Students and faculty express gratitude for their TSTC experiences

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – During this season of Thanksgiving, students, faculty and staff at Texas State Technical College are feeling gratitude for the experiences they have had.

“TSTC opens up a world of opportunity for me,” said James O’Day, a student in the Electrical Power and Controls program. A fourth-semester student, O’Day already has a job lined up at Texas Instruments in Dallas when he graduates.

The faculty and staff are also feeling gratitude. Justice Johnson, a counselor in the Counseling and Mental Health Services department at the Fort Bend County campus, finds joy in being able to help students handle tough situations and find ways to move forward. She described her role as being “here to help students and help them find things they’re grateful for.”

TSTC was able to help students even further by providing either gift cards or meal kits to those in need. Larissa Moreno, the Advocacy and Resource Center representative at the Fort Bend County campus, said ARC has been providing meal kits to students across the state for three years now. 

“It’s our hope that they enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with a warm meal,” she said.

A total of nine students benefited from the meal program at the campus this year. As they came to pick up their meals, they had the opportunity to fill out a thank-you card. Here are some of the responses:

“Thank you so much for all the things you have done and for the things you shared. I’m truly grateful and thankful for the donation.”

“This time of year can be stressful. Thank you for your donation and what you do for this student body!”

“Thank you so much! I would have had to skip out on feeding and feasting with my family this year. But thanks to you, we can actually celebrate for the first time in years! I am super grateful for the gift and hope you enjoy yours to the fullest.”

Faculty and staff also celebrated the season through a luncheon. It was a time for expressing gratitude, getting to know each other and eating delicious food. Bryan Bowling, provost for the Fort Bend County campus, expressed his heartfelt thanks to the faculty and staff for all they do for the students and TSTC. 

TSTC continues to make a positive impact on the lives of faculty, students and Texans at large. 

Moreno stated, “Oftentimes we see our students on campus, studying or practicing their skills, but we don’t often get an insight of what situations they are in.” 

For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.