Western Technical College (WTC) and its Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) Program would
like to congratulate and recognize Mr. Mario Castorena a recent graduate of WTC’s PTA
program, in April of this year, and additionally passing the National examination and gaining
State licensure examination in June. Mr. Castorena comments that after 21 years of experience,
working in the physical therapy field, and deciding to attend Western Technical College to
pursue a state certification, “it is amazing how sought after you are,” because “everyday there is
a phone call or an e-mail with job offers and opportunities.” Mr. Castorena says he “has nothing
but good things to say about Western Technical College”.
According to grads like Castorena, Western Technical College provides so many types of
assistance, from creating class schedules, to the excellent training facilities, and from the
knowledgeable exceptional, and experienced instructors, to thorough exam preparation, it is no
wonder graduates are so successful. Mr. Castorena was part of the Colleges first PTA class, but
he notes that from his prior experience at both UTEP and Community College that WTC has the
edge when it comes to facilities and straight forward training. Since WTC is a specialized
school, where learning is specifically focused, there are not the superfluous core classes that have
little to do with a student’s intended career path. While those core classes definitely contribute to
a more general learning, WTC gets right down to business offering only field-related courses.
After attending Western Tech and successfully earning his State licensure, Mr. Castorena is
currently employed with University medical Center, where he says one of his favorite things is
being able and qualified “to help people recover and get better.” Castorena mentions that Mary
Cano, Executive Vice President and School Director, personally called him to invite him to take
classes, because both instructors and the administration are personally involved with the success
of each student. He advises current and prospective students to “take advantage of the training
WTC has to offer,” and to really dedicate time and energy to studies and classes.
