Eric Jackson’s Journey With Cables, Courage and a Calling

From the Marines to global IT work, Eric Jackson’s path eventually led him to the computer networking lab at TSTC’s Williamson County campus. There, he blends discipline, experience and heart to guide students toward meaningful careers. For Jackson, teaching is more than a job — it’s a calling.

Eric Jackson’s workday begins the moment he powers on a computer. For the computer networking instructor at Texas State Technical College’s Williamson County campus, the lab isn’t just a room full of rows of monitors casting a blue glow. It’s his refuge.
After a career that has taken him around the world, including to Singapore, South Korea and Australia, he now finds peace in the steady hum of the cooling fans in the lab.

Eric found his home in the classroom after starting his adult life in the military and spending 20 years in information technology. His true passion is mentoring the next generation of computer networking professionals.
“I love seeing the light bulb go off for a student where they’ve been wrestling with this complicated subject or concept, and then they finally get it,” Eric said. “I get the most enjoyment out of it.”
In his classes, Eric teaches students to design, secure and troubleshoot the networks that keep businesses, hospitals and other organizations running. He blends what he learned in the military and industry with hands-on labs that mirror real-world environments.

When he leans over a student’s shoulder to walk through the next task on the screen, he isn’t just fixing a problem — he’s helping that student grow.
“He’s very friendly, and he’s helped me a lot,” Purushotam Mahato, a computer networking student, said. “Every time I text or email him, he replies quickly and walks me through what I’m stuck on.”
“This was a way for me to not only help somebody, but help myself reach my highest potential,” Eric said. “I think that every adult should aspire to at some point in their life pass on the knowledge that they have onto the next generation.”
Those lessons didn’t start in a lab. They started in his early life with experiences that shaped the instructor he is today.

Missions, Maintenance and Marine Mindset

Eric grew up in a small town outside Richmond, Virginia. His high school had only about 300 students, and he knew he wanted to get out and build a better future for himself. He joined the Marines straight out of high school, serving four years in a communications role. The military offered the structure and opportunity he was looking for.

From swapping out damaged cables to checking radio frequencies, Eric discovered a passion for technology. He played a vital role in keeping communications up so missions could run smoothly.

“I did communications fill,” Eric said. “I worked on UHF radios and set up different sites for communications.”

The military laid the foundation for who he is today. He said the Marines taught him honor, courage and commitment.

Those core values were just the start of his growth. Every day came with high stakes — sometimes life or death. If communications failed, his unit could falter.

Training was Eric’s biggest hurdle. He vividly remembers one exercise in which they simulated a helicopter crash, with water enveloping him as he escaped and then helped his peers.

Those intense moments taught him to stay calm under pressure. Now, when a student is stressed over a lab or a broken network, he draws on that same instinct: stay calm, focus on the next step and help the person next to you.

Family, Firmware and a Fresh Start in Texas

Once his time in the Marines came to an end, Eric met his wife and settled into a career in information technology. He had learned to move quickly with technology in the Marines and carried those skills into the corporate world, working for companies like EMC and Deloitte in roles related to cloud architecture and design.

During those 20 years in IT, Eric and his wife had two children, and his role as a father began to shape how he thought about teaching and mentorship.

“I like to teach my kids about life in general,” he said.

The patience he practiced at home would later become just as important in the classroom.

Despite his years in the military and in IT, one of Eric’s biggest personal challenges came when his family decided to move to Texas. They packed up an RV and started a cross-country trek from California, and along the way Eric found himself troubleshooting engine lights in parking lots, planning around bad weather and keeping everyone calm when plans changed — all while sharing close quarters with his family.

The trip helped him grow as a husband and father. He looks back on the experience with pride, knowing they accomplished a major move together.

“My foundation is my family,” Eric said. “Not just my wife and kids and siblings, but the people who’ve shaped me along the way, including the Marine Corps.”

Eric had found a new home in Texas, but he still needed to find the right job, one that would make use of his skills and experience.

Classrooms, Core Values and Career Connections

When the opportunity to work at Texas State Technical College came up, Eric saw a chance to make a direct impact on students’ lives, and he couldn’t pass it up. He first joined TSTC as a veteran’s recruiter, talking with prospective students about the importance of getting an education.

“TSTC has core values, and I felt like those aligned strongly with me as far as excellence, accountability, service and integrity,” he said.

In 2024, TSTC’s Williamson County campus launched a computer networking program — a degree that fit Eric’s background perfectly. It was also a chance for him to pass along his knowledge and help students get connected to the field.

“At the beginning it was really hard for me,” Purushotam said. “But when I came to the college and met Eric, he helped me a lot — and now TSTC feels like my home.”

“I felt like TSTC was more of an outlet for me,” Eric said. “All these skills and all these different experiences that I’ve had, they could be valuable to the students that I teach.”

Every day, he walks into the classroom and sees an opportunity. He helps students configure routers, build small networks and troubleshoot real issues.

One of those real moments came in an Active Directory class when Purushotam accidentally misconfigured a group and locked himself out.

“I made a mistake with a group and it was really hard to fix,” Purushotam said. “He sat with me and showed me how to figure out the issue step by step. He also encouraged me to work on certifications like CompTIA A+ and Network+, so I can be stronger for future jobs.”

From basic concepts to more advanced skills, Eric strives to be a mentor and father figure for his students. But his expectations still reflect what he learned as a young Marine.

“I think being organized and having structure is important,” he said. “I think students look to me for direction.”

Purushotam recently graduated from TSTC’s computer networking program, and Eric made sure he knew how proud he was.

“The last time I met with him, he told me he was very happy for me,” Purushotam said. “He told me, ‘If you ever have any issues or need anything, you can contact me anytime.’”

For Eric, every time the lab fills with the hum of computers and quiet conversation, it’s a reminder that all the paths he’s taken — small-town Virginia, the Marines, corporate IT, a cross-country move — have led him to where he’s meant to be: helping students build their own futures, one network at a time.

When students complete TSTC’s associate degree in Computer Networking & Systems Administration, they become eligible to take industry-recognized certification exams. Earning these certifications can help graduates qualify for jobs with a median salary of $55,320, depending on role and experience.