New students ready to embrace college at TSTC’s Harlingen campus

(HARLINGEN, Texas) - As the first day of Texas State Technical College's fall semester inched closer, new students at the Harlingen campus were welcomed by TSTC's team on move-in day to settle into their dorm rooms. Classes started on Sept. 3.

Among the new students were Alma Campos, Brian Charlson and Ulysses Melendez. Each student shared why they chose to study at TSTC.

Campos, of Laredo, is pursuing an Associate of Applied Science degree in Dental Hygiene. She said a positive experience that she had as a teenager with a team of dental professionals motivated her to give back.

"The dentist and the team were very compassionate when I was about to have a teeth cleaning," she said. "Last year I studied dental assisting at a college in my hometown. I told my former instructor that I wanted to be a dental hygienist. She suggested that I research the Dental Hygiene program at TSTC. I visited with the instructors and saw the program's facility. I'm excited to start learning."

Charlson, of Seguin, is pursuing a certificate of completion in Wind Energy Technician. He chose to study a career field that he was unfamiliar with.

"I wanted to try something new," he said. "Some friends from my former high school are now doing this job. I researched wind energy schools online, and that's how I found TSTC."

Melendez, of Edinburg, is pursuing an Associate of Applied Science degree in Electrical Lineworker and Management Technology. He learned that the program offers an incentive.

"The Electrical Lineworker program offers a course to earn a commercial driver's license," he said. "Part of the job is to know how to drive a truck. That's one of many areas in the program that I'm interested in."

Yvette Garza-Garcia, who is TSTC's student housing director in Harlingen, said the fall semester is an exciting time for new students as well as for her team.

"The fall semester is the busiest time for us with students that are living on campus," she said. "We get to create new experiences and events for them. A suggestion for students is to immerse themselves in the college experience. They should try to live in the dorms, eat at the cafeteria in the Student Center, visit the game room and get involved on campus."

For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

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