(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Nineteen students representing Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus won gold medals at the recent 2026 SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary Leadership and Skills Conference in Corpus Christi.
The medalists were:
– Aviation Maintenance Technology – Victor Garza, of Weslaco, Ariadna Lona, of Alton, and Roberto Soto-Medellin, of Harlingen.
– Cabinetmaking – Humberto Martinez, of Brownsville.
– Commercial sUAS Drone – Larry Muniz, of Brownsville, Kevin Gomez, of Weslaco.
– Dental Assisting – Dominique Vera, of Roma.
– Early Childhood Education – Aaliyah Duran, of Harlingen.
– Emergency Medical Technician – Joseph Amaro, of San Benito, and Liana Rios, of Rio Grande City.
– Engineering Design Technology – America Banuelos, of Brownsville, Pedro Melchor, of Harlingen, and Alexis Rocha, of Los Fresnos.
– Job Interview – Amber Gonzalez, of Brownsville.
– Plumbing – Jesus Padron, of Edinburg.
– Principles of Engineering Technology – Hailey Harris, of San Antonio.
– Robotics – Urban Search and Rescue – Emile Cavazos and Eric Muniz, both of Donna.
– Sheet Metal – Brian Sosa, of Edinburg, in Sheet Metal.
By winning gold, the students have advanced to the national SkillsUSA competition, scheduled for June 1-5 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Garza said he was proud to represent TSTC.
“It felt great to win a gold medal,” he said. “I want to do what I can by providing a spotlight for the aviation maintenance program.”
Amaro said he and his teammate, Rios, relied on their real-world training to navigate their medical scenario.
“Thanks to what we have experienced during clinicals, we determined a successful treatment plan for our scenario,” he said.
Banuelos said the win was an exhilarating victory of her team’s efforts.
“Our design was a localized temperature monitor that is intended to help various industries such as medical, residential, and industrial when it comes to personal safety and commercial equipment in areas that have centralized air conditioning systems,” she said.
Harlingen students also captured 15 silver medals and 16 bronze medals.
SkillsUSA is a professional organization focused on employability, leadership and technical skills that help college students pursue successful careers and be part of a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA has more than 100 specific contests at the state and national events in which students can compete, from 3D Visualization and Animation to Welding Sculpture.
Registration for the summer and fall semesters is now underway at TSTC. For more information, visit TSTC.edu.