(ABILENE, Texas) – Lucas Garcia has become more confident in what he is able to do, thanks to his time studying Industrial Systems at Texas State Technical College.
Working toward an Associate of Applied Science degree, Garcia admits that he was nervous when he began the program. But any nervousness quickly turned into confidence because of his classmates and instructors.
“The best part of what I have been able to do is build a companionship with my peers in class,” Garcia said. “That has helped me the most. I am no longer afraid to ask questions to my peers on how things work.”
Terry Steelman, an Industrial Systems instructor, said he has seen Garcia grow as a student since he began the program.
“When Lucas first started, he was really quiet,” Steelman said. “The more he felt comfortable, you could see his confidence and skills grow in each project we worked on. He has improved so much since the first day of class, and it is because he has the drive to do his best.”
Garcia, who grew up in Fort Worth, said he enrolled in Industrial Systems for one reason.
“I have always liked to fix things,” he said. “I do not want to rely on anyone else to fix something for me. I learned that this program fits me best for learning how to fix different things.”
Garcia said learning different trades will help him with a career, which he hopes includes being a traveling technician.
“I hope that is the way I will be able to go with a career,” he said. “I will be able to travel during the week and be home on the weekends.”
Garcia hopes to follow in his stepfather’s path to success as a technician.
“He has told me a lot about the need for technicians, and that is what I am here to learn,” he said.
Garcia said he was surprised that he was able to accomplish so much during the first three semesters of the program.
“We started out with the basics, but what I did not realize was that we were learning to get prepared for the more advanced applications,” he said. “It is great to be able to learn different things that will make us better technicians.”
The need for industrial machinery mechanics will increase over the next few years. According to onetonline.org, such positions were expected to grow by 35% in Texas between 2020 and 2030. The average salary for an industrial machinery mechanic in Texas is $58,360, according to the website.
In the Industrial Systems program at its Abilene campus, TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Industrial Systems – Mechanical Specialization and several certificates of completion.
The program is part of TSTC’s Money-Back Guarantee, which refunds a participating graduate’s tuition if he or she has not found a job in their field within six months of graduation. For more information, visit tstc.edu/mbg.
For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.
