TSTC Welding Student Strikes a New Arc After Injury

When Brian Lucero ran onto the football field for the first time during his junior season at Stony Point High School in Round Rock, he thought it would be the year that set up the rest of his life. While Brian’s team came away with a 42–20 win, the defensive lineman suffered a personal loss.

It was just a regular play — he was chasing down the running back when his knee hyperextended. But Brian knew immediately that something was wrong. Pain rushed through his leg. His season lasted just one game, and his future had to be rewired.

Playing between the lines had always been his plan, but that Friday night changed everything.

“It was the first football game of the season,” he said. “I was training hard prior to it and, unfortunately, I blew out my whole knee — tore my ACL, MCL, and LCL. The whole thing. Everything. I was able to play again, thank God, but after that, I had fear that I was going to end up hurting it again and probably even worse.”

At that moment, Brian thought his purpose had faded. He had to reassess his entire life.

“I was heartbroken because it was all I did growing up,” he said.

Finding a New Spark

The long months of rehab tested Brian’s patience. Watching from the sidelines, he wondered if he’d ever find something that gave him the same rush as game night. While he eventually returned to the field, he knew it was never going to be the same. Brian had to build a new framework — one that he was as passionate about as football.

He let his emotions hold him down for a while, but he bounced back, refusing to let them bury him forever.

Willie King, an education assistant at Stony Point, was always by Brian’s side. During lunch and between classes, the two often talked about life. In one of those conversations, Willie encouraged his student to explore the technical trades — advice that would eventually lead him to Texas State Technical College.

TSTC helped Brian find a new spark. He first enrolled at TSTC’s Waco campus to earn an associate degree in construction. Construction had taught him how things came together, but he realized welding was the craft that held it all in place. This realization led him to TSTC in Williamson County.

“I got my associate degree in construction there, and decided I wanted to do one more,” Brian explained. “I was like, ‘You know what, let me do welding.’ So I tried it out and fell in love with it.”

At TSTC, Brian is mastering arc and TIG welding through the hands-on welding program. With a focus on precision and safety, he’s turning the discipline he learned on the football field into clean, strong welds. He’s building skills that prepare him for a successful career in the trades.

In retrospect, he was always built for the trades. His father, Javier, moved from Mexico to Texas and worked a series of jobs before finding his calling in construction. From a young age, Brian always had a tool in his hand, holding planks steady as his dad hammered nails into them — the sound echoing in the Texas heat. Those moments quietly shaped how he saw hard work and pride in building something with his hands.

“His work ethic — it’s something I always admire,” said Brian. “I’m his son. He put those traits into me. He taught me how to work with my hands, how to be a man when it comes down to it.”

While the TSTC instructors are teaching Brian the depths of welding, he moves with quiet focus. The smell of metal and the light from the torch remind him of those long Texas afternoons spent helping his dad build — the first person who showed him how to work with his hands.

“I’m always looking back at the old memories that we made,” he said. “Let’s say something hits the fan, and I need to figure out what to do. I always ask myself, ‘What would my dad do?’ He’s creative. He’ll come up with a million solutions.”

Turning His Spark into a Profession

While Brian has the steady hands and focus to be a great welder, he’s still fine-tuning his talent to match what’s needed in the field. His father has high praise for Brian’s future, and each spark reminds Javier how far his son has come from the young boy copying his every move. Javier sees how much potential still burns ahead.

“I see him being one of the best out there,” Javier said proudly. “He’s got the structure in order to be a leader. He is wise enough and knows what he’s doing. It makes me happy to see that he is enjoying what he’s doing now. It’s something very beautiful to see. I want to see him be better than me.”

Brian inherited the work ethic and trade from his father, but TSTC is helping him weld his own path.

“I have really enjoyed how he has improved his skills at TSTC,” Javier said. “Even though welding takes a minute to learn, he has learned rapidly. TSTC is not the same as just looking at something or reading; it’s hands-on work.”

Now that the foundation is set, Brian is ready to build the life he’s been working toward. Once he earns his second degree, he hopes to make his dad proud by building skyscrapers in the Dallas area.

Brian’s junior season ended after one game, but that was the year he was set up for the rest of his life. He traded the Friday night lights for the steady glow of a welding torch — finding a new field where his spark could last forever.