(WACO, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus recently recognized 11 distinguished alumni with TSTC Trailblazer Awards.
A lengthy nomination and interview process was held to select TSTC graduates who exemplify the college’s core values of excellence, accountability, service and integrity. The awards are being given this year as part of the college’s 60th anniversary celebration. The 11 alumni were recognized in late August at TSTC’s Summer 2025 Commencement in Waco.
“Honoring our alumni for the first time in our history will be one of the highlights of my career,” said Beth Wooten, provost of TSTC’s Waco campus. “The alumni that have been selected have made a tremendous impact in each of their fields. It has created an incredible opportunity to not only showcase our legacy, but also connect the past with our present and inspire current students today.”
Honorees included Seth Decker, Dustin Uptmore and Ron Widup.
Decker, of Red Lodge, Montana, is a graduate of TSTC’s Computer Maintenance Technology program. He said he chose to pursue the technology field because he was fascinated by advancements in computers and the internet, along with penetration testing and security. He cited the skills he learned at TSTC as giving him the work ethic he has today.
Decker is technology chief at Bank of Bridger, which has locations in Montana and Wyoming.
Uptmore, of China Spring, is a graduate of TSTC’s HVAC Technology program.
“I like the hands-on instruction,” he said. “The instructors are willing to help. They are engaged and make you feel like you are part of something.”
Uptmore has spent his career at Capstone Mechanical in Waco. He said the company has hired many TSTC alumni through the years from the Diesel Equipment, HVAC, Instrumentation Technology, and Plumbing and Pipefitting programs.
Widup, of Arlington, graduated in the early 1980s from TSTC’s Electrical Power Technology program. He is also chair of TSTC’s Board of Regents and is a senior advisor of technical services and vice chairman of the board at Shermco Industries.
“I started out as a field service technician, worked my way up to manager and then vice president and president, and eventually as CEO,” Widup said. “The only thing I did was I just went to work every day, tried to make it a little bit better, and tried to do things that people didn’t ask me to do. It’s all about mindset, and it is that mindset that will move you forward.”
Other TSTC alumni recognized at the Waco commencement include the following.
— Pat Beisert, of The Colony, graduated from the Electrical Systems Technology program in the late 1980s. He is the founder, president and chief executive officer of Vector Power LLC in Brazoria County.
— Kacey Dixon, of Fort Worth, is a graduate of the Aviation Maintenance program. She is a systems architecture engineering manager for Combat Systems at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.
— Danny Emmanuel, of Orlando, Florida, used a full-ride scholarship provided by the HOVENSA Oil Refinery to pursue an associate degree in Instrumentation Technology at TSTC. He is a project manager at SCS Engineers.
— Heather Hebert, of Lufkin, is a graduate of the Biomedical Equipment Technology program. She is a clinical engineering region director for CommonSpirit Health’s south region.
— Keith Lindsey, of Troup, graduated in the early 1980s from the Drafting and Design program. He is a founder of True West Services, a product development consulting firm.
— Chad Martin, of Robinson, is a graduate of the Computer Programming Technology program. He is vice president of product engineering – integrated technologies at Neighborly in Waco.
— Michael Nelson, of Avon, Ohio, graduated from the Air Traffic Control program and is a certified professional controller with the Federal Aviation Administration.
— Mike Sedillo, of Highland Village, studied in the Laser Electro-Optics program and is a business operations leader at Intuit.
Twenty TSTC alumni will be honored statewide this year as part of the summer and fall graduation ceremonies.
For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.