TSTC hosts TechXperience for area high school students

(HUTTO, Texas) – Texas State Technical College in East Williamson County held its TechXperience open house event on Thursday, March 7.

More than 400 area high school students gathered to learn about TSTC’s technical programs. Students sampled cheesecake cookies prepared by Culinary Arts students and learned how computer numerical control machines operate in the Precision Machining Technology program. 

“The event was super successful, and we had a good turnout to show off our programs,” said Stuart Van Orden, a campus enrollment lead for TSTC’s East Williamson County and New Braunfels locations. “The students looked happy. We received a good many applications today.”

Joel Velasco, an AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) teacher at Manor Early College High School, brought four students to the event. AVID prepares students who will be the first in their families to attend college. 

“With the tech industry in the Austin area, there are careers you can do with certificates,” Velasco said. “We want the students to find out what makes them happy and how to make a living.”

Kevin Miller, a counselor at Vista Ridge High School in Cedar Park, said more than 30 juniors and seniors from that school attended the event. He said he liked learning about the HVAC Technology and Welding Technology programs. 

“We want them just to see some of the many options open to them after graduation,” he said.

Edwin Villalpando, a senior at Vista Ridge High School, said the open house made him think more about HVAC Technology as a career path for after he graduates this spring. 

“I like the instructors and how they will help you learn,” he said. “I like how they can help you find a job and how much the field pays.”

Villalpando said he was grateful to his high school for giving him and his classmates out-of-the-classroom experiences to help determine their futures. 

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