The Los Fresnos CISD Career and Technical Education department announced a new partnership with Texas State Technical College to implement their Mechatronics program for the 2023-2024 school year. Los Fresnos High School students will have the opportunity to enroll in the TSTC Mechatronics Dual Enrollment program, which will allow them to obtain up to forty college semester hours. The first cohort of nineteen students is signed a letter of intent that will guarantee them the first spots in the new program during a ceremony at the Los Fresnos United Dome on Friday, May 19th.
About the Program
The TSTC Mechatronics program combines mechanics, engineering, and technology to embody the growing needs in the manufacturing industry. The nineteen Los Fresnos CISD students that are preregistered for this program will transition to a new CTE Program of Study called “Advanced Manufacturing and Mechanics”. The students will take the courses at no cost, while gaining valuable real-world experience in the field and individual support from instructors. “Ensuring that we are providing diverse programs of study that incorporate in demand career paths and the latest technology is essential. TSTC is the perfect partner to assist us in creating postsecondary ready students,” said Rolando Guerra, CTE Director for Los Fresnos CISD. Beginning in their junior year, students will be able to participate in eight dual enrollment classes through TSTC. The students will follow a curriculum plan that includes two classes per semester at TSTC during their junior and senior years. The Los Fresnos CISD will provide transportation accommodations to and from the Harlingen TSTC campus. Upon graduation, the accumulated hours will count towards the completion of their Associate’s Degree. Los Fresnos is one of only four school districts in the Rio Grande Valley that participates in this partnership.
Community and Business Partnerships
The future of the manufacturing industry relies heavily on ensuring that the students of today make the postsecondary transition to highly skilled workers. Corporations like Toyota and Samsung are working collaboratively with TSTC to provide postsecondary support to students who will graduate from this program. “Our goal is to ensure that once this cohort has graduated from LFHS, they will transition directly into the final stages of this program to include a possible paid internship that provide on the job training,” said Guerra.