 square feet in one building. In addition, the Electrical Lineworker and Management…

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RGV Sees High Demand for Healthcare Careers

A panel of STC students at the “Building Health Care Leaders of Tomorrow" conference allow attendees to receive direct feedback on key success elements when pursuing a medical degree. (Courtesy)

In response to an ongoing shortage of health care professionals in the Rio Grande Valley, 80 industry representatives and school districts recently gathered at South Texas College to discuss how to support and encourage students to pursue careers in the medical field. Currently, health care is a field that occupies more than 25 percent of the region’s total employment. As the first institution in the nation to offer a registered…

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STC and Teach Us Texas Support Aspiring Teachers

South Texas College and Teach Us Texas have joined forces by signing a memorandum of understanding to facilitate a pathway into the company’s alternative certification program.

To address a nationwide teacher shortage and encourage more students to consider the profession, South Texas College and Teach Us Texas have joined forces by signing a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate a pathway into the company’s alternative teaching certification program. The partnership will allow STC students pursuing an associate degree in Teaching or a Substitute Teacher & Teacher Assistant continuing education certificate a seamless transition into the program. “Our…

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STC and Roma ISD Partner for Early College Academy

Roma early college academy

In partnership with leadership from South Texas College and STC’s Dual Credit Programs, Roma Independent School District launched its first-ever early college academy this week. Two years in the making, the new academy will enable students to earn at least 40 hours of college credit once they graduate high school, the equivalent of taking their core classes before they even graduate. “For the students, I want to be sure they…

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Wind Energy Gives Students New Challenges

Dolores Delgado has left behind being a dental assistant for new opportunities in the wind energy industry.

Andrew Garza spent over a decade in the fast-food industry, rising to management positions at Chick-fil-A and Pizza Hut. He enjoys working in teams and helping to lead them. Garza figured there was another industry where his experience would prove valuable. “The green energy field is growing, here in the Valley and around the world,” Garza said. “I see really good opportunities in wind energy technology. Hopefully, at some point,…

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Colleges Create Programs To Fit Needs

A wide array of technical skills are in demand as industrial activity ramps up in the Rio Grande Valley. (Courtesy)

SpaceX has more than gained a foothold in southern Cameron County with its imposing rockets looming over Boca Chica Beach. More than 2,000 employees work at Starbase, a production and launch site just across the Laguna Madre from South Padre Island. Keeping such a large operation going as it pursues audacious goals related to space travel requires vast amounts of skill and know-how from its teams of employees. South Texas…

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Welding Together a New Life with VIDA

Diego Medina

Normally a 10 year old would be considered a child; however, at the age of 10, Diego Medina saw himself as a young man when his parents divorced. He began working in the fields and mowing lawns on the weekends to assist his mother with their household bills.  Over the years, Medina had countless setbacks, and he found it more and more difficult to get ahead. In his early 30s,…

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McAllen ISD Names New Superintendent

Rene Gutierrez

The McAllen ISD Board of Trustees officially approved Rene Gutierrez as the district’s new superintendent of schools at a board meeting Monday night. The approval paves the way for the two-time Regional Superintendent of the Year to return to the district where he attended school and graduated from McAllen High in 1983. “We are elated to have Dr. Gutierrez as our new superintendent,” said School Board President Debbie Crane Aliseda.…

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STC Students Place at National Applied Sociology Competition

South Texas College Sociology students Cristian Mandujano, Taylor Wurm and Claudia Ginez.

Hailing from the only two-year institution that competed, for the first time ever, at a national student team competition, South Texas College Sociology students took second place at the Association of Applied and Clinical Sociology Client Program Competition. STC students Cristian Mandujano, Claudia Ginez and Taylor Wurm competed at the event during AACS’s annual conference recently in Tampa, Fla. At the competition, the students presented their solution to an issue…

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STC Tops the Charts for Best Colleges

South Texas College is a “Top 10” college in the nation in various categories according to Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine.

South Texas College continues to top the charts in higher education, recently being named a “Top 10” college in the nation by Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine for associate degrees granted, its enrollment as a four-year school and for its majors in Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and related services. Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine tracks the national advancements of Hispanics in higher education and spotlights Hispanic Serving Institutions like…

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