Xavian VanceGonzalez wanted a career change after trying her hand as a veterinary technician, phlebotomist and massage therapist.
So last year, she began commuting from Killeen to Waco’s Texas State Technical College campus to study plumbing, a field with strong growth expected in the next decade.
“I wanted something a lot more secure, something that would be there in 20 years that isn’t going to be … super competitive,” said VanceGonzalez, 24. “But there’s always going to be a position open, so just more security for the future.”
She’s enjoying her new choice of career paths, even more so in recent weeks as she has moved into TSTC’s new $72 million Construction Technologies Center.
The center was dedicated in late March, but it opened earlier this year to students in construction, plumbing, solar energy and heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
Enrollment in those classes has skyrocketed in the last few years to 252 students last year, up 66% from 2023.
It’s the first new building on TSTC’s flagship Waco campus in 14 years, but TSTC officials hope future expansions will happen more easily. Texas voters last year agreed to dedicate $850 million as an endowment for improvements across the 11-campus system.
The soaring 130,000 square-foot building provides a bigger space for new equipment and consolidates multiple programs previously scattered among a collection of small buildings.
The additional space allows VanceGonzalez to sit down for down time between classes, so she can crochet, draw or charge her devices. In the past, she would wait in her car or find space in the busy cafeteria. The new building is quieter and less crowded.
Other students were excited about the new facility and the elbow room it provides in their hands-on learning.
“It was a little bit of a rough first week,” said HVAC student Uriel Rojero, 24. “They were still getting things going, but just felt nice, like breaking in the equipment, you know, sort of seeing everything new.”
In his first semester of the HVAC program, Rojero has enjoyed the small class size — there are 12 in his class — and ability to practice his skills as he learns.
“I feel like the bond gets closer too with such a smaller class, we all help each other out when we’re getting behind or something like that,” he said. “So it helps out a lot.”
For students seeking a career change, TSTC provided an accessible option.
After Rojero sought a career change, he decided to enroll into TSTC’s HVAC program with a friend. The flexibility of the program has allowed him to maintain his work schedule as a warehouse tech.
“The program is so quick and easy,” Rojero said. “It’s only Tuesday-Thursday, not like your standard, Monday through Friday. And my job, luckily, they’re helping me, working around with me.”
Rojero did not learn about trades in high school or even think of it as an option. He attended McLennan Community College and landed a well-paying job as a warehouse tech, but it didn’t seem like a long-term career.
“You just don’t always see yourself at a warehouse,” Rojero said. “It’s kind of tiring for the body. And I just thought of this career change, something I’m actually interested in, and I see a lot of potential with it. I feel like I always overlooked trades in a way. I thought the only way out was, your standard college, four- or five-year college.”
VanceGonzalez felt drawn to plumbing after checking out TSTC’s offerings at her father’s urging.
She was able to use her father’s military benefits to enroll in the plumbing program.
For plumbing students, the new Construction Technologies Center was a big improvement over the previous plumbing facility, where students had to go outside to connect water heaters to a hose.
In the previous facility, students had to “fight for space,” plumbing instructor Mike Chrisman said.
“It was kind of prehistoric the way we used to do things, and now we’re a lot more advanced technology where we can expand and do more,” he said.
Now in her second semester, VanceGonzalez said she is now better equipped to understand what she is learning because the equipment is more aligned with real-life conditions.
“Being able to do stuff where it’s a bit closer to what you would encounter in an actual job aspect is a lot more helpful,” VanceGonzalez said. “It’s easier to remember. You can actually go through the steps and processes. And if you make a mistake, it actually shows that you made a mistake, rather than, theoretically because you turn the wrong thing – you’re going to sit, (and get) splashed in the face with water.”
Disclosure: Texas State Technical College is a financial supporter of The Waco Bridge, a nonprofit news organization that is funded in part by donations from individual donors, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Bridge’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
