Midland College grad enjoys raising family in Fort StocktonOctober 30, 2019

Yasmin Montoya was born and raised in Fort Stockton.  Now her husband Jesse and she are raising their two sons in Fort Stockton.

“Fort Stockton is a great place to live,” said Yasmin.  “We like the small-town, family atmosphere, and we enjoy taking advantage of all the things that the town has to offer.”

One of those things is the Midland College Williams Regional Technical Training Center (WRTTC).  Both Yasmin and her youngest brother Alberto Velasquez started their college education by taking WRTTC classes. 

Her brother Alberto took dual credit courses while attending Fort Stockton High School (FSHS).  After he graduated in 2015, he enrolled at the University of Texas, Permian Basin (UTPB) and was able to graduate in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in just three years.  In January, he will enter St. Mary’s School of Law in San Antonio.

Montoya graduated from FSHS in 2004.  She obtained an Administrative Clerk certificate from the WRTTC in 2008.  She continued to take courses at the WRTTC while working full-time and starting a family.  In 2012, Montoya graduated from Midland College with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Business Systems.  Today, Montoya is finishing a bachelor’s degree in Communications from UTPB and will be graduating in December.

“The Midland College WRTTC was a wonderful choice for college” exclaimed Montoya.  “It is affordable and local, and that was what I enjoyed”.

Montoya said that when she started taking classes at the WRTTC, she was working in the office of a local abstract company.

“I found that I enjoyed working in an office setting, so I decided to take courses leading to the Administrative Clerk certificate and later the Business Systems degree,” explained Montoya.  “Anita Shellenberger taught most of the courses in this program, and she is an awesome teacher.  She not only teaches the skills needed to work in an office, but also instills in her students the important traits of dependability and reliability.

“After receiving the Administrative Clerk certificate, Ida Cassias, who was a student advisor at the WRTTC, encouraged me to continue taking courses toward an associate degree.  Once I finished that, she helped me apply to UTPB and begin the route to a bachelor’s degree.  All the staff at the WRTTC are supportive.  They really want students to excel and achieve their educational goals.”

Montoya is using the skills and traits that she learned at the WRTTC in her current job working in Insurance Collections at Pecos County Memorial Hospital.  In addition, she also works in the evenings as the part-time Language Hub tutor and Marketing & Communications coordinator for the WRTTC.

Yasmin’s husband Jesse has a Commercial Driver’s License and is a truck driver for a family-owned business. The couple have two sons, Jesse (J. J.), who is 10, and Joshua, who is 9.

“I’m blessed that my parents are available to help take care of the children when I’m working in the evening and my husband is out of town working or when he is coaching my oldest son’s sport activities,” said Yasmin.  “When I finish my bachelor’s degree in December, I’m looking forward to many new opportunities and spending much more time with family.”

Montoya said that the family enjoys doing things together. A favorite vacation spot for the family is Ruidoso, NM. Her oldest J. J. plays sports so attending his games is something the family looks forward to every weekend. This season he is playing football and just recently joined a traveling baseball team. Joshua loves dinosaurs and at a such a young age is wanting to be a paleontologist, something that makes Montoya and her husband proud.

“We read a LOT of dinosaur books; I am sure his teachers and the local library know exactly what I am talking about,” laughed Montoya. “I want my children to know, even at their age, that education is important.”

It is apparent that Yasmin Montoya and her family appreciate living in Fort Stockton. 

“My advice to others is to take advantage of all the things that living Fort Stockton has to offer,” said Montoya.  “I tell everyone about the wonderful opportunities at the WRTTC.  It’s right here in our town; it’s affordable, and the staff will help with finding ways for financial aid and the Scholars’ Dollars Scholarship.  It’s a great place to get a college education!”