(HARLINGEN, Texas) – There are many life lessons that a father can teach his son. For Jesse Carrizales, some of those lessons included instruction about the use of firearms.
“My father educated me about the importance of hunting to provide a meal for the family,” he said. “The other was how to ensure your family’s safety. My father’s knowledge reflected the traditional times.”
Those lectures about guns would eventually lead Carrizales to Texas State Technical College.
“I was first enrolled in TSTC’s Wind Energy Technology program, but I realized I was not suited for it,” he said. “Then (Eutiquio) Calderon, my former TSTC Wind Energy Technology instructor, directed me toward the college’s Precision Machining Technology program. I realized the program could open an opportunity toward my passion for the firearms manufacturing industry.”
Now Carrizales, of San Benito, is pursuing an Associate of Applied Science degree in Precision Machining Technology at TSTC’s Harlingen campus.
“I have grasped the hands-on knowledge with the tools that will be used for gun manufacturing,” he said, referring to the computer numerical control (CNC) machines used in the program. “That is going to be the focus of how everything will be made in the industry.”
Carrizales said the expertise shared by TSTC’s Precision Machining Technology instructors has elevated his potential beyond measure.
“I entered this program with minimal knowledge,” he said. “They established a foundation for my classmates and me to succeed.”
He added that the engagement with the computer-aided drafting and computer-aided manufacturing software has been especially interesting.
“I was able to draw three-dimensional firearm images of what I could potentially design in the future,” he said.
Carrizales’ job prospects for when he graduates are encouraging.
“My instructors have made me aware (of some TSTC) industry partners that are linked to the Department of Defense,” he said. “I also have interest in two San Antonio-based gun manufacturing companies.”
Carrizales has some advice for prospective students interested in pursuing Precision Machining Technology at TSTC.
“The program is for you if you have a genuine passion to apply your ideas,” he said. “The software we practice on for our trades will expand your potential.”
TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Precision Machining Technology and a certificate of completion in Machining at its East Williamson County, Fort Bend County, Harlingen, Marshall, North Texas and Waco campuses. A Basic Machining occupational skills award is available at the Fort Bend County, Marshall and Waco campuses.
In Texas, CNC tool operators can earn $46,640 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
TSTC is so confident that the training its students receive during this program will culminate in a job that Precision Machining Technology is part of the college’s Money-Back Guarantee. If graduates do not get hired in their field within six months after earning their degree, TSTC will refund their tuition.
Registration for the fall semester is underway. For more information, visit tstc.edu.
