TSTC Marshall campus celebrates summer 2025 graduates

MARSHALL, TX. (KTAL/KMSS) — Texas State Technical College’s Marshall campus honored its summer 2025 graduates with two commencement ceremonies at Memorial City Performance Hall.

One ceremony was dedicated to 64 graduates of the Electrical Lineworker and Management program, with most receiving certificates of completion.

The program’s instructor, Mark Bayliss, said the group’s collective achievement reflects a strong sense of unity.

“They’ve all progressed in the program together, so it’s like one big family,” Bayliss said in a news release. “They take care of each other and help each other get jobs later down the road, so the bond that they build here lasts a lifetime.”

Many graduates had already secured positions with electric utility companies before walking the stage, according to a news release.

One of the graduates, Trinity Abbott, was recognized with the Provost’s Outstanding Achievement Award in addition to her certificate of completion. The Provost’s Outstanding Achievement Award is not standardized, but a title used by different universities to recognize excellence in students or faculty. 

Michael McMillian, from Shreveport, Louisiana, has joined Shelton Energy Solutions and encouraged future students to be sure of their path.

“(TSTC) didn’t become the best lineman school in the country because it was easy,” McMillian said.