(MARSHALL, Texas) – Retired U.S. Navy veteran Clifton Davis has studied Welding and Diesel Equipment at Texas State Technical College to gain the skills needed to better care for his home and farm.
Now, he and his son are studying Building Construction with the goal of developing a home remodeling business.
“I’m not going to be here forever, so it will give him a stable future,” Davis said.
Davis, of Waskom, said he is used to working with his hands, but TSTC’s Building Construction program has taught him new skills.
“I thought I knew everything, but I’m learning a lot of stuff that I didn’t know like site layout and building stuff to code instead of just putting stuff together,” he said.
Davis said it is not only rewarding to work with his fellow students but to get to spend more time with his son as well. He chuckled when he recalled watching his son swing a hammer for the first time and nearly smash his thumb.
“Seeing him learn and being able to teach him is a great experience,” Davis said.
Jayden Morris, Davis’ son and fellow Building Construction student, said he has enjoyed attending classes with his father.
“He’s got a lot of knowledge himself, and the teacher’s teaching me too,” Morris said. “Putting both of their knowledge together is going to help me in the long run.”
Davis is on track to receive his certificate of completion from TSTC’s Marshall campus at the upcoming summer commencement in August. He is one of several Building Construction students who have registered for Marshall’s upcoming Electrical Construction program this fall, making him part of the inaugural cohort for both programs.
“It feels good because we get to set the foundation for everybody else that comes after us,” Davis said.
Building Construction is offered at TSTC’s Fort Bend County, Harlingen, Marshall, New Braunfels, Sweetwater and Waco campuses. The program offers two associate degrees and a certificate of completion, depending on location.
Registration for the fall semester at TSTC is underway. For more information about TSTC, go to tstc.edu.