(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Five years after graduating from Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus, Elizabeth Garza walked into an interview at Garver with a determination to learn a new field.
Today, she helps lead Garver’s computer-aided drafting production (CAD) resources division and mentors its drafting professionals.
Garza joined Garver, an engineering, planning and environmental services firm, as a computer-aided design technician in 2022. She has developed technical expertise, helped establish infrastructure drafting standards and workflows and attended Autodesk University to study emerging tools and technologies.
“I believe that work ethic drives you to the success that you see for your future,” Garza said.
In her role, Garza’s work helps teams improve efficiency and quality control while strengthening the final products delivered to clients.
Ulises Perez, a CAD production operations leader at Garver, said Garza’s willingness to learn contributed to her advancement.
“When Elizabeth first joined the company, our infrastructure team was still developing its standards and workflows,” he said. “Now, she is taking the lead on that team.”
Garza conducts monthly training sessions for CAD technicians beyond Garver’s Harlingen office
“I offer that help because I wish I had that when I first started my drafting career,” she said.
Brianna Purnell, a Garver civil designer in Greenville, South Carolina, said Garza has helped improve her approach to creating standards.
“That look put together is pleasing to the eye,” she said.
As CAD technology evolves, Garza helps the company adapt while bringing industry training back to her teams.
Similarly, TSTC’s Drafting and Design program works with industry partners to align with workplace needs. Drafting and Design instructor Samuel Pizano said the team works to incorporate emerging technologies into its curriculum.
“We make sure that the tools they are using can be matched in our lab,” he said.
For more information about TSTC, visit TSTC.edu.