Flying High

TSTC Alumni Pay It Forward as Aviation Instructors

They once explored the facility as students. Now, they lead it.

A dedicated group of instructors knows every nook and cranny of Texas State Technical College’s aviation maintenance hangar in Abilene. They have watched it fill with equipment, rearranged workspaces and integrated new technology over the years. Above all, they share a unified sense of purpose: seeing every student succeed.

Instructors Racheal Dupre, Tony Flores, Ross Jones and Andy Smith were once sitting in the very classrooms where they now teach, preparing future generations for careers in the aviation industry.

Racheal, Tony and Andy graduated from the program together in 2023. Returning to TSTC allowed them to use their fresh industry perspectives to help mold incoming students.

“I really enjoyed the environment as a student,” Racheal said. “I was getting too old to crawl and kneel around the planes. I knew that I wanted to share my knowledge with the future.”

Racheal added that her goal was to refine how course material was delivered. “I wanted to make it better for the students,” she said. “My favorite thing is to see it when the light bulb goes off.”

Building Careers from Day One

Andy shares that passion, enjoying the process of watching students grow from their first day on campus.

“I want them to be able to get that great job and feel the two years they spent with us was worth it,” Andy said. “I want to be the type of instructor I had in school.”

Like Racheal, Andy said age and physical demands influenced his transition into higher education.

“I spent a lot of time on the flight line. I found out I like my desk and office,” Andy said with a smile. “You take pride when something is broken and it takes off. I want my students to do the same thing — come in here, learn everything they can and be successful in the industry.”

Guiding Every Flight Path

Tony emphasized that the primary goal across the department remains student achievement.

“We see students come in here not knowing anything, and by the time they leave, they have their license,” Tony said.

Whether graduates choose commercial aviation, private fields or the military, Tony focuses on guiding them toward their personal career goals. “I want them to focus on that path so they will be successful.”

A Legacy of Growth

Ross is the veteran of the faculty group. He graduated from the program in 2011 and worked for more than 10 years in the industry before returning to TSTC.

Becoming a father sparked his interest in teaching. Ross noted that just as parents guide their children daily, he wanted to mentor newcomers entering the field.

He has also witnessed the program’s remarkable expansion over the years. When Ross was a student, the program had only two instructors and 25 students. Today, six instructors train more than 100 enrolled students.

“I love hearing the success stories, especially from students who have taken on management roles,” Ross said. “That makes us as instructors crave education even more.”

For all four instructors, the ultimate reward comes on graduation night.

“We all get giddy at graduation,” Ross said. “We know we did our job when names are announced and they have a job waiting for them at the same time.”