(RED OAK, Texas) – Alisha King, a college pathways and enrichment advisor for Texas State Technical College, said the school’s dual enrollment program has created new opportunities for high schoolers across North Texas.
“From earning high school and college credit simultaneously to discovering their passions early and creating generational change, the benefits are clear,” she said. “Our dual credit program has continued to grow — now partnering with 13 high schools and 8 homeschools and serving more than 240 students as of fall 2025.”
High school students Marshall Amos, Matthew Grant and Rudy Salas are among those in the program.
Amos, who is homeschooled in Midlothian, chose TSTC’s Electrical Power and Controls program when his father told him it was a lucrative career field. He said the program is very similar to the work he is pursuing and he enjoys tinkering with tools he has never used before.
“I wanted to get a head start because I want to go for a master’s (degree),” Amos said. “It’s not hard to get into the classes here because it’s very straightforward. There’s not really a reason you should even be failing because they give you so many options and opportunities to learn.”
Grant gained hands-on experience in automotive maintenance at Waxahachie High School and by working on cars and trucks with his dad, which led him to join TSTC’s Diesel Equipment program in his junior year. He said the dual enrollment program is perfect for students who are interested in exploring a career path before deciding on their next step in life.
“It’s one of those things where you get to find out if you like it before you go and spend money on school,” Grant said.
Salas, a senior at Red Oak High School, already qualifies for a certificate of completion in Drafting and Design, having studied at TSTC since his freshman year. He said he wants to work his way up to a bachelor’s degree and one day become a civil engineer.
“The most rewarding part is being able to be further ahead than others and getting to start earlier,” Salas said. “Hopefully other high school students take advantage of the dual enrollment program instead of waiting.”
For more information on TSTC’s college pathways and enrichment program, go to tstc.edu/dual-enrollment.
For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.
