At only 18-years-old, on a baseball scholarship to play with the Texas Southmost College Scorpions, Tony Castillo arrived in Brownsville, oblivious to how his college experience would impact the direction his life would take.

As an all-star baseball player from Robstown, Castillo said he had his pick to play at numerous major universities in the state, but after meeting with a TSC recruiter, taking a tour of the campus and meeting some faculty and staff, he knew which acceptance letter he had to take.

“There was something about TSC, the people mostly,” Castillo said he remembers. “TSC immediately became my home away from home where they believed in me, and for a young man, who wasn’t the best student, that meant a lot.”

Castillo played two seasons with the former University of Texas-Brownsville/TSC baseball program and studied Criminal Justice as a student at TSC, creating an arsenal of skills that shaped him into a well-rounded student and professional.

Befriending many of his instructors and college leadership, Castillo said this is where he grew up and left his mark, not only as a member of the baseball team, but literally on the sidewalk next to the TSC tennis courts.

His only regret, never getting his associate degree.

“I was only missing one class, but I was young, got married, started a family and never went back even after getting constant reminders from my instructors and coach to finish,” he said. “Not finishing is my only regret, but the big man upstairs had different plans for me I guess, and even though my path has led me in a different direction, I can say that my heart and roots are still at TSC.”

Castillo did eventually go on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, but instead of building a career in law enforcement, he is now a sales strategy manager for Gatorade at PepsiCo in San Antonio, managing a $7 billion brand and over $180 million in sales.

His career in sales and business strategy began while he was a student at TSC with Coca-Cola in San Benito. He climbed up the ranks to district sales manager before transitioning to PepsiCo.

“My career has been a whirlwind made up of small and big successes, but what I know is that these successes came because of what I learned at TSC,” he said. “I may have gotten my degree from another university, but when people ask me where I went to school, I always say TSC.”

He says TSC because he describes TSC as the place that helped him grow up, see the importance of an education, taught him about responsibility and accountability, the gift of giving and gave him the skills he needed to become a leader at work and in the community.

“TSC creates leaders, no matter where a graduate ends up,” said Castillo. “I am a proud TSC Scorpion and always will be. I will also always be TSC’s biggest advocate. God knew what he was doing by placing this school in my heart years ago, and I hope to someday to be able to give back.”

Castillo plans on returning to school to get a master’s in business administration, and he plans on looking into how he can officially complete and earn his associate degree.

“I need that associate degree,” he said. “I even play on a 40+ baseball team named the Scorpions with other TSC baseball alumni. I bleed blue and orange, so I need to finish what I started.”

Texas Southmost College will host a scholarship benefit concert featuring the award-winning Del Castillo band to continue the college’s 95th anniversary celebration.

The cross-cultural band was honored with the TSC Distinguished Alumni award in 2010 and is excited to support a new generation of students at the college that gave them their own start.

Sponsored by the Texas Southmost College Foundation, “A Night with Del Castillo,” will be held on Saturday, Feb. 12 at the TSC Performing Arts Center. Doors will open at 7 p.m., and the concert begins at 8 p.m.

Del Castillo will perform their greatest hits, which blends their own style of rock, Latin, blues and world music, to raise scholarship funds for TSC students.

“This is a big year for TSC, as we celebrate 95 years of serving our Lower Rio Grande Valley communities, and the Del Castillo concert is part of our yearlong celebration,” said TSC Foundation Director David Tumlinson. “It’s an honor to host Del Castillo on campus as we bring our community together to mark this significant milestone for the college and raise scholarship funds to help students achieve their dreams of completing a college education.”

Del Castillo’s Brownsville roots are deep, where four members attended Texas Southmost College — brothers Mark and Ricky Del Castillo, Mike Zioli and Albert Besteiro — and made up the backbone of TSC’s early jazz and estudiantina ensembles. Their first album titled, “Brothers of the Castle,” and their first performance were only intended as a gift for family and friends, but their music became a sensation.

The band has toured worldwide, collaborated with artists such as Carlos Santana, Willie Nelson and Los Lonely Boys, and their music has been featured in movie soundtracks such as Spy Kids 3D, Once a Upon a Time in Mexico, Machete and Sin City.

“A Night with Del Castillo” is part of a lineup of events hosted by the college to celebrate TSC’s 95th anniversary.

TSC’s 95th anniversary celebration kick-off event was hosted on October 30, 2021, bringing generations of TSC alumni and community supporters together for presentations, food, music and a fireworks display.

Tickets for the concert are available at topboxtickets.com, The Boot Jack and Hermes Music. Reserved tickets are $50, $35 and $25 and TSC students with a valid TSC student ID can get General Admission tickets for $10. Box seat sponsorships are also available.

For concert and ticket information, visit topboxtickets.com or call 956-295-3679.

School districts across the region and beyond are in desperate need to fill classrooms with substitute teachers as COVID-19 continues to surge. At the request of local Superintendents, Texas Southmost College has started a Substitute Teacher course.

The 12-hour course, introduced by TSC’s Workforce Training and Continuing Education department, is designed to produce well-trained and prepared substitutes to enter the classroom.

Workforce Training and Continuing Education Executive Director Bervick Simon said TSC has worked closely with local school districts to identify the skills needed to be a qualified substitute teacher.

“Substitute teachers have always had a place in our schools, and now more so than ever,” said Bervick. “This course we’re introducing is going to produce well-trained substitutes and keep students in the classroom.”

Through this course, aspiring substitute teachers will explore the roles of a substitute, learn about classroom management and how to continue fostering student growth and development.

TSC Substitute Teaching course trainer and Principal of Sharp Elementary School in Brownsville Timothy Cuff, Ph.D. has been an educator for more than 40 years, with positions ranging from classroom teacher to superintendent, so he is familiar with the needs for substitutes and said TSC’s program is going to make a difference.

“This program is well thought out and holds a lot of merit and I’m so excited to be a part of it,” said Cuff. “This is a worthwhile experience that is going to make a difference for our school districts and our students.”

Cuff said his goal as the course’s trainer is to create well-rounded substitutes who will have confidence in their abilities and be able to enter a classroom and take charge.

“In addition to learning processes and methods and the do’s and don’ts of a classroom, I also want to give students the opportunity to practice what they learn with some hands-on training,” said Cuff. “I will touch on every angle to ensure they are well prepared and ready.”

Parts of Cuff’s plan for the program is to implement scenario-based training so students can role play situations they may face in the classroom.

Substitute teachers make anywhere from $80 – $150 a day, but Simon said the hope for those who complete this program is that he or she will matriculate into TSC’s teaching programs if a career in education is what they are interested in.

“This program is also going to serve as an introduction to education for those aspiring to be educators,” he said. “This will broaden horizons and create momentum, and in the long run will create careers. We have been fortunate to have support from our Board of Trustees and college leadership for this program and I can see it growing and producing positive changes.”

There are scholarships available for those who qualify and are interested in TSC’s Substitute Teacher course.

For more information or to enroll, call 956-295-3724 or email [email protected].

More information can also be found at tsc.edu/wtce.

Texas Southmost College is leading a coastal community college workforce training consortium designed to increase the number of students earning college credentials leading to high demand jobs at Texas’ seaports and the aerospace industry.

Funded through a $1.8 million grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), TSC, Houston Community College (HCC) and San Jacinto College (SJC) will collaboratively create, redesign, or expand the reach of training for nine industry-aligned college credentials in transportation, distribution, logistics and information technology that support our seaports and aerospace industry.

“The need for a skilled workforce in our region is growing exponentially, and there is a pressing need to fill positions at companies located within our ports and those associated with the aerospace industry,” said TSC President Jesús Roberto Rodríguez. “With this THECB grant and the cooperative spirit of the coastal community college consortium working in unity, we will offer high value short-term credentials and certifications that lead to immediate employment.”

THECB’s Texas Reskilling and Upskilling for Education (TRUE) grant program is designed to accelerate workforce training credential opportunities urgently needed for economic recovery due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a future competitive workforce in Texas. Through the program, the consortium will invest in developing pathways for: forklift operators to earn a certified logistics associate and logistics technician certification, diesel engine mechanics, truck driving, merchant mariners, cybersecurity and networking technology.

SJC Chancellor Brenda Hellyer, Ph.D. said receiving this funding allows the consortium to grow its training in these high demand areas.

“San Jacinto College appreciates the support of the THECB for awarding this consortium a reskilling grant so that we can focus on training in high demand and high growth pathways in transportation,” said Hellyer. “The Gulf Coast region is a hub for cargo destined for Midwest and Western regions of the United States, so our ability to provide training in areas such as forklift operations, truck driving, and merchant mariner are critical to keeping the supply chain moving and helping to get goods to their final destination.”

HCC Chancellor Cesar Maldonado, Ph.D., P.E. said these funds will allow HCC to expand its training capacity and further supply the coastal region with the skilled workers it needs.

“HCC is proud to be included in the coastal community college consortium on the TRUE grant,” said Maldonado. “In addition to the opportunity to partner with our gulf coast peers, HCC greatly appreciates the opportunity it provides for our students and community in getting the necessary technology at HCC to expand our training capacity in the IT sector, a sector that continues to see vast expansion in the Houston region.”

President Rodríguez said the TRUE grant program not only enhances the long-standing collaboration between the three coastal community colleges but strengthens it.

“This consortium TSC is leading has been given the opportunity to build capacity to engage more students, develop additional training curriculum, enhance our teaching capabilities and secure additional state-of-the-art equipment,” said Rodriguez. “We look forward to building upon this momentum, working with HCC, SJC and other institutions, to meet the workforce needs of our region and state.”

A Texas Mutual Workforce Grant recently presented to Texas Southmost College is a fund that will go a long way in ensuring opportunities for TSC faculty and students.

The $30,000 grant will allow students to earn certifications in credit and non-credit workforce programs offered at TSC that demonstrate students have mastered a specific skill set. Faculty will be able to earn new certifications to add to the TSC inventory.

In addition, the donation will be used to host pop-up food pantries around campus to help workforce students while they are attending courses.

TSC President Jesus Roberto Rodriguez said everything that TSC is doing to move the community forward takes strong partnerships, like the one we have with RGV Focus.

“Thank you to RGV Focus for recognizing our efforts,” he said. “This donation is going to help approximately 500 students and staff earn a credential or industry recognized certificate, which are extremely important in making our students more marketable in the job market.”

The focus of this grant is to increase the number of students earning certifications in training programs such as forklift operations, electrical, and other craft trade programs as well as add certifications such as the Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) certification.

“At RGV Focus, we really pride ourselves in the work we do with our partners,” said Rodney Rodriguez, Ph.D., senior director for RGV Focus. “We have formed a great partnership with TSC, and with our partners at Texas Mutual we are able to help the college enhance their students’ ability to enter the industry and add to the value of educational services provided by TSC.”

TSC Board Chair Ruben Herrera said every service TSC offers is important to the success of our student, including ensuring students don’t go hungry, which is why part of this grant will fund campus wide pop-up food pantry initiatives.

“There is so much that can affect a student’s success, but hunger doesn’t have to be one of them,” said Herrera. “We are so honored to be working with RGV Focus and that they are assisting us in filling this need and ensuring that we combat hunger for our students. We want them to finish ‘Scorpion Strong’ and this is going to make it happen.”

President Rodriguez said he looks forward to growing and enhancing the partnership and further collaborating with RGV Focus in servicing the TSC community.

“Over the past four years we have seen enrollment grow by approximately 50%, we are seeing completion rates of a certificate or associate degree significantly increase, and we have students graduating in less time,” said Rodriguez. “Our students are reaping the rewards of these partnerships and helping us grow stronger.”

Darrius Wolfe is a recent graduate from Texas Southmost College, an achievement that seemed impossible only a few years ago.

The 25-year-old earned an associate degree in Business Management this month during the college’s commencement ceremonies held at the Jacob Brown Auditorium.

“This still seems unreal,” said the Colorado transplant. “The way my life was going I expected to be in prison or even worse at this point in my life, but to be where I am now, as a college graduate, that is a new lease on life.”

Wolfe said he was born and raised in Colorado, but moved to Brownsville as a teen after his parent’s divorce and as events unfolded, he started getting into trouble.

“I was acting out,” he said. “I was going to school and working two or three jobs, yet I was spiraling and messing up. Luckily, my lawyer and now mentor Ruben Herrera came into the picture.”

Herrera owns a private law firm in Brownsville and serves as the chairman of the TSC Board of Trustees. He said it was a proud moment when he saw Wolfe receive his degree.

“He did it…I always knew he could,” said Herrera. “He was lost when we were first introduced, and now I’m so happy to see that he is finding purpose and meaning to live a life away from trouble. I’m so proud of him and I think he’ll go far.”

Wolfe said he credits Herrera for saving him and opening his eyes to what his life could be if trouble didn’t interfere.

“Ruben reestablished my morals, opened my eyes and shared his formula for hard work,” said Wolfe. “For him, I’ve been doing my best to walk a straight line and when I saw him at commencement, I didn’t know he was a trustee, I was sure to let him know that this moment, this degree was because of him.”

It took Wolfe nearly five years to finish his associate degree, longer than most, he said. But because money was scarce, he worked as a shrimper to save and pay for college, ending this journey with A’s and B’s.

“I had to put my dream on hold so many times that I always thought this would be impossible. I thought I had ruined my life,” he said. “But here I am, ready to work, find financial and job security and continue my education.”

In the meantime, Wolfe is putting his business degree to use within his father’s business – Wolfe Sandblasting and Industrial Painting – and is looking into becoming a realtor.

“I need to keep momentum,” said Wolfe. “I’m striving for success and there’s no other place to go but up. I want to keep making my family and Ruben proud. This is my gift to myself and them.”

A new era of technology was recently celebrated at Texas Southmost College with a grand opening and ribbon cutting for the Associate Degree in Nursing program’s brand-new, state-of-the-art nursing simulation lab.

The new simulation lab is located at the TSC International Technology, Education and Commerce Center (ITECC) and was designed and created to resemble a hospital floor, complete with mid to high-fidelity simulation mannequins.

TSC Director of Nursing Beth Kasprisin said this lab has been a longtime in the making and goal for the college and the department.

“We are so excited to officially open the doors to our nursing simulation lab,” said Kasprisin. “Creating this lab was an effort and investment made by our Board of Trustees and is a game changer for our program. Active learning makes a huge difference in learning and training.”

The lab, equipped with industry-standard hospital beds, monitors and machines, is described by Kasprisin as a safe place for her students.

“This is where our students will become nurses,” she said. “This is the place they will learn about patient care and communication, where they will learn how to work under pressure and where they will learn from their mistakes.”

Able to practice everything from basic to advanced and critical life-saving skills, students will have the opportunity to run mock scenarios using mannequins that range from infant to adult.

TSC President Jesus Roberto Rodriguez said this is one of the many wonderful things happening at TSC thanks to the TSC Board of Trustees and TSC Health Professions faculty and staff.

“This lab is one of several investments that has been approved by our Board of Trustees,” he said. “This simulation lab is going to impact our community and put everything our nursing faculty teach into practice. When our students graduate, they will be a workforce that is capable, ready to hit the ground running and more than ready to take care of our loved ones.”

TSC Board of Trustee Chair Ruben Herrera is proud of the investments the board is approving, but prouder of the work that is being done to move the community and regional health care forward.

“Everything we have invested in is worth it and we’re very proud because this is shaping our community’s workforce,” said Herrera. “We have great partners within the health care field that are hiring our graduates, and this lab ensures that our students will have the experience and exposure they need to be a productive workforce.”

One of those students preparing to enter the workforce is Crystal Palacios, who expects to earn her associate degree in nursing this month.

“I am well prepared to enter the field of nursing. The program at TSC is amazing, which is why I moved from El Paso for it,” said the 29-year-old. “But I can only imagine how much more prepared future nursing students will be with this lab. This was a great investment for TSC.”

Palacios said she’s excited for the program’s future nursing students and said she is also excited to hopefully begin her career at Valley Regional Medical Center in the coming months.

Valley Regional Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Art Garza said over the years at Valley Regional, he has had the privilege to deepen his relationship with TSC and is thankful to the college for shaping the new minds in health care.

“The investments, the teaching, all show and inspire success in our region’s health care industry,” said Garza. “Student training under an investment like these labs is priceless and transformational. We’re all going to be benefactors of what students are going to learn in that lab, and I speak on behalf of my colleagues across the county, across the state, that we thank you, TSC, for facilitating growth and education with your health care training center because it benefits everyone.”

Visit TSC’s Associate Degree in Nursing program for more information.

Marissa Kuri graduated last year from the Texas Southmost College Diagnostic Medical Sonography program with an associate degree, an opportunity she said was worth the wait.

The 32-year-old began her college journey like most after high school, except she said she didn’t have a clear career path.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” said Kuri. “I knew I was going into the health care field because everyone in my family is, but beyond that, I didn’t have a plan.”

Instead, Kuri took some time to reflect and discover her interests while working in fitness, among other jobs, but she knew in her heart college is where she was supposed to be.

“It was a friend in nursing that told me about TSC’s sonography program,” she said. “Had I realized that I had a program like this close to home, I would have done it a long time ago.”

The Brownsville native now works as full-time registered diagnostic medical sonographer at Texas Health Care Imaging in Brownsville and with Exceptional ER on an as needed basis.

In fact, Kuri received her job offer with Texas Health Care Imaging before even graduating from the program.

“Since finding this program, I have felt very fortunate for the opportunities I have received,” said Kuri. “To start a career before you even graduate is surreal, but that’s why I chose this program…it has a high job placement rate and licensure exam pass rate. I couldn’t go wrong.”

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Kuri said program faculty did everything, including purchasing Butterfly IQ portable sonography probes to practice their skills at home while on quarantine.

“The fact that the program went above and beyond to ensure we didn’t miss a thing and still got the skills we needed, is what sets this program apart from others,” she said. “Because of this, I was able to gain the foundation I needed to get hired early on, pass my licensing exam and get additional licenses.”

In addition to becoming a registered sonographer, she also earned licenses in abdomen and obstetrics and gynecology sonography.

“Finding my passion and starting my career may have taken me longer than most,” said Kuri. “But I have no regrets, because now I’m doing what I love, and I am happy.”

Kuri’s next goal is to study and pass her vascular and cardiac licensing exams. She expects to begin the process within the coming months and hopes to someday also continue her education to earn a bachelor’s degree.

“TSC has allowed me to have something for myself, a career,” she said. “Now I get to help people and help save lives.”

Visit TSC’s Diagnostic Medical Sonography program for more information.

As a welder for 22 years, Guadalupe Gonzales has worked throughout California and Texas, never imagining himself in a classroom as an instructor, but Texas Southmost College has changed that for the Harlingen business owner, who was recently welcomed as the college’s newest welding instructor.

Although his classroom is rows of welding stations instead of the traditional rows of desks, the concept of teaching and changing lives remains the same, and his goal is to share his knowledge and experience to ensure his students are workforce ready.

“I started welding as a hobby when I discovered automotive restoration and metal work as a kid,” said the 39-year-old. “Who knew that a bond my dad and I shared would become a career and that now I have the chance to train future welders.”

Gonzales learned the trade while on the job. He started his welding career in California at 17 years old welding and constructing spiral staircases for commercial and residential buildings in California, Arizona and Las Vegas.

“I was fortunate to start where I did,” he said. “I learned and grew so much during that time.”

After five years of welding all things creative, Gonzales was laid off due to the recession, but continued to find work with general contractors and integrated self-employment.

But at the end of his 12th year in California, he was ready to return to Texas and his family, finding work at the Port of Brownsville building and welding barges and other large structures and eventually opening his welding business in Harlingen – Coastal Iron Studio.

“There is always something creative to design and weld for clients and always something new in this industry, which is what I enjoy the most about being a welder,” said Gonzales. “I also teach workshops, and this is where I realized that teaching could be an opportunity for me.”

So, with much motivation from his family, he applied for TSC’s welding instructor position and to his surprise he was offered the job.

TSC Director of Workforce Training and Continuing Education for Construction and Manufacturing Thomas Tynan said he was initially impressed with the experience and creativity in welding that Gonzales brought to the table.

“He may have been self-taught and gained most of his experience on the job, but he is advanced in his field and the creativity he brings from welding things like spiral staircases, rails and gates is going to take our program and its students to a new level,” he said. “He’s a great addition to our team and has an expansive set of knowledge to share.”

In addition to his welding skills, Gonzales is working toward becoming a certified welding inspector, a qualification that will allow him to certify welders at TSC’s welding testing center.

And although TSC was immediately impressed with Gonzales’ skills, it was TSC’s new state-of-the-art welding lab that impressed him.

“Coming into TSC, I was immediately impressed with the lab and its set up. I have never seen anything like it and I’ve worked throughout a couple of states,” he said. “From the first time I saw it, I knew this is where I had to teach.”

Gonzales added, “TSC’s program is growing, and I am excited to be part of that growth. My goal is to help others fall in love with the industry and become successful welders. If I can do that, then that’ll be the most rewarding thing.”

For more information about TSC’s Welding program, visit tsc.edu/wtce.