(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Max Cienfuegos, a Mechatronics Technology student at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus, is following in the same educational path of his brother, Gabriel, who also is enrolled there. Both were inspired by their parents, who are engineers.
“I think it’s great that my older brother and I are building on the family legacy,” Max Cienfuegos said. “He’s in his final semester of the program and doing an internship at Toyota in San Antonio. I would like to get hired for an internship there as well.”
Gabriel Cienfuegos said his brother should learn everything he can in his classes in order to prepare for a potential internship at Toyota.
“The duties I do in my internship pertain to circuitry and other areas,” Gabriel Cienfuegos said.
Max Cienfuegos, who is in his second semester of studying for an associate degree, said the assignments that his brother used to bring home sparked his own interest in mechatronics.
“My older brother had to code a motherboard but had difficulty understanding it,” Max Cienfuegos said. “I was able to help him because of my familiarity with robotics and coding in high school. (He) suggested I enroll in the same program at TSTC’s Harlingen campus.”
Gabriel Cienfuegos, now in his fifth semester, said his brother always had a knack for tinkering with electrical items.
“That’s why I felt the Mechatronics Technology program was a perfect fit for him,” he said.
Instructor Jenaro Aram Flores-Jinez said the program stands out by prioritizing hands-on learning and equipping students with a robust skill set for mechanical, electrical and engineering challenges.
“This practical approach ensures that students like Gabriel and Max are ready to tackle complex industrial automation challenges,” he said.
Max Cienfuegos said TSTC is preparing him well for his future career.
“The hard work I’m putting into my education validates that I’m gaining the skills an employer is looking for,” he said.
According to onetonline.org, electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians earn an average of $64,220 a year in Texas. The website projected that there would be a 14% increase in the number of such jobs in the state from 2020 to 2030.
To learn more about TSTC’s Mechatronics Technology program, go to tstc.edu/mechatronics.
