(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Finding the right career path after high school can be a challenge. For Dallas native Emma Uselton, her future came into focus during a conversation at her parents’ gym.
“While I coached people who were training to audition for the television show ‘American Ninja Warrior,’ my former high school teacher stopped by,” Uselton said. “(He) suggested that I consider becoming a wind turbine technician because I was an adrenaline junkie who enjoyed cheerleading and parkour (an exercise discipline). The field offered the same rush I loved, paired with the stability of an in-demand trade.”
Uselton’s online search led her to Texas State Technical College’s Wind Energy program.
“After I read the curriculum, I realized my athletic background gave me an advantage in the stretching, endurance and discipline required to maintain wind turbines,” she said. “My experience coaching also helped improve my communication skills.”
Despite having no background in electronics or hydraulics, Uselton is proving to herself that a career keeping the power grid running is in the future.
“Our instructors do a great job of preparing us for the demanding aspects of the job, from waking up early to mastering the hands-on labs,” she said. “I did not know anything about electronics, circuitry or hydraulics at first, but now I am grasping it. It is amazing that one wind turbine can provide power for up to 10,000 homes.”
Uselton has also taken on a new challenge by being a member of the SkillsUSA drone team.
“I am competing in the sUAS drone category,” she said. “I am practicing maneuvering through an obstacle course to make sure I can operate efficiently under pressure.”
SkillsUSA is a professional organization focused on employability, leadership and technical skills that help college students pursue successful careers and be part of a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA has more than 100 specific contests at the state and national events in which students can compete, from 3D Visualization and Animation to Welding Sculpture.
Patrick Zoerner, a Wind Energy instructor, said Uselton’s drive is evident in the labs.
“Emma has a strong ambition to work in this field,” he said. “With her go-getter attitude, she will find success in both our program and the industry.”
Uselton credits TSTC for transforming her high-energy lifestyle into a professional foundation.
“I am happy that I am training for a career that will help people,” she said. “I am going to have a great future.”
TSTC’s Wind Energy program offers an Associate of Applied Science degree and a certificate of completion at the Harlingen and Sweetwater campuses.
For more information, go to tstc.edu.