(WACO, Texas) – With a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in hand, Kory Dyer of Bellville wanted to make himself more marketable.
“I went home and just wanted to weigh out what all my options were. During the internship (for the degree), I came to realize that engineers are expected, going into the field coming out of school, to be proficient in AutoCAD and all the major computer-aided drafting software,” he said.
Dyer decided to go back to college, this time traveling to Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus. Now he is a spring candidate for graduation for an Associate of Applied Science degree in Mechanical-Electrical Drafting Technology.
Dyer will start a new job in mid-June at RODS Subsurface Utility Engineering Inc. in Spring in the Houston area.
“I am very excited about it,” he said. “It is a great company.”
While at TSTC, Dyer learned about computer-aided drafting, machine drafting, parametric design and modeling, and other topics.
“The instructors are very knowledgeable,” he said. “One thing I love about TSTC is they have real work experience. There are people that have been out in the industry for 20, 30 years and retired, and decided to come back and share their knowledge with the next generation of workers. That is a valuable asset that you cannot get just anywhere.”
Dyer spent more than a year as a campus tutor.
“Kory has tutored students in drafting and math, and he has contributed immensely to TSTC by providing instructional support to our students,” said Kassie Harrington, TSTC’s tutoring coordinator. “He is an individual who shows up earlier than asked, works hard, and is always willing to go above and beyond in his studies.”
Dyer said the job challenged him to figure out what worked to communicate with students to get them to understand their problem areas. He said these skills can transition into his future workplace.
“I applied for the tutoring job because I needed a job,” he said. “I wanted to try to get a job on campus because I know, from working in my undergraduate career, it is so much easier when you have a job on campus. They are willing to work around your schedule. They understand studying comes first.”
Dyer’s motivation comes from proving to his high school classmates that he could succeed in college and provide for his future family.
“I want to be able to prove that I can succeed in life,” he said.
Dyer is a graduate of Bellville High School and Texas A&M University Kingsville.
For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu.
