(BRECKENRIDGE, Texas) – Returning Texas State Technical College Welding Technology students noticed some different faces in the Breckenridge lab this semester.
“They could not have been a better fit for us in Breckenridge,” Stephen Hope, TSTC’s program team lead for Welding Technology, said of new instructors Leroy Brigman and Jacob Gonzales. “It makes me emotional because I have been teaching this program for six years. For them to come here to lead the program is a true blessing.”
The instructors come from different backgrounds, but they have one thing in common.
“I want our students to be successful in finding a job so they can improve their quality of life,” Brigman said.
Gonzales added another career goal for the students.
“I want them to have a positive impact on the industry, whether it is at a shop, their own business or chasing the pipeline,” he said.
Brigman is no stranger to teaching. He spent the past six years as a welding program coordinator at Alvin Community College. The move to Breckenridge was a chance to get closer to his family.
“I grew up in Eula, and this was a chance to move back home again,” he said.
Prior to working in higher education, Brigman worked in tank shops and on oil rigs.
“I have learned every welding process there is and will pass that on to our students,” he said.
Gonzales has been welding since he was 18 years old and is ready for the next stage of his career.
“I did a lot but decided to come back home to start a family,” he said. “Stephen recruited me to teach the next generation of welders, and I was excited for this opportunity. I relate teaching to coaching, which I do with my kids. It is about connecting with the students to make sure they are prepared to succeed.”
The instructors began teaching this semester, and Hope has been pleased with what he has seen so far.
“They have picked up the ball and run with it,” he said. “It has been incredible to see what they have done.”
According to onetonline.org, welders can earn a yearly median salary of more than $48,000 in Texas. Welding jobs were expected to increase 23% between 2020 and 2030 in the state, according to the website.
Welding Technology is one of nine programs at TSTC that have money-back guarantees. For more information, visit tstc.edu/mbg.
Registration for TSTC’s spring semester begins Oct. 28. To learn more, visit tstc.edu.
