Texas State Technical College students Josh Diaz and Stevie Ramirez will have one goal when they compete as a team at the 2025 SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary Leadership and Skills Conference April 2-5 in Corpus Christi.

“We are going for the gold,” Ramirez, a Welding Technology student in Brownwood, said. “We are excited to be competing against some of the best in the state.”

Diaz, Josh Folio and Ramirez will compete in Welding Fabrication, which requires a team to use their welding and fabrication skills to build a designed project from the provided material.

“There is a lot of studying involved because of the extra measurements,” Diaz said of the competition.

Ramirez said they have been preparing for the event while working in the college’s lab.

“We are really pushing each other to be better,” Ramirez said. “We are doing the extra things in the lab to make sure we are ready.”

Diaz admitted they had some “little techniques” to master before the competition. Ramirez said that is how their instructor, Salvador Marquez, is preparing them.

“Sal will come in and test us on the project,” Ramirez said. “He knows what it takes to be successful at SkillsUSA.”

In addition to their goal of winning, Ramirez said there is an additional objective for the duo.

“We want to see how our work compares to the other competitors, especially those from the other TSTC campuses,” he said.

SkillsUSA is a professional organization focused on employability, leadership and technical skills that help college students pursue successful careers and be part of a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA has more than 100 specific contests at the state and national events in which students can compete, from 3D Visualization and Animation to Welding Sculpture.

Diaz and Ramirez are currently studying for certificates of completion, but both plan to continue their education by adding the Welding Advanced Pipe Specialization certificate at the Brownwood campus.

“I am glad that the pipe welding program is coming to our hometown,” Ramirez said.

To learn more about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.