(ABILENE, Texas) – Caleb Mitchell was exploring possible programs of study at Texas State Technical College when a co-worker provided some guidance.
Mitchell said a fellow AEP Texas employee told him about the college’s Electrical Power and Controls program and how it could help Mitchell further his career.
“My meter electrician (at AEP Texas) has a degree from TSTC,” he said. “He said the bachelor’s degree I received was not tailored to what AEP needed, so I decided to look at going back to school. My boss told me that I needed to have this (Electrical Power and Controls) associate degree to move up.”
Mitchell, of McCamey, said the company supported his decision to pursue an associate degree at TSTC.
“I am using the company’s reimbursement program to help pay for college,” he said.
Mitchell said he has learned a lot during his first semester of the program but knows that more advanced technical aspects of learning are ahead.
“I am excited to learn about the transformers and the programmable logic controllers,” he said. “Those are some of the things I know I will need to know in the field.”
Mitchell said he enjoys his time in the TSTC lab and learning from instructors Kevin Staton and Larry Walders.
“I have never been in a college class that is so interactive,” he said. “The students really participate, and the instructors encourage cooperation.”
Staton said Mitchell began the program with an advantage.
“Working at AEP, Caleb tends to know quite a bit about the field,” Staton said. “He will continue to grow throughout his time at TSTC.”
One thing that Mitchell will have to do more often is make the commute from McCamey to Abilene, a drive of more than three hours each way.
“I think a lot about school while I am driving,” he said. “It gives me time to think about the day. And on the drive home, I think about what I have learned.”
Staton said the commute shows a positive trait in Mitchell.
“I really like his dedication to the program,” Staton said. “That is a long drive, and he is going to be making it twice a week over the next couple of semesters.”
Mitchell said he plans to stay with AEP Texas when he completes his degree, hoping for more opportunities in the future.
“My plan is to be a meter electrician so I will be able to work with more equipment,” he said. “I will also be able to help the people in my area a lot with that knowledge.”
Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians earn an average annual salary of $64,220 in Texas, according to onetonline.org. The growth in the number of such positions in the state was projected to be 14% between 2020 and 2030, according to the website.
TSTC offers Electrical Power and Controls in a hybrid format, combining virtual learning with in-person, hands-on lab work. In addition to the Abilene campus, TSTC’s campuses in Fort Bend County, North Texas and Waco offer the program.
Electrical Power and Controls is part of TSTC’s Money-Back Guarantee. If participating students do not find a job in their career field within six months after graduation, they will receive a refund of their tuition.
Registration for TSTC’s spring semester is underway. To learn more, visit tstc.edu.
