BROWNSVILLE, Texas — 51���� (TSC) is moving forward with plans to expand its campus footprint to South Padre Island with the development of a new Workforce Training Center designed to meet the growing labor demands of Cameron County and the greater Rio Grande Valley.

Chairwoman Adela Garza, Trustee Edward Camarillo, and TSC President Jesus Roberto Rodriguez recently returned from the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) conference in Washington, D.C., where they connected with Senator John Cornyn as well as met with Congressman Vicente Gonzalez to discuss federal priorities affecting community colleges. During the meeting, the Congressman encouraged college leadership to submit a $1 million proposal to support the transformation of a South Padre Island facility into an operational Workforce Training Center.

“The proposed site, located adjacent to the U.S. Coast Guard station on South Padre Island, will be developed as the second TSC Workforce Training Center in Cameron County,” said Chairwoman Garza. “Being an active member of the ACCT and the Hispanic Caucus Committee allows us to bring a voice to the educational and training needs in our community. This is a significant step toward creating a path for additional careers in the Rio Grande Valley.”

According to TSC leadership, the expansion comes at a critical time. Rapid industry growth across Cameron County is creating workforce shortages in high-demand fields.

“In recent years, with the rapid expansion of industries in Cameron County, there has been a need for more workforce training,” said President Rodriguez. “Right now, jobs such as pipefitting, welding and a variety of jobs in the healthcare industry are in great demand, and we are in a good position to bring in students, train them quickly, and help them with a job upon completion of their training”.

The Association of Community College Trustees hosts one of the most significant professional development events for community college leaders nationwide. The conference provides legislative updates, strategic sessions addressing workforce development, student success initiatives, economic mobility, and regional industry partnerships.

“If approved, the TSC South Padre Island Workforce Training Center would expand access to industry-aligned training programs while strengthening TSC’s role as a workforce engine for the Rio Grande Valley,” said Trustee Camarillo.

51����, December 5 – Every year, 51���� proudly watches as several students finish up their educational tenures. Many of them are preparing to move on to the next stage of their lives, often in the form of a new career pathway.
But behind every student’s graduation is a story, and although every student comes from a different background, they all share one commonality—the many sources of motivation that pushed them to enroll, study, and succeed.
Students from TSC’s Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Patient Care Technician (PCT) programs, in conjunction with the Brownsville Independent School District Adult Continuing Education department, were recently honored with a traditional pinning ceremony. Each student was given the opportunity to share words of reflection on their experiences with 51���� and appreciation for the ones who inspired them along their journeys:

First, I am thankful for my husband and kids for giving me the motivation I needed to go back to school for my GED. It is something I have put off for so long and seeing them proud of me is the best feeling – I want to continue making you guys proud of me. I would also like to let my classmates know I appreciate them for being on this same journey with me and being that extra help when one of us didn’t get something. Lastly, I want to thank my teachers: Mrs. Gonzalez for being patient but also pushing me to learn and believe in myself to know I can get my GED and keep moving up; Mrs. Garcia, thank you for being an awesome CNA instructor, your experience and wisdom is greatly appreciated.

Kiara Prado

I’m thankful for my grandmother, Lala, for always pushing me to do better. She’s always encouraged me to never give up and to be who I am or where I want to be. Even my fiancé Ray has been there for me through my ups and downs, no matter what life throws at me. My best friend Angie, who knows the side of me that others don’t, has been so patient with me and helped me with my CNA homework when I struggled. To Mrs. Garcia, the best teacher I’ve encountered, dhe has made a huge impact in my life on how to be professionals and to pick my battles. She made me felt heard and included. She never let me felt alone and always ensured me that I’m safe. Lastly, I’m thankful for my mother for believing in me. I can proudly say I’ll be the first daughter in the family to graduate with my GED and take the CNA exam in 2025. This isn’t the end of my journey, just the beginning to my future. Thank you all!

Melissa Briones

Today, I feel proud of myself for the person that I’m becoming and for the decisions I’m making in my life. It hasn’t been easy, but I finally accomplished one of my goals. I want to thank all of my teachers for believing, motivating, and helping me to be a better version of myself. Thanks to my classmates for all of the good moments, our friendships, and for being a part of my life. Lastly, I want to thank my parents for everything they’ve done for me, for never giving up on me, and taking care of my baby while I attended school.

Kayla Olvera

I am incredibly grateful for the support and encouragement from my peers and teacher as I embarked on this program. Their dedication and guidance have helped me stay focused and motivated. Most importantly, my daughter Dayana serves as my greatest inspiration, driving me to achieve my best and set a positive example for her future. I know this is a great stepping stone to achieve more. Thank you all for being such an essential part of this journey.

Isela Gonzalez

Thank you, God, for giving me an awesome set of parents and my siblings for supporting me on this medical journey. I am also thankful for my classmates and my instructor, Mr.Simon, who helped me achieve my goals.

Adriana Canales

Mr. Simon nos enseno no solo a cuidar la vida de los pacientes, sino también a disfrutaría y valorarla…

Mr. Michael Simon R.N., thank you for being an excellent instructor who encourages your students to continue in this field of nursing and for believing in me that, in the future, I will be a pediatric nurse. You may not know it, but I hope one day to be a great nurse like you. All my respect and appreciation towards you.

Quiero agradecer a todos los que estuvieron ahí papa apoyarme:

En especial a mama y papa, gracias por todas sus palabras de motivación día tras día y gran sacrificio que continue estudiando en Estados Unidos.

Prima Brianda, gracias por tu ayuda que me brindaste al guiarme a inscribirme en este maravilloso programa

Abuela Arabella a ti te debo toda el agradecimiento, desde que tengo uso de razon tu me ensenaste a mi corta edad 5 anos a inyectar (recuerdo que me hacias practicar con una naranja para después inyectarte a ti cuando te enfermabas de la gripa) y ahora en la actualidad que no puedes mover tu brazo en ocasiones te ayudo a bañarte…gracias por ensenarme y dejarte ayudar, gracias a ti descrubri que enfermeria es mi vocación.

Melissa Velasquez

During my journey towards my success, I am most thankful for having my small village of support. They were the ones who were always by my side, putting up with my mood swings during these stressing moments. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day and helping me reach my goals. To my babies, my mom, my best friend, Mrs. Gonzalez and Mrs. Garcia. Thank you for always believing in me. To my grandpa in heaven I did this one for you. To my fellow classmates, we did it!

Chelssy Elias

Thank you BISD for this opportunity to help me work on my GED and CNA certification. I am very thankful for having beautiful people in my life that are full of joy, strength, and passion. Thank you to Ms. Rosie Gonzalez for believing in me, more than I even believed in myself! Thank you for helping me turn my life around. May God Bless you always.

Today, I also want to thank myself because I have pushed myself instead of staying depressed. I will continue to work hard, pay my bills, and prove to myself that I can and will make a change in my life. Thanks to my classmates, as I have found support in them. Once again, being alone is not a bad thing – it IS my motivation.

Elexa Acuna

I just want to say how grateful I am for my classmates and teachers. My classmates make every day more fun with their energy and support. Whether we’re studying as a group or in pairs, they have been very helpful. I also want to thank my teachers who have helped me with anything I’ve needed and have sacrificed their time to help me. My mother has also been a big support. She is the one who pushed me this far, and without her, I definitely would not be where I am, and for that, she is the one I’m most thankful for.

Stephanie Martinez Peralta

Buenas tardes mi nombre es Stephanie y hoy estoy muy agradecida con mis padres y mis tíos por ayudarme hacer este nuevo logro en mi vida and thank you Mr.Simon and Ms. Dulce for all your support in this course.

Valeria Estrada

Quiero empezar dando gracias a mi familia, la cual siempre me ha apoyado en mis anhelos y sueños. Especialmente cuando tuve muchas dudas al respecto, nunca dejaron de echarme porras. No tengo más que decir que gracias por estar aqui conmigo; los agradezco mucho.

Christopher Escobar

Gracias a mis papas por su esfuerzo todos los días al ayudarme en lo que necesitaba para el día a día. Gracias a mi hermana por ser una fuente de inspiración y motivación para seguir adelante. Thank you to my girlfriend for pushing me to keep on onwards and for the moral support when things weren’t the brightest. Thank you to everyone for making each day a bit better every day. I’ll carry on the memories of our days together as time goes on.

For those who are expecting a new addition to their family soon, students from 51����’s Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) program are offering free ultrasound to eligible patients from now until mid-November.

The ultrasound scans occur every Tuesday at 10 AM at the Diagnostic Medical Sonography lab at TSC’s International Technology, Education, and Commerce (ITEC) Center at 301 Mexico Blvd, Brownsville, TX 78520.

Patients must be at least 18 years old and currently have a physician. Eligible patients must first make an appointment with the lab, during which basic information will be gathered.

Once scheduled for their scan, they will be given instructions and expect a reminder phone call the day before their appointment. Patients are encouraged to bring a USB storage drive if they would like to take home digital keepsakes of the images obtained during their ultrasound procedure.

The free ultrasound program is a great way for sonography students to practice the skills they are actively learning and will use in their future careers. Each procedure is overseen by Dr. Ariel Villanueva, the Director of TSC’s DMS program, who lends the benefit of his experience to help guide the students as they practice.

It allows the patients to have a free scan, see images of their child, learn the child’s gender, and take home images to share with friends and loved ones.

The final day to receive a free ultrasound for the Fall semester will be Tuesday, November 19, 2024. If you or someone you know is interested, please get in touch with Janet Hernandez at janet.hernandez@tsc.edu or at 956-295-3731 to schedule an appointment.

As Women’s History Month continues, we celebrate these students in our Workforce Training programs who are constructing and refining their futures. We are confident they will look back at their own history one day and be very pleased with the life they have built.

AG&P Global is one of many companies looking to put Scorpions to work

51���� is building future skilled workers while also building strong relationships with companies and industry partners looking for qualified workers.

Americas, an industry giant, expressed the need for more craftsmen and women and more institutions like TSC to replenish the workforce.

“51���� has a state-of-the-art facility for their apprenticeship-type program,” Hulet said. “The first thing that comes to mind is the benefit of having a relationship with TSC is they get a younger generation interested in a technical skill such as welding, pipefitting, and structural fitting.”

There is no secret that there is a need for skilled workers across all fields. According to the National Electrical Contractors Association, 7,000 electricians join the field every year, but 10,000 retire, creating a skilled workforce shortage. Hulet echoed the need for certified tradespeople.

“Our industry is suffering from shortages of these types of skilled resources,” he said. “The more people that we can get into that program is not only going to benefit AG&P; it’s also going to benefit the industry.”

Another group that will benefit are the graduating students who exit 51���� with an unbelievably valuable skill that will help them earn an excellent living wage in today’s economy.

“Employers are actively recruiting our graduates,” said Associate Vice President of Instruction for Workforce Training and Continuing Education, Dr. Joseph Fleishman. “Our most recent group of 42 welding students had three separate employers offer them jobs.�� It was amazing, our students had three career opportunities to choose from a week before they even graduated. Employers around the state are currently scheduling dates to come to ITECC to recruit our students.”

Hulet reiterated the close ties between TSC and AG&P which leads to more Scorpion success stories.

“We have a very good relationship with Dr. Fleishman and his team,” Hulet said. “51���� has some great training facilities. We always feel welcomed when we go down there. We feel like we are true partners.”

Dr. Fleishman talked about how proud he is to see the programs and offerings at TSC expand and evolve.

“I’m thrilled for the college to have the resources that we have today. We would never be where we are today if not for the vision and leadership of our Board of Trustees.” Dr. Fleishman said. “None of this existed five years ago. To walk into a 20,000 sq foot area and see rigging, commercial roofing, insulation, pipefitting, plumbing, diesel mechanics, and orbital tube welding shows the Board of Trustees’ commitment to serving the workforce needs of our community.

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51���� will offer a new course in its Workforce Training and Continuing Education division this Spring.����

Students interested in a career in Diesel Mechanics will be able to register now and start the next stage of their careers in January.����

“We’re training diesel mechanics and creating Level 1 technicians,” TSC Director of Construction and Manufacturing Thomas Tynan said. “It’s the starting point for diesel mechanics. We are going to accept individuals that know nothing about motors as well as people who know about gasoline-powered motors. If you’re a mechanic and don’t know diesel, this would be a great place to learn the ins and outs.”����

Classes will prepare students for multiple sectors.
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“Students will learn on three types of equipment; agriculture, industrial and automotive,” Tynan said. “Students will be able to work on vehicles used on farms, by industry, and the general automotive sectors. All of these sectors are prominent in the Rio Grande Valley.”��

The course will also position students to get hired quickly.����

“Diesel mechanics are in great demand…whether it’s a school district or the city that needs a diesel mechanic for its bus lines, that’s just on the transit side of things,” Tynan said. “As we know with the supply chain, diesel trucks are moving everything. There are also diesel locomotives as well as agriculture where the farm equipment is diesel-powered. Diesel is here to stay for a long, long time.”��

TSC’s investment in the right equipment for students to work on will go a long way to ensuring those enrolled will have an opportunity to work on different engines they might service in their careers.����

“One of the most important things we’re going to be covering is diagnostics,” Tynan said. “We have some tier 4 motors in some of our vehicles. These are the newest and most efficient ones on the market with the least carbon footprint. They need advanced diagnostics just like cars, so we have $60,000 in hardware and software that we’re going to be using to teach the students how to diagnose a problem. It’s easier to fix once you know what is wrong.”����

Future Diesel Mechanic students will have plenty of support along the way. Associate Vice President of Instruction Workforce Training and Continuing Education Dr. Joesph Fleishman explained that scholarships are available to students in need of financial assistance.��

“Scholarships will be available to students interested in enrolling in the Diesel Mechanic program,” Dr. Fleishman said. “Scholarships will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis so don’t wait. Classes are small to accommodate teaching a vast number of hands-on skills.”������

Students can learn more information during the next WTCE Information Session on Wednesday, Nov. 2nd�� from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the ITECC building. now for the Information Session����