(MARSHALL, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Electrical Construction program has officially debuted in Marshall, and staff were blown away by the results.
“It became pretty obvious that there was interest in the program when the first classes filled up in just about a week,” said Bart Day, provost of TSTC’s Marshall campus. “Rather than just getting one cohort of students off the starting line this semester, we started with three full classes on their way to a successful career.”
Though less than two weeks into their classes, the students have already embraced the new program.
After serving in the U.S. Army for 22 years, Dewayne “Bear” Baylor, from Alexandria, Louisiana, was part of the first Building Construction cohort to graduate from TSTC’s Marshall campus. He recalled that one of his grandfathers was a carpenter and the other was an electrician — now he is becoming both.
“Being a homeowner, I don’t want to pay an electrician hundreds of dollars, and I’m a hands-on person so it’s easier to learn it myself,” he said.
Kemora Ford is known as the handy woman of her home in Carthage. She became interested in electricity when she was unable to fix the light in her room, and her mom had to call an electrician.
“I was going to do a different program here, but the Building Construction (instructors) told us that this new program was coming, and it sounded more like my type of category,” she said. “I love it so far.”
Samuel Fluellen, of Gilmer, was originally in the Electrical Lineworker and Management program, but discovered that climbing poles was not for him. However, he was still interested in studying electricity, and that’s when he discovered the Electrical Construction program.
“It actually ended up being exactly what I was going for,” he said. “I actually plan to start my own business. Obviously, I’ll get a lot of years in the (field) before I create that, but that is my grand goal.”
The Electrical Construction students will be working toward their certificates of completion.
“We look forward to some great years ahead,” Day said.
For more information, go to tstc.edu.