“The 81% placement mark is substantial, because it records placement at the beginning and during the semester and after graduation,” said Benji Cantu, TSTC director of career services.

“I think this clearly shows a transition among not only the students wanting to go out and find careers, but a transition among the faculty and staff of TSTC that the new funding formula is what drives us to make these graduates successful. We no longer get them here and train them and then let them fend for themselves after they graduate. We have faculty and staff that strive throughout the student’s education to get them prepared for a career in their degree field and are always looking for job opportunities for them.”

TSTC marketing and communications director Baily Atchley notes that TSTC is the first college in the nation that receives funding based on the number of students placed in the workforce rather than the number of students in the college’s classrooms.

“More important than our commencement ceremony on Friday night, is whether our graduates will go to work on Monday morning,” Atchley said. “Our consistently high job placement numbers is a real testament to how outstanding our graduates are.

“This new and frankly revolutionary funding formula is a positive for our students, industry partners and Texas as a whole.”

This year’s Regents’ Honors Graduates, students who have a perfect 4.00 grade point average, include; Matthew Turner, Rex Musgrove, Jeffery Paul Preuett and Clarissa McBride. Honors graduates hold a grade point average of 3.50-3.99 and include; Juan Gerardo Rodriguez, Adam Smith, Antonio Baker, Marina Gibbs, Steven Anderson, Malachi Gorman, Dramone Stover, Karon Copeland, Huter Kole Withers, Eddie Dwayne Evans, II, Brady Kennedy, Brian Monholland, Michael Spence Morris, Amanda Ramirez, David Lee Plummer and Anyssa M. Powell.