(MARSHALL, Texas) – Texas State Technical College graduate Monique Gray recalled with a laugh that she never wanted to have a “girly job.” She said she developed a mechanical aptitude while traveling across the United States with her father as she grew up.
“My dad was a truck driver, and he was also a mechanic,” the Marshall native said. “I would be under the truck with him, passing him tools.”
When the time came for her to apply for college, Gray chose to stay local and enrolled in TSTC’s Instrumentation Technology program at the Marshall campus. The program has since been incorporated into the Automation and Controls Technology program in Marshall but is still offered in Waco.
Being the only woman in her program could be intimidating at times, but Gray said her instructors helped her toughen up.
“There were times that I wanted to give up because I felt maybe this was not for me,” she said. “But I prayed about it, and I put my best foot forward in all that I did.”
Receiving her Associate of Applied Science degree in 2010 was only the beginning of Gray’s professional accomplishments. She was hired by cable company Prysmian Group, where she advanced from an operator to a management position.
Today, Gray is a production supervisor for The Crosby Group in Longview, a manufacturer of securement products for rigging, lifting and material handling. She is the sole woman on her team, managing the forging department in the evenings.
“When you go behind the scenes and you’re seeing everything that comes along with the process it takes to make a product, it’s exciting,” she said.
Gray is considering enrolling in TSTC’s Automation and Controls Technology program in the future. She also keeps the college’s Professional Driving Academy in mind if she ever wants to follow in her father’s footsteps.
“The industry is advancing every day, and if you come to TSTC, know that you will be career-ready and your path will be set for you,” Gray said. “Don’t give up. The future is definitely yours.”
For more information about TSTC, go to tstc.edu.
