MUSTANG magazine
Destination:
SUCCESS
BET student Sam Leal talks about his journey from the farm field to the medical field
pg 18
Stay on Target Survive the semester on a student income pg 9
6 Apps
Every student must have to boost productivity pg 26
Service Squad TSTC students lend a helping hand
pg 17
Fall 2012 | Volume 1 | Issue 1
Credits About StudentStaff Ruben Rodriguez
Like a remembered dream, from a forgotten man, in a town no one has heard of.
Amber Gutierrez
Secretly wishes to live the life of a sci-fi character.
Laura Amaro
Lover of cats, designer of pretty things.
{
Special Thanks Student Government Association Student Life Marketing Department Staff
This semester the Mustang Magazine goes from a monthly to a once-a-semester publication. It has gone through a redesign from 24-page, black and white to a 36-page, full color magazine with more emphasis on relevant, useful content for students. Make this magazine your own by contributing stories, photographs, artwork, poetry, or anything else you would like to share with the student body. All contributing students will receive a 2GB TSTC flash drive. Your work could be published in the Mustang Magazine, your new peer-to-peer information exchange! Mustang Magazine Student Staff
}
Contact
MustangMagazine@tstc.edu 956.364.4260 Like us on Facebook!
your magazine
www.facebook.com/TSTCMustangMagazine
su bm issio n deadli ne
Spring 2013: October 31, 2012 Send to: MustangMagazine@tstc.edu
1902 N. Loop 499 Harlingen,TX 78550 1.800.852.8784 www.harlingen.tstc.edu
TSTC Harlingen is a two-year higher education institution emphasizing courses of study in technical education for which there is a demand within the state of Texas. Equal opportunity shall be afforded within the Texas State Technical College System to all employees and applicants for admission or employment regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age or disability. TSTC will make reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities.
S T N E T N O C FALL 2012
Division Hurgby &
e Student Lifuid e
Wind Ene logy Turbine Techno edia 14 Digital M gy Design Technolo d Nursing 22 Registere
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04 Student G alendar 05 College C r SGA Officers 11 Meet You ls 28 Intramura
T ST C Life After Sp otlight
College Life
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11
20
alize How To Person om Your Dorm Ro om Recipes 07 Dorm Ro rget 08 Stay On Ta
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B e A B ett er M 16 17
ustang
Study Tips uad TSTC Service Sq
u r es Student Feaot 13 18
Ruth Trevi単 Sam Leal
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20 Graduate rvices 24 Career Se Loan ff Your Student O g in ay P 5 2 otlight 29 Alumni Sp
Also Inside ry Student Must Have ve 26 6 Apps E pons iscounts & Cou 31 Student D inner: Poetr y 32 Contest W tro ansit: Valley Me 34 Student Tr xt Issue 35 In The Ne
Sam Ledday lRodriguez | Story by Dave Ralph Photo by Fre
rge eal is on the ve L m a S t, r a st als. Despite a late educational go is h g in sh li p m o of acc
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Mustang Magazine | Fall 2012
e z i l a n Perso orm Room HOW T O
YOU R
D
To create the ultimate dorm room you need to bring a balanced combination of functional and decorative items. The best items to bring are the types that will serve as both. Keep in mind that some furniture is already provided for you, so attend the Housing Orientation meeting on September 12 to know what items to pack and what NOT to bring. Invest in stackable shelving crates to create storage space. Not only will you be able to organize your belongings, but it will make it easier to move out at the end of the semester.
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Colorful posters and removable decals can liven up your wall space. Bring thumbtacks or reusable adhesive putty for dorm rooms with brick walls.
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Miss your family and friends back at home? Take photographs of them to your dorm and make a collage on your wall to save precious desk space.
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To organize a small closet space, bring over-the-door shoe organizers. Not just for shoes and socks, they can store everything from cleaning supplies and bath products to secret snack stashes.
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Mustang Magazine | Fall 2012
Create a comfortable personal space by bringing extra pillows for your bed. They can double as seating for your friends while they visit. Be mindful of the 12 a.m. curfew hour for visitors, though.
5
Instead of piling your laundry on your bed, invest in a laundry bag for your clothes. Not only will your roommate thank you for it, it will be easier to transport your clothes when ready to wash.
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Create a private space in small dorm rooms by using removable ceiling hooks to partition your sleeping area with curtains. They can also help block your laptop screen light while you're burning the midnight oil.
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o, DMDT by Laura Amar
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Mustang Magazine | Fall 2012
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t e G s t n e d u t S y g r Wind Ene n io t a ic if t r e C y t e f Sa Story By: Dave Ralph
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ind Energy Technology (WET) major Luis Torres knows how to save a colleague if there’s an accident as they work inside a wind turbine. He participated in the first Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) certification drill for the program at Texas State Technical College (TSTC) Harlingen using its new, 20-foot practice tower. Torres demonstrated a series of life-saving techniques on a volunteer victim, WET Chairman Enrique Carrillo. “It was amazing,” said Torres, who lives in San Benito. “Knowing how to react and perform in an emergency situation means a lot.” To gain a firsthand perspective as a victim before he became the rescuer, Torres first served as the pretend victim for Glenn Bedgood, a WET instructor with TSTC West Texas in Sweetwater who performs safety training for TSTC students and the industry professionals. Businesses that construct or maintain wind energy farms often prefer to hire entry-level college graduates who have achieved OSHA certification, Bedgood said, because it costs a company up to $5,000 or $10,000 in equipment, travel and education expenses per employee to provide required OSHA instruction. WET Program majors at TSTC undergo the access, rescue, descent, and evacuation drills on the practice tower and they receive at least eight hours of classroom instruction about OSHA procedures within the WET curriculum. Average wind energy turbines are 250 feet high, so students must be familiar with the ladder environment and climbing gear such as hooks and lanyards for movement, Carrillo said. A total of nine students completed the OSHA specifications during the two days of training. All wind energy technicians in the U.S. industry must renew OSHA certification at least every two years, Bedgood said, and some companies organize emergency response practices with ambulance crews and fire department personnel every six months. “It’s nice to get a feel for properly and repeatedly getting on and off a turbine ladder under various circumstances in the heat wearing fifteen to twenty pounds of equipment,” said Juan Flores, another WET major. “It’s better to get hands-on work rather than just sitting in a class to discuss it or reading about it in a textbook.” Flores said that he received a Certificate II diploma from the WET Program in August and will pursue an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree at TSTC starting fall semester. The level of preparation at TSTC ultimately will affect his salary because statistics show that average starting pay for wind energy technicians, depending upon the diploma, ranges from $37,000 to $52,000. For more information about the WET Program, contact Carrillo at enrique.carrillo@tstc.edu or 956.364.4729 or contact Engineering Division Director Fernando Figueroa at Fernando.figueroa@tstc.edu or 956.364.4978.
Mustang Magazine | Fall 2012
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Mustang Magazine | Fall 2012
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l ateria m e h t of down k a e r ab
e or y guid d u t s er ll chapt ested on. a r e it’s a e o l f i t r h a r e o b p W s l . Pre ded rofes you’l n nee guide to our p now what a y h t k s s A y k ote u will ore n e your stud m n so yo w us do write r notes and terial. s t n e you stud rite st ma or Rew class, most nd, go over on the te rofess r i s p g u m n c r i r o r u f u u o D in yo ideas and for y ’s likely you h s s n e o r i f t t n still f ques s in class. I e mai h o t t s e i t l i re a stion rewr prepa sk the que erial. , s e t at .A r no h you ed help on ns on the m ew g i u v o e o r R iend t ing th ial you ne e questio r o f g a r e o dt he sam Aft ater ut lou room at t y. the m y have the o t u m o e y ab ad th ve a stud le you stud es ma e t r a r m o r s i clas group terial. Rese actions wh y d u t ma as istr tes to rstand the get rid of d o y n d d de ise to h Stu ur rev rize and un ake sure . Watc o s y u p e k M o m r. Ta m ca r. Cente ou me ces on deoTuto nt r u o s help y g Resource re Vi de in toring MyTSTC ffice of Stu u t Learn y n ma m/ eO re are utube.co contact th e h t g , r o rin help ww.y schedule o Tuto eed extra w t a g e n in b If you s on YouTu for a tutor l r a i tutor r professo 170. .4 ou Ask y at 956.364 ss Succe
by
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Mustang Magazine | Fall 2012
TSTC SERVICE SQUAD by Laura Amaro, DMDT
Coretta Miles joined members of the TSTC Service Squad for an "Alternative Spring Break."
The Digital Media Design Technology student traded in bathing suit and beach towel for a hammer and nails to take part in a service project to build homes for Habitat For Humanity.
A Day at the Park literacy event with United Way. To complete the program the student must finish at least 40 hours of community service, 30 of which must be done through organized TSTC Service Squad events and 10 can be done through individual volunteer work.
Students that complete the program become a TSTC Service Squad Intern, receive an invitation to the annual SGA Leadership Banquet and a “The Service Squad has taught me a lot about free T-shirt. They also benefit from adding their working on a team and what giving back to the volunteer work to the TSTC Co-Curricular community really means,� she said. Transcript, an official record of a student's extracurricular activities, Former Supervisor of leadership experience, Student Activities Lissete ...members helped Habitat volunteerism and campus Zavala-Muniz, started the For Humanity build a home involvement at TSTC. program because she wanted to link students to for an Alamo family of five... Zavala-Muniz says of working community service projects with the TSTC Service and organizations like Habitat For Squads at the Habitat For Humanity and United Way. Humanity project in Alamo, "It was a really good feeling to be working along with the family that TSTC Service Squad members meet once a we were helping build a house for." semester at a service learning workshop to organize the events of their choosing. Last TSTC student volunteers will take part in a semester, members helped Habitat For Humanity finishing ceremony when the home is complete build a home for an Alamo family of five, another later this fall. home in Pharr for a family of four and organized
To fill out an application:
Download: bit.ly/ServiceSquad and E-mail: amclinton@tstc.edu or Drop Off: Office of Student Activities in the Student Center Room 121
Mustang Magazine | Fall 2012
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DESTINATION: SUCCESS Story By: Dave Ralph ruck driving and jobs in migrant labor put Samuel Leal of Harlingen on a lengthy detour through much of his life until he took advantage of programs at Texas State Technical College Harlingen (TSTC) to get on the road toward a college diploma. Two years ago Leal gave up trucking to join the High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and achieve General Educational Development (GED) certification which is an academic achievement equal to a high school diploma. Leal used the GED to enroll as a full-time student at TSTC, where he is a Biomedical Equipment Technology (BET) major striving toward an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree and the career of his dreams as a medical equipment technician. “I wanted to better myself and get a career in electronics; plus, I wanted to get a health and retirement package,” he explained. “I didn’t want to be a truck driver anymore because it caused me to miss nine years of my youngsters’ lives.” Cindy O. Mata, director of the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) at TSTC, said that Leal is a role model for his peers and his youngsters. ree of his sons and one of his daughters followed him into majors or basic academic courses at TSTC. e CAMP at TSTC, the only two-year college in Texas with the program, accepts 45 students per year. Applicants are selected from those who submit an autobiographical essay, pass scores on a required exam, and demonstrate financial need. “e essay gives us some insight about prospective students. We get to see the person. ere’s also an interview about what each prospective student plans to study in terms of a career goal. We want the students who really want to be here, who really want to succeed. We want to make sure they want an associate’s degree,” Mata said. Leal used financial aid as bi-weekly stipends for gas and food. He spends extra time on homework and class projects with tutorial assistance. e CAMP advisers and faculty also provided instruction about how to write job applications and resumes.
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One Migrant’s Story
Students in CAMP with an overall grade point average (GPA) above 2.0 and who also passed at least 24 credits with an average GPA of 3.0 or higher received an iPad3 for use while at TSTC. BET Chairman Roberto Rivera said that Leal’s grades consistently are among the highest scores in the BET Program. “I always loved electronics since I was a boy,” Leal recalled. “e BET courses allow me to work on all kinds of hospital equipment and that’s how I can help people. e machines aren’t any good if they aren’t calibrated well to give doctors proper readings to assist patients.” Medical facilities are required by law to hire new biomedical technicians with a minimum education of a two-year associate degree, Rivera said. He and Leal agreed that the potential careers for BET graduates go beyond hospitals and clinics. Some BET graduates enter the communications field, work for energy companies, or do maintenance on electronic systems. “I could work anywhere. ere are a vast, widespread number of career fields available. e BET diploma opens many doors,” Leal said. He listed more possibilities in gaming and simulation and manufacturing. He has considered jobs in wind energy technology and his dream is to eventually open his own business specializing in dialysis equipment. Besides the BET courses in circuits, motor controls, networking, safety, and anatomy, he will complete classes in psychology, algebra, music and art appreciation, and public speaking. He’s on target to participate in two internships and then graduate in Spring 2013. “All the CAMP staff was very helpful and friendly. I don’t think I could have done it without everyone in CAMP because they helped motivate me,” Leal said. “It was a dream of mine to get to college and make something of myself. at’s how all this began.” e CAMP offices are part of College Readiness & Advancement at TSTC. For more information about CAMP and TSTC, phone 800.852.8784, extension 4172 or send e-mail to camp@harlingen.tstc.edu. e Web site address is www.harlingen.tstc.edu/camp and the Facebook address is www.facebook.com/tstccamp.
The BET diploma opens many doors
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Mustang Magazine | Fall 2012
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“
Story By: Dave Ralph
CHEVRON CREATES
MT CAREER PIPELINE
corporate giant Chevron doesn’t always wait to hire Mechatronics Technology (MT) majors until after they graduate from Texas State Technical College (TSTC) Harlingen. Chevron sometimes hires MT students who begin training with the company and step into their careers while they gain their final TSTC credits in an on-the-job environment. Oz Mejia, a 2005 graduate of Lopez High School in Brownsville and a MT major, began work for Chevron about a year ago as a field specialist trainee in San Angelo and he could not return to Harlingen for summer semester commencement August 17. Alfonso Arjona of Weslaco, who graduated from the Science Academy of South Texas in Mercedes in 2008, left
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behind TSTC classes to report for six months of operation and maintenance training with Chevron that began August 13 at Lovington, N.M. However, Maritza Salazar of San Benito, a 2007 graduate of San Benito High School, and Tomas Pulido, a 1992 high school graduate from Vera Cruz, Tamaulipas, Mexico, both MT majors, donned the traditional black mortars and gowns for commencement and then they will join Chevron. “The Mechatronics Technology Program is well suited for entry-level opportunities in our oil fields because the TSTC experiences with mechanical and electronic equipment provide students with a foundation to build on as they learn about our oil production,” said Greg
Yoxsimer, human resources business partner for Chevron in Midland. “We recruit employees from all the TSTC system campuses and I always encourage young people to take a strong look at TSTC before they choose a college.” Mechatronics combines mechanical and electrical systems through automation and computer control systems, MT Chairman Adan Hernandez said. “The MT Program takes our students from fundamental courses and advances those concepts to an industrial-type level. We train the ideal technician for various industries such as oil and gas, automotive, automated manufacturing, renewable energies and in general any industry that involves automation and control systems using electro-mechanical systems. All our technicians are well-rounded individuals who have shown working knowledge of system integration and installation,” he said. Mechatronics majors hired by Chevron generally possess three characteristics, Yoxsimar said. Students should learn to self-manage time and equipment while functioning effectively with a team of colleagues that’s accountable for results. “Second, we need people with two-year degrees who are accomplished with communications like reading, writing and speech. The tools include more than a wrench and gauges because technology in this industry has evolved into laptop computers and complex systems. A two-year college degree prepares our trainees to feel comfortable in a class environment and then apply their knowledge,” he said. Finally, there’s mobility because Chevron can move personnel around the globe. Mejia met Chevron recruiters at a TSTC career fair. “I talked to the recruiting team and I was interested in the company immediately. I never would have grasped the caliber of opportunities I was being presented off the bat, but I quickly realized that these friendly people were here for one reason. I wanted to know what I had to do to get a job and the answer was simple: have a good grade point average, never be late or absent, and never hesitate to do more than what is asked of you.” Salazar will start work for Chevron in Fort Stockton on September 10. She said that students brought resumes to a recruitment presentation Chevron made on campus and then company officials interviewed qualified students. “The Mechatronics Technology Program at TSTC gave us modern
equipment to work on and faculty provided us with projects that required critical thinking skills,” she said. Arjona said that he originally enrolled in the Dental Hygiene Program at TSTC, but a friend suggested he should switch to mechatronics. “I evaluated mechatronics again,” he recalled. “I’ve always been interested in fixing things and finding out how things work.” For example, he could use the simulations to test the functions and efficiency of a water tank, an elevator and a tape recorder. He also studied the conversion of renewable or alternative energy such as solar, wind and water into electric power. He said that the program provided routine job applications for motors, relays and components within manufacturing processes. “I was very relieved and excited when Chevron offered me the opportunity because when I began the program I was a little skeptical about workforce demand,” Arjona added. Hernandez said that the MT Advisory Board cooperates with companies to find jobs for graduates. “Realistically, we have placed 90 percent of our students in industry and the remainder has chosen to continue their education,” he said. “The U.S. Department of Labor statistics show that pay rates typical for our entry-level technicians range from $18 per hour to $22 per hour. Recently, our students have been achieving salaries at or beyond the higher end of the pay range because they are willing to travel and they bring multiple skill sets to the workplace.” There are many common traits between graduates from the MT Program and engineering graduates who earn an Associate of Science degree due to the rigor of the coursework, he said. “Our winning point is the immense amount of hands-on skills we give our students. Apart from the traditional lecture and theory,” he added, “we use industrial type equipment to conduct labs and to create working scenarios for our technicians.” Some of the other companies that hire Mechatronics graduates include Shell Exploration & Production, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, American Electric Power, Trico, Festo Corp., TYCO, Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Plastipak, Toshiba and Halliburton. Scholarships are available for qualified students. For more information contact Hernandez at adan.hernandez@tstc.edu or
Mustang Magazine | Fall 2012
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TSTC OPENS NEW RN PROGRAM
Story By: Dave Ralph 22
Mustang Magazine | Fall 2012
exas State Technical College (TSTC) Harlingen opened its new Registered Nursing (RN) Program for Fall Semester 2012 to meet the health-care needs of the medically underserved Rio Grande Valley. “Hospitals, clinics, doctors, and administrators that cooperate with TSTC have an urgent workforce demand for registered nurses. ere is a shortage of medical professionals as the baby boomers age and the needs grow for more health care so this program is a perfect fit for the region and the state. We’ve had such a student demand for the program that we’re going to have to look for ways to expand it,” college President Dr. Cesar Maldonado said. e RN Program gained accreditation from the Texas Board of Nursing (TBN) rounding out the college’s Allied Health Technology Division which already includes Vocational Nursing (VN) and Nurse Assistant (NA) programs. e RN classes began August 27 and the new program represents the highest level of nurse training provided by two-year colleges. “Our RN Program is designed to accommodate the college’s top students within the Allied Health Technology Division including those who spend one year to complete the Vocational Nursing Program. It’s a full RN program covering the full RN curriculum. Everything in this program will put graduates on track toward more success in their nursing career or in pursuing a bachelor’s degree,” RN Chair Rachel L. Wilson said.
An RN designation qualifies nurses to perform initial and discharge assessments for patients. ey generally supervise patient care and delegate work to licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) and certified nurse assistants (CNAs). e initial RN class includes LVNs from TSTC, Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen, South Texas College and the University of Texas at Brownsville. Patty Garza of Lyford and Bruce Ruiz of La Feria returned to campus as RN students; they were among the first VN graduates at TSTC in 2010. “The new RN Program makes my education much more convenient,” said Ruiz, who works at Atrium Nursing & Rehabilitation in Harlingen. “I took the opportunity to get into the VN Program and I love my work. I was excited about applying for admission when I heard TSTC would offer the RN Program.” Garza, formerly an LVN at Su Clinica Familiar in Raymondville, said that placing an RN Program at TSTC is important for local students that otherwise would have difficulties traveling farther to classes. “I see this as a stairway that students and faculty are going to climb together. It’s an honor and a blessing to be part of the first RN cohort. I knew that TSTC would eventually have the RN Program in our community and it’s something to take pride in. It’s a dream come true to take on this challenge,” she said. Moises Cruz of Harlingen is in the Medical Assistant (MA) Program at TSTC. He plans to complete the
“I see this as a stairway that students and faculty are going to climb together.”
MA Program in December before he advances at TSTC to an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree, then the VN Program and finally the RN Program. “I chose this career field because I’ve always been an outgoing person and I like to help people,” he said. “It’s a good feeling when I help a patient feel better. e new RN Program gives me a chance to take advantage of a program here without traveling to Brownsville or Edinburg.” Wilson said that nurses answer a special calling as they devote themselves to training and career responsibilities to serve patients
and their families. “e intensity and rigor of these courses do not compare to two- or three-hour online sessions. e courses are designed for forty-hour weeks and by the end of the program students spend twenty hours per week on clinical experience. We will push our graduates to uphold a high standard of excellence and success.” Graduates will earn an AAS Degree in Nursing (ADN) aer successfully completing six semesters of courses and clinical experiences that include regular training under professional supervision. e program takes
three years of studies and requires 72 credits starting with fundamental academics and finishing with medical courses. Details about prerequisites and admissions procedures for the RN Program at TSTC are available at www.harlingen.tstc.edu/RN. The U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics reported in 2010 that the nation’s RN workforce should grow by 26 percent before 2020. It listed median pay for such jobs at $31.10 per hour for an annual salary of $64,690.
Mustang Magazine | Fall 2012
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TSTC Career Services: Working to Make Sure You Work Every student at TSTC goes through the Career Services Office at one time or another – or at least they should. Career Services Director Susan Holmes and her staff are trying to make that happen. She points out that today, more than ever, graduates need to take advantage of any help they can get in order to be successful in a competitive job market.
Knowing how to prepare is the best survival skill you can acquire. “Because of technology and the economy, it’s a whole new game out there,” said Holmes. She says when students don’t get a job it’s probably because they haven’t done the research or the preparation. “These days you are going to be screened by an HR computer program, not a person. There are rules to the employment game and we can help. Knowing how to prepare is the best survival skill you can acquire.” Part of that preparation is paperwork, including a resume and cover letter. Staff is available to help with writing, interview training and the latest job searching techniques. TSTC boasts an impressive 95 percent job placement rate, but not all our graduates end up in a job they love. Holmes’ advice for getting the right job? Explore and discover. “There are jobs available you never knew existed. Learn to research the market and specific companies,” she said. Career Services doesn’t just help graduates. Current students can get help finding a part-time job, work study job or even a summer internship. A final bit of advice – networking works. In fact, according to Holmes 80 percent of all jobs are filled without any advertising. When it comes to job hunting, the old adage “it’s not what you know but who you know” apparently holds some truth. The Career Services office is located in the Student Center Room 140. To learn more about these free services go online at www.harlingen.tstc.edu/placement.
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Additional Resources
JobStar – This is a website connecting TSTC students and alumni with potential employers. All graduates of TSTC are required to sign up for JobStar.
Helpful links: www.how-to-write-a-resume.org – This site will help you write the perfect resume for the perfect job. User friendly, includes samples and templates. www.resume-builder.net – A resume writing service that provides step-by-step instructions. This site includes articles, tips and tricks of resume writing.
www.payscale.com – Provides accurate, real-time information on salary and benefits.
www.salary.com – Provides accurate and credible salary calculations.
www.glassdoor.com – Provides an inside look at jobs and companies. Employers anonymously post company salaries, reviews and more.
2012 Fall Interview Practicum – Nov. 7 – 8 A chance for TSTC students to practice their interview techniques with actual industry leaders, business owners, job managers and human resources personnel.
TSTC Career Services
Student Center Building, Room 140 956.364.4106 • M – F: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mustang Magazine | Fall 2012
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E V A S H P T P S A U M 6 EVERY STUDENT
rofessors, ct with your p ta n o c t n a st n ail co aMail ] lt ving your e-m A ices. Keep in a v | h e f il d o a s ile M b tie o ili -9 m ib [K on most ur G-mail ate the poss s pre-installed not to use yo ’t underestim n se o o D o . h ts c c d ta G-mail come n n a ounts co ail accounts ur e-mail acc and business -m e yo s, l ll te a ra a e e v v m a se m h a e te u hav il client and all times. If yo parate e-ma se a se available at u to device. can choose in your mobile e account, you c la p d e ifi n ed to your one u can be push d forwarded to n a t n u o c gle Apps ac nt uses a Goo u o c c a il a il client. TC MyM Pro-tip: Your TS fault G-mail app or another e-ma the de phone using changes. Free ] ts eed to make n n e u m yo u if c o C P D r u p price, ice Free | ff a pretty stee en them on yo O p p u n o k n c to a s ra c g n u in a c yo K [ ice suites just coming to iversal, so n if you’re ents are un ac. Most off udget, or eve ne on your M These docum b o a d g e b in o ild ls u a b t, options. is can of these free managemen e ss n e Of course, th o n si y u tr b n r a fo c studying If not, you but if you’re pretty useful. is p p a is th s sic school for ba
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Mustang Magazine | Fall 2012
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Mustang Magazine | Fall 2012
MGT Alumnus Brenda Alaffa in her own
Brenda Alaffa of Harlingen graduated from Rio Grande City High School in 2005. She graduated from the Machining Technology (MGT) Program at TSTC with a Certificate of Completion in Summer Semester 2009. She worked as a computer numerical control (CNC) operator for Tyco Flow Control in Harlingen and recently began work for United Launch Alliance (ULA) in Harlingen. ULA, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing, specializes in spacecra launch products.
words
Q: Why did you choose to major in MGT at TSTC? A: My brother took the MGT Program so I was familiar with it. I was in the Architectural Design and Engineering Graphics Program (formerly Computer Draing & Design Technology or CDDT) and then I took more of my academic basics. I thought it would be a good combination to know how to make blue prints from CDDT and then make the parts in MGT. Q: What aspects of MGT do you find the most interesting? A: I gradually took a greater interest in mechanical work because there are more jobs in manufacturing.
Q: What was your biggest challenge during your college career? A: I moved to Harlingen from Alto Bonito, on the west end of the Rio Grande Valley near Rio Grande City, to be close to TSTC so it was a change to be away from family and friends.
Q: How does your TSTC education apply directly to your ULA work skills? A: My TSTC education familiarized me with tools and measuring equipment in the industry. I am required to understand complex blue prints and follow specific descriptions to meet exact standards for precision.
Q: What are your future career goals? A: I would like to become a CNC operator for Bell Helicopter or Raytheon.
Q: As a woman in a career field traditionally dominated by men, did you receive different treatment in the classroom and in the workplace? A: Being a non-traditional student in technology programs qualifies a student for some assistance such as borrowing textbooks free from the Lending Library provided by the Support Services Office. e non-traditional student designation tends to be an advantage because they receive help from everyone.
Q: What’s your overall impression of your TSTC education? A: TSTC is a good college and all the technology programs are good because they help graduates find jobs. It’s like that in all the departments. e companies come to TSTC and recruit students who will become their employees.
Mustang Magazine | Fall 2012
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? Y A S O T G N I H GOT SOMET
Submit your stories and photos to mustangmagazine@tstc.edu for a chance to win prizes!
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By: Specialist Jose A. Muniz Jr., Texas Army National Guard
Brotherhood 32
Mustang Magazine | Fall 2012
Mustang Magazine Contest Winner Fall 2012 I board that plane and I feel strange I know no one on my le or right is plane ride will forever change my state of mind and my life, I cry on the inside cause I leave loved ones behind Very few know of my childhood and what I had to endure for almost fieen years....Only God knows why is is just the beginning where I lay my foundation for life To achieve great things and to fall hard and learn from mistakes and wrong roads taken in life Little do I know the guys on my le and right will not only be friends but brothers for life As they get ready for mission, I sit and wonder how it would feel to be in their position Black Hawks shake the walls of my room and my imagination begins to race I selfishly and silently pray that the soldier death comes to take is someone other than a friend I just made You have your football fans and your music junkies We make fun of the Falcons and the Cowboys I laugh until I cry because some crazy white guy sings Siggno better than I But this is a brotherhood that will never die We stand by each other whether we admit to others or not e love of a brotherhood is what we got We made it home safe and sound A love for brothers is what was found
Mustang Magazine | Fall 2012
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Santa Rosa
Don始t miss class. Take the bus!
77
Primera
WILCOX
107 44
Harlingen PRIMERA
BUS
STUART PLACE
BASS
Check out the new Route 45 Cameron Career Connection. It travels from Brownsville and Los Fresnos to Harlingen. For more information, call 800.574.8322 or visit www.lrgvdc.org/valleymetro . 803
499
WILSON
WHITE RANCH
507
77
41 42
San Benito
US TO N
H
HO
2893
PA S
2480
43 MIL ITAR YH
509
1421
803
281
Cost to Student: $.75 per ride Cost to Adults: $1.50 per ride
Los Fresnos
100
732
Los Indios
WY
43
Rancho Viejo
511
1732 83 77
43
*Riders should pay exact amount
MIL
Brochures are available in the Student Government Office in the Student Center. A large bus route map is located in the Housing Office on campus.
3248
ITA RY HW Y
43
40
Route 44 - La Feria/Santa Rosa/Primera
Route 40 - Harlingen Medical Monday - Friday: 6:30 a.m. - 6:20 p.m.
44
42 34
Route 41 - Harlingen Retail Monday - Saturday: 6:30 a.m. - 6:20 p.m.
Monday - Friday: 6:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Lunes - Viernes: 6:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Lunes - Viernes : 6:30 a.m. - 6:20 p.m.
41
M, W, F: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. L, M, V : 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Lunes - Sabado : 6 a.m. - 8 p.m.
50
Route 50 - Brownsville-Port Isabel Monday - Saturday: 6 a.m. 8:00 p.m.
Lunes - Sabado: 6:30 a.m. - 6:20 p.m.
Lunes - Sabado: 6 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Route 42 - San Benito-Harlingen
Cameron Career Connection
Monday - Friday: 6:35 a.m. - 5:10 p.m.
Monday - Friday: 6:15 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Lunes - Viernes: 6:35 a.m. - 5:10 p.m.
Lunes - Viernes: 6:15 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Mustang Magazine | Fall 2012
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48
B
METRO
BOCA CHICA
50 YM
L
Monday-Saturday: 6 a.m. - 8 p.m.
802
BIL
Route 43 - San Benito-Brownsville
Route 31 - Business 83
Brownsville
281
For bus route maps, bus stop schedules and more: www.lrgvdc.org/valleymetro | riotransitcenter@yahoo.com www.facebook.com/ValleyMet | 800.574.8322
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3069
ITCHELL
INDIANA
RE
Bayview
TU RN ER
2520
EO
1847
510
42
509
Rangerville
506
MS
LO C
77
IA ILL W
SA M
BUS
PAREDES LIN E
RA NG E
40
AL
3067
RV ILL E
La Feria
1561
40
MC CU L
44
41
AR EY
83
31
ED C
BUS
DIXIELAND
44
NEXT ISSUE in the
Spring Break
Horror Stories A TSTC Confidential
Shopping on a
BUDGET A visit to consignment & secondhand stores
Job-Hunt Makeover
Finding the right fit for the job
TSTC Parents Ni単os Headstart on campus and other child care options for TSTC students
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