(MARSHALL, Texas) – When a storm swept through Jacob Knuckols’ hometown of Daingerfield, Southwestern Electric Power Co. rushed to the scene. Tired of working in the oil field, he asked one of SWEPCO’s lineworkers how he could join their field.
“He said, ‘You’ve got to go to school and do it,’” Knuckols recalled. “I went back to work in the oil field and saved my money up to be able to take a year off for school and keep my bills paid and family fed.”
Knuckols enrolled in Texas State Technical College’s Electrical Lineworker and Management Technology program in Marshall. Despite currently being the oldest student in the program, he said his work in the oil field made the physical requirements “a piece of cake.”
“Being able to perform like these young men do at the age I am, that’s my favorite thing about it,” Knuckols said.
Jeremy Grimes, an Electrical Lineworker and Management Technology instructor at TSTC’s Marshall campus, said Knuckols is a reliable, self-motivated student who always shows up with a good attitude.
“Jacob is a natural leader,” Grimes said. “He picks up on what we’re teaching pretty quickly, and he works really hard to master it when we’re out there working. Once he does master it, he easily goes to other people that are struggling with it and helps them through that.”
Recently Knuckols was one of two students chosen to receive the AEP/SWEPCO Endowed Scholarship from the electric utility company, which is a partner with The TSTC Foundation.
“I didn’t even know it was happening until they called us into the meeting room and told us about it,” Knuckols said. “I came here to get a job and learn this work, but my effort that I put forward doing that, showing up here every day with a good attitude and helping others and stuff like that, paid off in getting me the scholarship.”
Providing for his five children has been Knuckols’ prime motivator in his education. He plans to receive his certificate of completion this August.
“It’s the start of a new chapter of my life, maybe a better one,” Knuckols said. “I can be at home for my family more, so (TSTC) means a lot to me.”
According to onetonline.org, electrical power-line installers and repairers earn a median salary of $77,560 in Texas, where the number of these jobs was projected to grow 14% between 2022 and 2032.
Electrical Lineworker and Management Technology is available at TSTC’s Abilene, Fort Bend County, Harlingen, Marshall and Waco campuses. The program offers an Associate of Applied Science degree and a certificate of completion.
Registration for TSTC’s fall semester is underway. For more information, go to tstc.edu.