(MARSHALL, Texas) – After graduating from high school, Donovan Suchan followed his father’s advice and explored the possibility of an internship with Komatsu at its Longview facility, where the company manufactures mining equipment. Now a student in Texas State Technical College’s Precision Machining Technology program, Suchan has a partial scholarship from Komatsu and a paid internship there.
“My dad works at Komatsu,” he said. “I didn’t know they had a scholarship program. I found out my Grandpa Don — my dad’s dad — was a machinist, and my dad has his machining degree. I came (to TSTC) and fell in love with machining.”
Steven Williamson, a TSTC Precision Machining Technology instructor at the Marshall campus, estimated that his students are offered internships at Komatsu’s Longview location every three years. He said he was excited when Suchan expressed a desire to work for Komatsu.
“He has really taken the spark of learning machining from not really knowing anything to basically being a top-notch CNC (computer numerical control) student,” Williamson said.
Suchan said working full time while attending TSTC can be challenging, but both experiences have benefited each other.
“It’s been really fun to use all the information I learned from here out at my job, and I’m also learning things out on the job I get to use in here,” Suchan said. “When I graduate, I’ll have had seven months of experience before I’ve officially entered the workforce.”
Tommy Leming, a journey gear machinist at Komatsu, has been training Suchan on gear shapers and serrators, which Suchan said he enjoys. Leming said he hopes that Suchan will continue to work for Komatsu after he graduates from TSTC.
“He listens, takes notes, and he’s willing to learn,” Leming said. “We need younger people to step in and fill those shoes for the people that retire.”
Suchan plans to receive his Associate of Applied Science degree at TSTC’s upcoming commencement ceremony in December.
“I found out life can change in a very short amount of time, so who knows where I’ll end up?” he said.
According to onetonline.org, CNC tool programmers earn a median salary of $62,160 in Texas, where the number of these jobs was projected to grow 47% between 2020 and 2030.
Precision Machining Technology is available at TSTC’s East Williamson County, Fort Bend County, Harlingen, Marshall, North Texas and Waco campuses. The program offers an Associate of Applied Science degree and two certificates of completion.
Registration for TSTC’s spring semester is underway. For more information, visit tstc.edu.
