(MARSHALL, Texas) – Aaron Norman, of Big Sandy, was eight years old when he decided he wanted to work for mining equipment manufacturer Komatsu like his father.
“They had a family day, and I said, ‘One day I want to work here,’” he said. “I wanted to build the loaders.”
After graduating from high school, Norman enrolled in Texas State Technical College’s Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD) program (now Drafting and Design). He was met with a collaborative environment where students regularly helped each other with assignments.
Norman did his part to help others, getting involved with several student-run organizations at the Marshall campus and hosting fun, team-building activities in his free time.
“Anybody that was needing to get the feel for the land, they would always come to me,” he said. “It was a good time.”
Norman received his associate degree from TSTC in 2010. Though taking the next step in life made him nervous, Norman began his career as a draftsman. However, he never forgot his childhood dream.
When Norman got word that Komatsu’s Longview location had an opening, he quickly applied for it.
“Before I got back to my house, I already had the job,” he said.
Norman helps design the loaders he dreamed of working on as a child. He said he has worked on every piece of the vehicles, but the tires, for more than seven years and has learned every bit counts.
“You’ll design this little part, but as you go through the whole building process, you see it actually does impact everything else,” Norman said. “Just to see the whole loader roll out the door, it’s the most rewarding for me.”
Brian Dearborn, an engineering process specialist for Komatsu, said a big aspect of his job is looking over the plans created by the company’s designers, and Norman always thinks outside the box.
“He is certainly a strong leader and not afraid to challenge the status quo when it comes to how things are done,” Dearborn said of Norman. “Ideas get stale, designs get stale, and he challenges that.”
Norman said he is determined to keep up with technology and hopes to advance to a supervisory role in the future.
“TSTC is where it all started,” Norman said.
Drafting and Design is available in a hybrid format at TSTC’s Harlingen, Marshall, North Texas and Waco campuses, as well as online. Several associate degrees and certificates of completion are offered.
Registration for the summer and fall semesters at TSTC starts Monday, March 30. For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.
