(RED OAK, Texas) – Jose Rodriguez is a Welding instructor at Texas State Technical College’s North Texas campus, bringing sparks to life in the classroom. When he is not teaching, he is exploring another form of craftsmanship with the school’s Precision Machining program.
“Before I enrolled in Welding, I was fascinated by Precision Machining, but obviously I joined Welding and it became my passion,” Rodriguez said. “I was given the opportunity to be an instructor and go to class.”
Before he was an instructor, Rodriguez, of Ennis, was a Welding student at TSTC’s North Texas and Waco campuses, receiving his associate degree in spring 2022.
After gaining some professional experience, Rodriguez returned to the North Texas campus as a Welding instructor. He has enjoyed the job for over a year.
“I know what this program has to offer; it helped me and a lot of guys that were in my class to get those jobs that we wanted,” Rodriguez said. “That’s why I wanted to give back to the great program that we have here in North Texas.”
Rodriguez never forgot about his interest in machining and was happy TSTC offered him the opportunity to finally explore it.
“Obviously, being a welder is different from being a machinist; you’re talking about paper thin cuts,” he said. “I’m getting the hang of how to use the machines and how to manipulate them. I’ve always liked learning new stuff.”
Rodriguez has made a great impression as an instructor and student at TSTC. Joaquin Rodriguez, a fellow Welding instructor for the North Texas campus, said he is a great person to work with.
“He always helps everybody out, has great ideas, and is a great team player,” Joaquin Rodriguez said.
Matthew Cotter, a TSTC Precision Machining instructor, complimented Jose Rodriguez’s flexible learning capabilities and upbeat personality in the classroom.
“Jose always has a positive attitude and a smile on his face,” Cotter said. “He is willing to try things a different way so he can make the most out of his time on the machines.”
Jose Rodriguez plans to continue being a TSTC instructor after he graduates from Precision Machining. He said he is proud of how far he has come as both a student and instructor.
“I owe it all to TSTC,” he said.
Precision Machining is available at TSTC’s Fort Bend County, Harlingen, Marshall, North Texas, Waco and Williamson County campuses. Welding is available at all 11 TSTC campuses across the state. Both programs offer an associate degree and several certificates of completion.
For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.
