(HARLINGEN, Texas) – With the revving of race cars at what was then called Edinburg Speedway still in his mind’s ear and images of beautiful cars in his mind’s eye, Oscar Barrera dreams of opening his own auto body shop someday.
Before he chose to enroll in the Auto Collision and Management Technology program at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus to help that dream come true, Barrera laid some groundwork by earning a certificate in business management from an area college, studying the work of auto body specialists on the internet, reading a book about rebuilding engines, and doing some automotive work under the guidance of his father and an uncle.
A campus tour helped Barrera make up his mind about TSTC.
“The instructors showed me around the program and the resources in the lab,” he said. “I saw an old Jeep the students worked on. It looked brand-new. That’s when I realized I should enroll in the program.”
Barrera decided to go for an Associate of Applied Science degree in the program’s refinishing specialization.
“I’ve enjoyed learning how to do specific refinishing techniques that make a vehicle look incredible,” he said. “The instructors have developed me to be a skilled prepper and painter.”
Raymundo Leija is one of Barrera’s instructors.
“The auto collision education has helped Oscar comprehend how to blend paint on a vehicle and how to complete a paint job,” he said.
Barrera said his instructors’ experiences have provided him with a new outlook.
“My education has given me purpose to ensure a quality product on an auto body repair,” he said.
According to onetonline.org, automotive body and related repairers in Texas earn an average of $48,330 a year. The website projected that there would be a 14% increase in the number of such jobs in the state from 2020 to 2030.
TSTC offers Associate of Applied Science degrees in Auto Collision and Management Technology with refinishing and repair specializations at its Harlingen and Waco campuses. Certificate options also are available.
To learn more about TSTC, go to tstc.edu.
