(ABILENE, Texas) – William Miley took advantage of every opportunity he had at Texas State Technical College.
He had to.
“I am a 50-year-old disabled veteran, and I couldn’t work,” he said. “I sat around depressed for months before I decided I wanted to follow a dream I have had my entire life, and that was to go back to school and get a degree.”
Miley’s dream became reality earlier this month when he walked across the Abilene Convention Center stage to receive his Associate of Applied Science degree from TSTC in Industrial Systems.
“It means the world to me,” he said. “I have worked my whole life. But due to health reasons, I had to sell my two auto shops. I have been through 37 surgeries in my life, including seven since I started at TSTC.”
Miley received one of the largest cheers during the commencement ceremony, which made him emotional not only for himself, but also for his classmates.
“When I started, it was about me,” he said. “As time went on, my focus changed to helping others learn and get through the tough times. Some of my classmates, even being young, have become lifelong friends.”
One person who was proud to see Miley earn his degree was his daughter Courtney Acosta, a TSTC Emergency Medical Services – EMT graduate and current Paramedic student.
“It is really encouraging to see my dad graduate,” Acosta said. “Because of him, all of his kids have had the chance to go to school. I have been able to follow my dream because of my dad. He has made a strong role model not only for me and my family, but also for many people on the TSTC campus.”
Miley has been dubbed “Daddy Bill” by his classmates because he was always the first person in class to help them with an assignment.
“I know the guys in the class appreciate everything he did for them,” Acosta said.
Miley said he hopes to inspire more people his age to think about their dreams and find their purpose in life.
“TSTC has changed my life forever,” he said. “You definitely are never too old to learn new things, and God gave me the chance to use years of knowledge and experience to help others who will make a big difference in the industry. And I’m proud to be part of that.”
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 annual salary for an industrial machinery mechanic in Texas is $60,480, according to the website.
In the Industrial Systems program in Abilene, 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.
Registration for TSTC’s spring semester is underway. To learn more, visit tstc.edu.
