(RED OAK, Texas) – Caleb Abbate, a dual enrollment student enrolled in the Diesel Equipment Technology program at Texas State Technical College’s North Texas campus, is taking initiative and aiming to graduate early.
Abbate will be a junior at Heritage High School in Midlothian beginning in the fall and is striving to graduate with an Associate of Applied Science from the Diesel Equipment Technology program around the same time he will graduate high school.
In order to meet this goal, Abbate is currently enrolled in multiple summer classes and is working with instructors from TSTC and his high school to figure out how he can take a heavier TSTC classload in the fall.
“He’s driven,” said Edward Price, an instructor for the North Texas Diesel Equipment Technology program. “When you do talk to him you can tell he’s got a plan. He knows where he wants to go and what he wants to do, and he’s going to do that. He’ll keep working and keep trying until they find a way to make it happen.”
Price said that it was not only Abbate’s drive, but the initiative he showed in working towards his goals that impressed him.
Abbate said that the reason he is so motivated to achieve his goals is so that he can get where he wants to be.
“I love engines and I love to work on things,” he said. “I plan on going into multiple fields like aviation mechanics, car mechanics, just any automotive stuff. So this is a start for me.”
Abbate is also currently working towards getting his pilot’s license and said that eventually he would like to combine his knowledge of aviation and mechanics.
Abbote encouraged others to pursue their goals as well.
“Follow your dream, your purpose, to find what you love the most and give it a shot,” he said.
According to onetonline.org, jobs for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists were expected to increase 19% in Texas from 2020 to 2030. Such technicians employed in the state can earn an annual average salary of $50,970, the website stated.
Diesel Equipment Technology is available at TSTC’s Fort Bend County, Marshall, North Texas, Sweetwater and Waco campuses. Depending on campus location, the program offers Associate of Applied Science degrees with different specializations, as well as several certificates of completion.
The program is part of TSTC’s Money-Back Guarantee program. If a participating graduate does not find a job in their field within six months after graduating, TSTC will refund their tuition.
Registration for TSTC’s fall semester is underway. For more information, go to tstc.edu.
