Not only is the video crystal clear, recorded by television-studio-quality cameras. But your professors can demonstrate science experiments up close and in high definition. And, they can solve math problems in real-time, writing on a white board while facing the camera as easy-to-follow notes appear on your screen.

It’s not science fiction. It’s South Texas College’s new high-tech recording studio –turning online lectures into an interactive experience that feels almost like sitting in a classroom.

“The student has the same, or, in some cases, even better visuals than they would in a face-to-face course,” explains Biology Instructor Dr. Maria Cervantes.

An 11-year South Texas College vet, Cervantes is known for helping biology faculty land the competitive SEA PHAGE research grant in 2019. While conducting real research on beating antibiotic-resistant bacteria, STC students discovered a phage with unique DNA, and their work is being featured by two scientific journals.

The professor’s dream for a recording studio started as far back as 2017 when she became chair of the Biology department. Cervantes uses the board a lot when she teaches and is committed to hands-on learning and classroom connection — especially in her virtual sections.

“So much research shows that students do much, much better in a course where they can see the instructor,” says Cervantes, who believes that a fuzzy head floating over a PowerPoint presentation is just not enough.

Enter STC’s brand-new “Jag Studio,” a state-of-the-art recording facility located on the Pecan campus. The studio opened last November after years of researching, planning and building, employing high-tech equipment to maximize online learning interaction across all disciplines.

“When you see it in action, it’s hard to believe,” says Dr. Rachel Sale, Dean of Distance Learning. The studio can fit about five people inside with social distancing, and its two large, high-definition screens allow instructors to see both their notes and the participants’ view simultaneously. With star-quality lighting in the modern, distraction-free studio, the end product is both powerful and professional.

According to the dean, “The cameras are all 4K, like you would expect in a regular television studio.”

Jag Studio gives instructors a secure, private area to record their lessons. It’s designed to be easily sanitized between uses and contains a completely ADA-compliant podium so that professors can stand, sit, or have a wheelchair accommodated.

There’s also an employee at hand in the nearby Distance Learning office to help instructors set up and record. It’s touches like these that Cervantes says makes the studio exceptionally user-friendly: “They basically press a button, the camera and everything turn on, and it’s ready to go.”

The instructor feels humbled that the idea came to life through the hard work of so many. Fundamental to the project’s vision and creation were Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Anahid Petrosian, Interim President Dr. Plummer, and Director of Educational Technologies Dr. Marie Evans. The Educational Technology department provided funding and took care of equipment specs and studio installation. Now supported by Dr. Sale and the Distance Learning department, Jag Studio is a celebration of innovative collaboration.

“It is a true testament of how much all these different departments want to work together to build something that is going to be helpful for the students,” beams Cervantes.

And the best part of all? Location, location, location.

The studio is right in the middle of campus, which Cervantes believes will encourage broader engagement: “It opens up to the idea that it’s available to all faculty.”

So far, about 25 instructors across disciplines have employed the studio to create course lectures, with many more in line for the Spring semester. Meanwhile, the College itself has used the studio to produce professional conference presentations and is currently developing open educational resource videos. From high-quality production to transcription and ADA services, the studio will allow the school to create top-of-the-line learning resources at no cost to students.

Once the ball gets rolling with recordings, students will be invited to participate in a survey to give feedback on virtual classroom interaction, including ideas on how the school can improve. In the future, students may also be able to access the studio themselves to film class presentations, panels and even debates. And that’s only the beginning.

“It’s not just about teaching, but reaching out to our community as well,” says Cervantes. Community collaborations include a Saturday morning children’s program with Pharr Library. Using adorable puppets, STC faculty will produce segments to showcase STEM opportunities to young learners.

“There’s a lot of potential with the studio,” says the professor. “It’s just a matter of using our creativity and initiative to put some of these ideas into motion.”

In the coming semester, Cervantes will be a part of Distance Learning’s workshops to train faculty to use the equipment. And once the studio gets going, the professor knows that interest will take off. Case in point: as part of their research for the project, Cervantes and the team visited Texas A&M University, which recently created a recording space of its own.

“When they started the studio, they had about 50 faculty use it,” recalls Cervantes. “By the end of their first year, after word got out... they had over 1,200 people sign up!”

The professor is awed that the dream to help online learners has been championed by so many colleagues. She confides that the studio has turned out even better than her initial idea, thanks to the College’s unbeatable teamwork.

“It took the specialties and the funding capabilities of several different departments for this to happen,” says Sale. “It’s just another example of what STC is known for… [and] why we were able to adapt with COVID. Everybody works together.”

Plus, the timing for Jag Studio’s first full semester couldn’t be more perfect.

According to Cervantes, “Now, because of the pandemic and having most of our courses online, this tool is coming to play right at a time when we need it most.”

Yanely started her education at South Texas College in fall 2019. She is currently pursuing a degree in Biology with the hopes of one day entering a career as a Physician Assistant (PA).

STC provided her with a dual enrollment program that helped her get a head start on a college education while still enrolled as a student at Roma High School, Yanely said.

“Because of this, the beginning my college experience was a smooth transition into higher education,” she said. “Approaching college with organizational skills is what helps me maintain order. Becoming a PA has been a goal of mine for years now, and keeping that final goal in mind is what keeps me going every day.”

The Associate of Science Degree with a field of study in Biology offers students the opportunity for many exciting career opportunities available in the biological sciences. Most of the career areas listed require training beyond the Associate of Science degree, and some will require a post-graduate degree, and include careers in Agriculture, Dentistry, Health Sciences, Medicine, and many more.

As a student at STC, Yanely says she has stayed active while employed as a direct wage employee with Student Activities, as well as an officer with Student Government Association (SGA). She is also a recent graduate with the Student Leadership Academy.

“My peers should keep in mind that perseverance will help them succeed, as well has help them focus on their ultimate goal in life to improve persistence,” Yanely said. “New college students should have self-discipline because as we grow older, and more independence is given, self-motivation is required to get things done. Prioritization is also a very mature skill that is needed for college, and life in general.”

Lorna is currently pursuing an Associate of Applied Science Cybersecurity Specialist. Initially entering STC as a dual-enrollment student while attending Valley View High School, Lorna began at STC after graduation in 2019.

Harboring a lifelong fascination with art, Lorna said she began college with the hopes of one day entering a career as a graphic designer. As she took her classes at STC and began to research the job market however she became drawn to careers in IT, she said.

“STC was the ideal place to start. Not only was it financial beneficial, but the college also had professors and deans who truly wanted me to succeed,” Lorna said. “I started in high school and was happy to find teachers who were compassionate and caring when I first started a few of my basic classes.

“In addition, STC helped me grow as a person by helping me start reaching out and seeing the different career plans I could be taking due to the advice of thoughtful professors,” Lorna said. “In addition, becoming a Cybersecurity Specialist seemed ideal for my personality due to always wanting to solve problems and help those around me if I can, so I began the process of enrolling from there.”

The Cybersecurity Specialist Associate of Applied Science and Certificate degrees are designed for students interested in entering the field of cybersecurity technologies.

The degree prepares students to learn practices that are designed to protect networks, computers, programs and data from attack, damage, or unauthorized access. Cybersecurity Specialists at STC are trained in computer security, installing security software, network monitoring for security breaches, and responding to cyber-attacks.

“Success in college – that’s what everyone wants but most see it as hard to achieve, and it can be but they shouldn’t get downhearted from grades and exams. We all have our faults but we also have our strengths, follow your strengths and try to adapt to your faults,” Lorna said.

“My message to my peers is to do their research on their respective careers and find people within the industry who can help you with information about the career plan ahead,” she said. “In addition, before enrolling in a class, look into the professors to see how your semester will look like. Lastly, start looking into interning near the area. The job market is a competition, and if you don’t have any experience in the field, then another competitor could get the respective job just from interning in a minimal tech field.

“Learning doesn’t end with college, but it’s up to you to continue learning after your degree is in your grasp,” she said.

A $10,000 grant by Jobs for the Future (JFF) allows students in the CITP program the opportunity to complete a Google IT Support Professional Certificate while enrolled in the bachelor’s degree program.

IT support professionals play an essential role in the lives of people across the world. From installing software and configuring network infrastructure to supporting cloud computing solutions and protecting computer systems from hackers, these professionals are an integral component in every industry.

“The certificate impacts students by creating new career pathways,” said Saeed Molki, Program Chair from the South Texas College Computer Science Department. “It can enhance an individual’s career by opening doors for career advancement.”

Google, in collaboration with JFF, provides grants to community colleges in California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin. The grants assist with the integration of the Google IT Support Professional Certificate into the college’s IT curriculum and align with skills sought by employers.

“Having both a Bachelor Degree and a Google IT Support Professional Certificate shows potential employers that our graduates are truly well rounded and ready to be a productive members of their team starting day one of their employment,” said Dr. David Plummer, Executive Vice-President for Educational Programming and Student Achievement at South Texas College.

South Texas College is one of 100 community colleges across the country and four in the state of Texas currently offering the certificate program.

An initiative of Grow with Google, the certificate program is offered in partnership with Coursera, a leading online learning platform for higher education. The Google IT Support Professional Certificate course focuses on mastering fundamental skills in the IT workforce, including troubleshooting, customer service, networking, operating systems, system administration, and security.

The coursework includes a dynamic combination of interactive learning strategies and assessments, including video lectures, practice exercises, and supplemental reading, to support and enhance the learner’s information technology skills.

The certificate program is only available to students in the Fall 2020 semester as part of the CITP 3306 Internet/Intranet Server Integration curriculum. After successfully finishing the Google IT Support Professional Certificate program, students are eligible to receive a scholarship between $200 to $300.

In preparation for this new offering, the faculty and lab assistants from the Computer Science department have completed the requirements to earn their own Google IT Support Professional Certificate.

“The faculty believes that students will be very excited and enthusiastic about the opportunity to gain credibility, knowledge, and skills,” said Nicholas Hinojosa, Assistant Program Chair from the South Texas College Computer Science Department.

The Bachelor of Applied Technology Degree (BAT) in Computer and Information Technologies (CIT) prepares students for successful careers in the field of CIT. Coursework balances between theoretical and technical competencies associated with the CIT profession to prepare graduates for many demands placed on CIT professionals. The degree prepares students with relevant, technical knowledge of CIT practices, to provide solutions for real-world problems and technical support for computer-based information systems. Technology-oriented coursework will form the core requirements for this program, with an emphasis on the application and implementation of current technologies.

But for the mechanical engineers tasked with solving some of the world’s toughest technological problems — from smartphones to submarines to rocket ships — it's as much about passion as it is about perspiration.

“You always have a different problem, so it’s a challenge,” says South Texas College alumnus Efrain Delgado, now a customer support DUV engineer II for ASML, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of computer-chip-making equipment.

ASML’s clients include Intel and Samsung, who make microchips that go into virtually everything — from robotic arms to the device you’re reading this article on. For the past three years, it has been the STC grad’s job to make sure the complex chip-making machines are running in top shape.

It’s a fast-paced job that entails analyzing data, troubleshooting problems, making repairs and performing upgrades. Delgado loves the focus on rigorous critical thinking, and looking back, he traces his passion for mechanical engineering to his start at South Texas College.

“My story is actually funny because when I was in high school, I wasn’t really a ‘school person,’” recalls Delgado, who took a four-month break before dipping his toe in at STC for one semester. Not yet convinced, he moved north to earn money in the oil fields, but realized that wasn’t the right path for him either.

He knew the answer to his future was back at South Texas College, so he retraced his steps. With the help of his advisors, an innovative plan began to emerge. He decided to pursue his passion for math and science through STC’s engineering program.

“That’s when I applied myself to school,” says Delgado. “It was the smart thing to go to a community college, then transfer to a university to save some money.”

The more he explored engineering, the more certain he became that it would be the foundation for his future. But with six distinct engineering tracks available through STC’s versatile program — civil, electrical, computer, chemical, petroleum, and mechanical — an important choice remained.

Citing its elegant combination of hard physics and open innovation, Delgado gravitated toward mechanical engineering. For an independent-minded student, the program represented a place not only to apply his skills, but also to satisfy his yearning for exploration.

“I’ve always been a curious person,” he says. “If you have the desire to learn and create new things, that’s basically engineering, and that’s what caught my eye.”

Many of STC’s mechanical engineering classes are project-based, and Delgado particularly remembers enjoying the labs involving bridge-building and the analysis of force. Other highlights included designing machines and tools using state-of-the-art equipment like 3D printers, spectrometers, and charge-to-mass ratio apparatuses.

Another game-changer for Delgado was the one-on-one attention he received.

Delgado remembers having energetic and engaged professors at STC — most memorably Dr. Guanghua Xu, who presides over some of the department’s most challenging physics classes. “He will take his time and explain things to you in detail and make sure you understand everything.”

According to Delgado’s favorite professor, the abstract concepts in his physics classes don’t always come easy. In fact, they often require a totally new way of thinking and studying.

“Efrain did well in the transition and took on the challenges of solving various complicated questions,” beams Xu, who was proud to see his student ace his classes and venture on to achieve his goals. “I am so honored to be a very small part of his success.

“As an educator, his success also makes me feel that my efforts are worthwhile.”

One benefit to South Texas College’s small classes was the inherent camaraderie between engineering students. To help each other see different perspectives, the students would hang out, do homework, and study for tests together. For Delgado, that connectedness would prove invaluable.

“The classes are really hard,” he says. “If you try to work by yourself, sometimes you can get stuck.”

The group’s favorite study spot? STC’s Centers for Learning Excellence, of course.

“You could just go in there and grab a table,” he recalls about the comfortable atmosphere. And if the study group’s collective brainpower ever floundered, they had options. “Whenever we had problems with some homework, the tutor would help us out.”

According to Delgado, the program’s “connected” philosophy has always started at the top. As a student, he remembers being approached by the head of the department, Dr. Enriqueta Cortez, with information about a STEM scholarship that would help cover his two years at STC. The gesture was routine to Cortez, now the Assistant Dean for Math, Science & Bachelor Programs, but vital to Delgado’s higher education and future.

“It gave me a big sum of money to help with my tuition,” says the grateful grad.

When it comes to student support, Cortez says it’s a team effort, involving deans, faculty, and success specialists, all working in harmony to help students like Delgado overcome challenges and succeed.

“We do our very best to help guide them through their educational experience,” says Cortez. “I am extremely happy to learn that Mr. Efrain Delgado benefited from these efforts.”

When Cortez started as the Physical Science Department Chair in 2008, the program had 307 declared engineering majors. Fast-forward to this past fall, and that number has nearly quadrupled to 1,110. She’s proud of how the program has grown, and how the College continues to help aspiring engineers reach their goals.

“At South Texas College, every student is important to us.”

It was that high-touch support that helped Delgado excel in his studies at STC, and, eventually, make the leap to UTRGV.

“I was well prepared,” says Delgado, whose credits all transferred without a hitch. More importantly, he was well prepared for his new program, having already developed the skill set to use math, analysis, and teamwork to solve real-world problems.

“With my knowledge,” he says, “I was ready to start on my engineering career.”

Delgado’s seamless transfer process highlights a point of pride for South Texas College, according to current Department Chair Dr. Ravindra Nandigam. Thanks to strong articulation agreements with institutions like UTRGV and Texas A&M, Kingsville, the engineering programs “provide our majors avenues for a seamless transfer into four-year degree programs.”

Delgado was not only prepared when he got to UTRGV ­— he also was ahead of the game. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in just two years, and soon after landed his dream job with ASML.

Since then, he’s been problem-solving all over the country, and has even made trips to Asia. “They send me all over the place!” says the proud Jaguar grad, who hopes to be a lead engineer one day.

Though his home base has moved from McAllen to Austin, Delgado says that STC will always be in his history and in his heart.

“It’s a good college, and the right first step to take for your career.”

NSF awarded $649,369 as part of its Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM) grant to provide scholarships to two cohorts of 20 undergraduate students pursuing an associate degree in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, and Physics.

STC’s Board of Trustees approved the grant at its regular board meeting on Jan. 28. The funding period for the grant will be from Jan. 1 2020 to Dec. 31, 2024.

“The project aims to increase student persistence, retention, transfer, and graduation in STEM fields by linking scholarships with structured student professional development activities,” said Dr. Virginia Champion, Executive Director of Resource Development, Management and Compliance. “Resources available to students will include faculty mentoring, tutoring, undergraduate research experiences, internships, and participation in discipline-specific conferences.”

Assistance for this grant came from the combined efforts from STC’s Department of Resource

Development, Management and Compliance and the college’s Division for Math, Science, and Bachelor Programs. Both provided professional development for faculty as well as for grant development officers who focused on developing strong proposals for the NSF grants.

Dr. Ali Esmaeili, Dean of STC’s Math, Science, and Bachelor Programs, said the division benefitted from training conducted by the college’s Grant Training Center specifically its Designing Winning National Science Foundation (NSF) Proposals in 2018.

“The grant will foster student success by providing educational opportunities that enable a seamless transfer to advanced degrees,” Dr. Esmaeili said. “It will provide an effective support structure that will promote persistence, educational attainment, academic achievement, as well as personal and professional growth.”

A sub-award of $58,893.00 was provided to South Texas College’s Department of Mathematics with Mario J. Morin serving as the Subrecipient Principal Investigator to implement programming that would provide structure for said STEM students to accelerate and succeed in their mathematics coursework as well as to provide support for students majoring in Engineering to have formal advisement to support transfer to UTRGV’s College of Engineering. The Department of Mathematics used the monies to create an accelerated pathway for students to complete both a College Algebra & Pre-Calculus course sequence or a Pre-Calculus & Calculus I sequence in one semester, as most STEM programs require a minimum attainment of Calculus I in their degree plans (both Engineering and Mathematics require Calculus I as an entry-level course and pre-requisite to additional coursework).

Over the course of the three-year award, students showcased a higher success rate (>10%) in the accelerated course sequence model as compared to the single-course traditional 16-week course option. Over 150 STEM students were able to benefit from this program and many additional Engineering students were advised for transfer directly to UTRGV. 

Over 150 STEM major students attended the event. Keynote speaker was Mr. Trung Nguyen, Plant Manager for Royal Technologies. Royal Technologies is an advanced engineering and manufacturing company serving diverse industries.

This was the second time the STEM Summit was held at STC and organizers from both the MSB and BPST Divisions expect to continue the event each semester with more speakers from different areas of STEM.

Four breakout sessions took place with two speakers listed below:

Dr. Ndolo has been extremely active in writing NSF grants for the department. He is currently the Principal Investigator for an NSF-STEM Scholarship grant that is in its final stages. If funded, it will provide $650,000 over five years to support 40 low income students majoring in STEM disciplines; this is the third grant that he has helped to write and coordinate. Dr. Ndolo is also actively involved in various departmental committees and played a pivotal role in the department's application and submission to the HHMI SEA PHAGE grant program. STC successfully earned a spot in this program, becoming the first institution in South Texas to join this program and one of two Texas schools invited to participate in this year. Dr. Ndolo is now leading the grants committee in preparation and implementation of this program in the Fall semester. In addition to these responsibilities, Dr. Ndolo manages to teach a full load of courses without compromising his commitment to his students.Besides his arduous commitment to bridging opportunities to facilitate student success, Dr. Ndolo is well known for his reliability and dependability. His willingness to volunteer to help with departmental needs is remarkable; he doesn’t hesitate, and immediately prepares to take over courses needing substitutes or replacement faculty. He is truly an extraordinary colleague and asset to the Biology Department.

In February, the USDA-funded STEP2 grant supported Ernie’s travel to Washington DC to present his results from the research at the 2019 meeting of the American Society for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). In Ernie’s own words, “The American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Washington, D.C. was amazing. I enjoyed every moment of my trip from presenting a poster on my work with the USDA, to listening about new studies being done. I encourage anyone interested in science to seek out local or nationwide conferences. You meet kind people from all over the world.”

Less than a week after Ernie returned to the valley from Washington, he joined former STC student and STEP2 grant recipient Iysha Flores, and Biology Department faculty member Dr. Dan Murray to do a presentation about the grant and his research at the 2019 Region One STEM Summit at South Padre Island. Ernie’s experience gained in the STEP2 program has helped him obtain a full-time research position at the USDA in collaboration with Texas A&M University Kingsville, where he continues to work on biological control of the cattle fever tick. Ernie has expressed gratitude for the opportunity STC has made available via the STEP2 grant, and for the doors it opened for him. After finishing at STC, Ernie plans to continue studying in the Agricultural Sciences in order to advance in his position with USDA/TAMUK.

Last summer, Destiny Closner was named valedictorian at Sharyland Advanced Academic Academy and graduated from STC with an associate degree in Biology in May.

Destiny said she was 16 years old when she began taking college courses as a sophomore through STC’s Dual Credit Program.

“I got into this early college because my mom really wanted me to get that associate degree and my high school degree at the same time,” Destiny said. “My mom is a pharmacist, so that's why I always knew I wanted to be in the science field.”

Dual Credit Programs at STC provide the opportunity for eligible high school students, in a participating school district, to enroll in college courses while still attending high school. STC boasts one of the largest Dual Credit Programs in the state, serving high school students, tuition-free, since 2000.

In partnership with STC, Sharyland Advanced Academic Academy is one of 29 ISD Early College High Schools (ECHS) designed to provide high school students with the opportunity to earn up to 60 credit hours and/or an Associate degree while in high school. Each ISD ECHS is designed to create a seamless transition between high school and college.

Hoping to enter a career in pediatrics, Destiny said she was inspired to succeed by her mother Melissa, a pharmacist, as well as her two younger siblings whose support she says was crucial to her success in school.

“My siblings have been a big motivation for me, especially because they look up to me, and I want them to see it's possible to be valedictorian, to take all these college classes, and to still have friends on the side and stuff like that,” Destiny said. “All of my STC professors have been really helpful transitioning high school kids into college kids, and I think with their help, it was pretty fun to be in a college class surrounded by people like twice your age, and then still being able to keep up with them.”

Opting to study microbiology at STC, Destiny said her plan is to now begin the journey into medical school by completing her bachelor degree at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV).

STC she said gave her the crucial experience she needed before she transitioned to the university.

“I took most of my classes here at STC, so I was only at high school really for two to three hours, and then I would come straight over to the college. I even took summer classes, so it has been a real college experience,” she said. “After I finish UTRGV, I'm hoping to get into either UTRGV medical school or UTSA medical school, or any medical school I can really get into, and then take it from there with the debt and the financing and all that.”

Now finally graduated, Destiny says her career track is set, and with the help of her family and STC will one day reach her goals.

Genaro, originally from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico was raised in General Bravo, Nuevo Leon. He came to the United States for a better life. Being the son of immigrants, he and his parents were always traveling.

“When I used to live in Mexico with my parents, we would go back and forth all the time,” said Genaro. “My parents would work in the fields in California and Texas.”

Growing up, Genaro always dreamed of being a television anchor and says he knew exactly how he would make it happen.

“I remember as a kid, I would tell myself ‘Im going to move to the United States, learn English, and become an anchor one day,’” said Genaro. “I knew it was going to be a tough goal to reach, but I was motivated to make it happen.”

Genaro’s journey of being an anchor started at the age of 16 where he attended the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon. There, he received first place in the National Science Competition “VII World Science for all 2001-2002” and had the chance to visit the President of Mexico, Vicente Fox Quezada.

Genaro migrated to the United States at the age of 18. It was then that he enrolled at South Texas College, where he decided to pursue a Bachelors of Applied Technology Degree in Technology Management (BAT).

The BAT program at STC educates, trains, and develops successful supervisors who will be prepared to utilize technology to create a competitive advantage for their company.

“I enjoyed being in the BAT program. One of my biggest mentors was Dr. Ali Esmaeili,” explained Genaro. “When I graduated, I graduated with four different honor societies that include the National Honor Society of Leadership and Success, Kappa Beta Honor Society, English Honor Society, and the Vice President Honor Society.”

Soon after graduating from STC, Genaro found himself in the spotlight, landing several jobs including Telemundo 40 in McAllen, Entravision in McAllen, and Telemundo 60 in San Antonio.

“One of the things I remember working with these different companies, is that I got to interview people like Beto O’ Rourke, Julian Castro, and Ted Cruz,” said Genaro.

Genaro is now breaking the mold by making his dream a reality working for Univision in Philadelphia as a bilingual journalist.

“I work in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware,” said Genaro. “Some of the things my job consists of is working with the community, covering breaking news stories, and writing in English and Spanish."

Genaro feels like he has learned a lot being able to cover news in different states and says the experience has been amazing.

“My experience in these different states has been a rewarding experience,” expressed Genaro.

“Two weeks ago, I received an email that I was selected as top journalist of the year by the National Association of Top Professionals from New York,” said Genaro.

While receiving the award, Genaro says he was overwhelmed with emotions and was taken back to his childhood.

“I had a flashback when I opened the award,” explained Genaro. “It took me back to those times growing up in Mexico when I was poor and didn’t have much. I looked back to where I started to where I am now.”

Genaro thanks South Texas College for the path he is on, and says he is proud of where he started.

“I am always going to be proud to be a Jaguar from South Texas College,” said Genaro. “South Texas College is an excellent college that taught me everything I needed to know.”

With the press of a button, Genaro is now on camera. He says that hard work pays off and says he wants to continue moving forward.

“As a son of immigrants, I came to America to have a better life, and I think I am achieving that slowly but surely,” expressed Genaro.

“I am very motivated to continue moving forward,” said Genaro. “I see the suffering of those individuals trying to cross for a better life and I want to do this for them.”

Amanda is pursuing an Associate Degree in Nursing and hopes to work as a Neonatal nurse. She says she has big dreams.

Since she was little, Amanda Rodriguez has had a dream to be in the medical field. Now she has chosen South Texas College to make that dream a reality.

“Ever since I was eight years old, I've always wanted to do something in the medical field, I want to be a neonatal nurse,” said Amanda. “I've always had a passion for working with little kids and infants.”

The Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Program at STC will prepare students with the basic competencies to become safe practitioners in the healthcare field. Upon successful completion of the Associate of Applied Science major in Associate Degree Nursing, the graduate will have a chance to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

Before enrolling at STC, Amanda says she has had experience taking care of kids and infants, and is ready for her career path.

"I would take care of my baby cousins. Some of them were probably a few months old,” explained Amanda. “I would be asked to babysit them quite often and seeing them grow up is pretty awesome.”

Amanda says her experience at STC has been both enjoyable and fun.

“I've really enjoyed it. I got into the biology club with Dr. Geller from Anatomy I. I was involved in the biology club and it was really fun experiencing all of the different places we went to. Being able to interact with Dr. Geller, other teachers, and students has been exciting for me.”

In the future, Amanda says she plans to pursue her education and hopefully go for her masters.

“After I get my associates in nursing, I want to transfer over to Incarnate Word for my bachelors. Hopefully after, I’ll move on to a master’s degree.”

Amanda has a message to students wanting to accomplish their dreams.

“Dedicate all your time to your prerequisites and try to get those really good grades, so it can look good whenever you apply to the program.”

For more information regarding the Nursing program, please visit https://nah.southtexascollege.edu/adn/

Currently studying for his Associate of Science degree in Biology before moving on to his bachelor degree and hopefully medical school, Jose said he was inspired by his mother, a registered nurse, who initially pushed him into a medical career.

He said he grew up watching her as she made her rotations at the hospital where she worked and became dedicated to helping others just as she did.

“It was nice having her support. She's a real inspiration for me,” Jose said. “I just think she's real smart and intelligent and I just want to be able to also help someone out like how she helps out people.

“That's why I was going for nursing in the beginning, but I always kind of wanted to go for med-school instead,” he said. “Several of the instructors here just motivated me as because they saw I was doing well in their class. They told me to just go for it and that motivated me as well to get better grades.”

The Biology program at STC specializes in preparing students for many exciting career opportunities available in the biological sciences although many of those careers require training beyond an associate degree.

“I think it's important to grasp all the material that's being given to you because you also grow as a person when you learn something new,” Jose said. “For those students pursuing a medical degree, you have to carry that mentality with you, especially when you are studying for big tests like the MCAT.”

Offering advice to students seeking the same degree plan, Jose says it’s not enough to just coast through school work.

“I have seen some people who don't really like to learn and who just want to get through the class, and that’s not the right way,” Jose said. “I know I won't make it in a university if I don't do really well here at STC, so I'm just trying to kill all the tests trying to make sure I have the highest grades in all my classes. If you are going down this route, you just have to make sure you understand everything.”

The students tested their expertise in STEM while working as a team and conquering challenges at the 2nd annual Green Power USA HESTC Electric Car Competition held at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Brownsville campus April 5-6.

STC’s Future Engineers Club “No. 28” car earned first place in the Institution of Higher Education category beating out Texas A&M Kingsville and UTRGV after stiff competition.

“For us to actually have a team that placed first feels really great,” said Future Engineers Club President, Berenice Padilla, who is majoring in Civil Engineering at STC. “It felt great to coordinate and motivate our team and to ensure we were on our way to success. We proved ourselves on Saturday.”

Students used electric car kits from GreenPower USA, a national organization based in Huntsville, Ala., which includes as its mission, the advancement of education in the subjects of sustainable engineering and technology to young people.

GreenPower organizes similar races across the nation. In Brownsville, South Texas College was among 26 teams that presented their cars, which they then raced for 90 minutes around a track created at the UTRGV campus.

Competitors were judged in three areas including a video segment produced by the crew, a presentation about the improvements made to the vehicle, and the performance of the car during the race itself.

“We put in a lot of hours in this, and we had to invest time in order to make mechanical, electrical and thermodynamic modifications to the car,” said Adan Gonzalez, a student with the club who also assisted in putting the vehicle together.

“It was quite a task because our team was formed maybe five weeks prior to the competition but we prioritized above all the temperature of the motor,” Gonzalez said. “The crew designed a custom-made heat sink that was manufactured at our own Technology Campus, and we saw a lot of improvement with that.”

The program, which was organized as an offshoot of STC’s annual Women in Technology event which takes place in April, consisted of speakers, hands-on activities, and tours of various manufacturers in the area.

Much like its sister event, Women in Technology, the new program established for girls is an initiative to build the education and motivation for them to explore opportunities for careers in various technology fields offered at STC’s Technology Campus.

Speakers at the event included STC President Dr. Shirley A. Reed, Border Patrol agent Sam Clark, and STC Dean of Business, Public Safety and Technology Mario Reyna.

“Growing up, I learned had to be really tough and I had to be really smart,” Dr. Reed told students. “I learned that I had to run faster, I had to be stronger and get better grades. No matter what it was, I had to be better and it has served me very well throughout my life and my career.

“Today, I will tell every one of you that you have to be tough and you have to be smart because you will have some challenges as you get older but right now you have the opportunity to just dream,” Dr. Reed said.

Attendees were able to take the first step into the world of technology by participating in hands-on activities with Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Welding and Architectural Engineering Design Technology (AEDT) programs and had the opportunity to tour various manufacturing companies.

Students visited companies including Priority Tooling Solutions where they were introduced to plastic injection molds and Royal Technologies, where they learned about injection molding.

“There are plenty of careers out there, and really the choices are endless when it comes to what we have to offer here at South Texas College.,” said Dr. Esmeralda Adame, Assistant Dean of STC's Bsueinss, Public Safety and Technology Division. “Everything we are doing here is an effort to open not only their eyes, but all the pathways that are before them. We want to expose them to what we have and all of the careers so they can see that they can really do anything they want.

“Here, we are jumping at the chance to get them exposed to what there is. STEM is possible, and we want to plant that seed,” Dr. Adame said.

The Business & Technology Division at STC offers a wide range of programs and degree options including Welding, Automotive and Diesel Technology, Heating, Ventilation, A/C and Refrigeration (HVAC&R), Electrician Technology, Architectural and Engineering Design Technology, Police Academy, Fire Science, Culinary Arts, Information Technology, Construction, Business Administration, Human Resource Management, Office Administration, Paralegal, and Computer and Advanced Technology.

For more information on the Women in Technology event taking place in April, contact Angelita Teniente, Business and Technology Division 956-872-3505 or send email to angele3@southtexascollege.edu.

Those interested may also contact Arthur Barber, Program Chair for Advanced Manufacturing at 956-872-6142 or email at abarber@southtexascollege.edu. 

The event is geared towards high school students and will be facilitated via online registration. Students who are interested in learning more about the programs available in Business and Technology can go online to http://bt.southtexascollege.edu/.

Jazmin Hernandez says focusing on her future career as an engineer has been inspired by a personal outlook on the environment and from conservation efforts by professionals who can use their expertise to make the world a better place.

Jazmin began at STC in the fall of 2017, and has commuted from Los Fresnos, a roughly 45 minute drive, in order to take classes on campus. She is currently pursuing her Associate of Science in Engineering degree from STC and said she looks forward to a career in environmental engineering, preferably in the field of water treatment.

“I knew I wanted to do something to help the environment because I took an environmental science class and I really got into it. It became my favorite class,” Jazmin said. “I didn't even know that environment engineering was a thing until I took an engineering class in high school.”

Deeply affected by the water crisis in Flint, Jazmin says she looks to one day use her training to prevent incidents like that from ever happening again.

“I always see in the paper how there are lots of people without water even in the United States, so I want to do something to help,” she said. “In Flint, their city was built so long ago that they didn't bother to redevelop it. They had lead piping that they didn’t bother to replace, even though lead piping isn't even legal in the United States anymore.”

The Associate of Science degree with a field of study in Engineering offers students the opportunity to take a core curriculum of general education with an emphasis on Engineering. At the present time, over two-thirds of all the technical and a large percentage of the managerial positions in industry are occupied by engineers.

“To those students looking to get ahead, I would tell them to not overestimate themselves,” Jazmin said. “You have to know what you're capable of, but don't try and force yourself to do stuff that you know you can't do because you're just going to struggle in the end and then you'll probably want give up. You have to know your limits.”