Machines, Mentors and a New Home
After years of moving between countries and careers, Alemu Desta overcame 300-to-1 odds and finally found a space that felt steady. The industrial maintenance lab at Texas State Technical College buzzed with energy. It was a place where effort translated into progress.
“I visited,” said Desta. “I saw I could do this.”
At TSTC, Desta discovered his passion for industrial maintenance. The buzzing of machines and rows of equipment energized him every day. He regularly calibrates sensors, repairs machinery and troubleshoots conveyor systems in the classroom and lab — honing the expertise that will shape his career.
TSTC helped Desta open up. He arrived on campus shy and nervous about stepping into a classroom. Desta and one of his instructors, Albert Martinez, had a heart-to-heart about his life, a bonding moment that pushed him to the next level. He has shown effort and confidence, and his favorite phrase is “Check me out!”
“I think that’s kind of the thing where he’s opening up,” said Martinez. “That’s where we noticed a difference.”
TSTC hadn’t been part of his plan when he moved to the United States, but he’s grateful the school has given him the tools to grow and pursue his associate’s degree.
“It’s good for everybody, especially foreign people,” said Desta. “These instructors have been very helpful. We are like family. I don’t feel like an immigrant, just family.”
TSTC offered more than technical skills; it gave him a supportive community and a foundation for growth.
Desta’s journey to this moment began thousands of miles away, with a single life-changing word.
One Word, a Lifetime of Change
Desta’s heart raced as he hugged his parents at Bole International Airport. The crowd roared around him, but all he could feel was the weight of leaving home. Each step toward the departure gate took him further from everything familiar.
For 18 years, Ethiopia had been his entire world; the United States was mostly unknown. Still, the chance to begin a bold new journey beyond the horizon was too compelling to ignore.
The opportunity came unexpectedly. After graduating high school, a friend mentioned the Diversity Visa Lottery. Eager for a fresh start, Desta filled out the form. That year, nearly 15 million people applied, but only 55,000 were selected — roughly a 0.37% chance.
“After six months, I got it back,” Desta said.
Nearly 200 days later, Desta finally learned his fate, but he didn’t have a computer to check.
When someone lent him one, relief turned quickly to anxiety. Ten dollars stood between him and a life-changing word. He typed the confirmation number, pressed submit, and saw a single word: “selected.” Desta had beaten the odds of nearly 300-to-1. He had won, yet the pull of every memory held him back.
“I was just confused,” he said. “I didn’t want to leave my family.”
Miles Between Dreams
In quiet moments, Desta weighed his options and decided it was best for everyone if he took the leap to the United States. A year later, Desta received his visa. The weight of the moment hit him. He would soon be more than 18 hours away from his family.
“It’s hard,” said Desta. “You’re thinking about the opportunity. You’ve got a chance at a good job, a good education and an opportunity to change your life and your family’s. That’s going to change your mind and push you to come here.”
At 18, he set out alone. Atlanta became his first U.S. home, thanks to a friend of his youngest brother.
“I started nursing school in Ethiopia, so I just tried to keep going with that in Georgia,” said Desta.
Between classes, long commutes and the miles separating him from his girlfriend, Soreti, in Austin, he counted every night until they could reunite.
A New Chapter, a Familiar Face
Desta met his girlfriend, Soreti, in high school. The idea was to find someone he could eventually marry. Just like Desta, Soreti had won the Diversity Visa Lottery to move to the United States. There was only one problem: her sponsorship was in Austin.
While Desta lived in Atlanta and she called Austin home, they flew back to Ethiopia to get married in 2023. The plan was for her to move to Georgia after the wedding, but that blueprint had a flaw: Soreti couldn’t make the move because her community college didn’t want to let her go.
Instead, it was Desta who found himself packing his bags once again. Though he had built a life in Georgia, the pull of family drew him to Austin, a new place to call home. Central Texas offered a new rhythm and industries where his hands-on skills could thrive, giving him the means to build something tangible.
“Same thing as when I moved from Ethiopia,” Desta said. “Start a new life.”
Unlike his time in Georgia, the move to Austin brought some familiarity, being near the person he’s closest to, his wife.
“After four or five years of long distance ended, I was really happy,” Desta said.
The idea of returning to college hadn’t yet materialized. The classroom gave way to the workshop. Desta switched gears from nursing to the trades, joining a company called Flextronics, where the machines vibrated under his fingertips and the steady hum spoke a language he was only beginning to understand.
Though he enjoyed working with machines at Flextronics, Desta wanted to deepen his skills and build a career — an ambition that eventually led him to TSTC.
Looking back, it all began with one word: ‘selected.’ That single word set a journey in motion—across oceans, careers, and challenges—that eventually brought him to a place where he could grow, belong, and build a future. For Desta, the chance to start over became the chance to thrive.