TSTC graduates celebrate, look forward to life's next chapter
May 1—ABILENE — With cheers and applause, friends, family and classmates celebrated the accomplishments of Texas State Technical College's Spring 2025 graduating class on Wednesday, April 30.
A majority of the students, when their name was announced, noted that they will begin their careers within the industry they studied.
One of those students is Tyler Flippen, who earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Electrical Power and Controls and is going to work at German printing press manufacturer Koenig & Bauer.
"Tonight is a milestone that shows that a lot of hard work has paid off," he said. "This is the first reward of knowing the importance of getting our education."
Garrett Deroche, who earned a certificate of completion in Welding Technology, already has two job offers to consider and knows that TSTC is the reason why.
"Thanks to TSTC, I am going to have a lot of success in life," he said. "I am a better welder, and I am a better teammate."
Yvette Escobedo, who received her Associate of Applied Science degree in Paramedic, has a long-range goal. She plans to work for the next few years and then pay her career forward.
"I hope that one day I can come back to TSTC and teach the program," she said.
Escobedo, who earlier in the day received an Emergency Medical Services program award for outstanding contributions during her time at TSTC, said her classmates became her second family.
"We have gone through the trenches together," she said. "We are excited to see where everyone is going to go."
Brandy Bird, who received a certificate of completion in Environmental Compliance, knows where she is going to go next.
"I am coming back in the fall to study the safety side (of the Occupational Safety and Environmental Compliance program)," she said.
Bird said the program meant many things to her, but earning her certificate of completion is an accomplishment that she is most proud of.
"This program was a lot of crying, stress and late nights, but it was fun," she said.
Registration for TSTC's summer and fall semesters is underway. For more information, go to tstc.edu.
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