(WACO) – Nathanael Hamilton of Longview works daily with visual appeal.

Hamilton, 28, is a customer service representative working with vending machine inventory at the Airgas Store in Longview. He sets up hardware and software for 11 vending machines filled with protective equipment and welding supplies. Hamilton also does technical support on the machines.

“Customer service skills help me to network with people while the hands-on experiences help me enjoy my work,” he said.

But Hamilton studied a different side of design – Digital Media Design – when he was a student at Texas State Technical College in Waco. He graduated in 2012 with the program’s associate degree. Digital Media Design graduates use customer service skills to work alongside clients and companies to analyze and research targeted audiences for graphics, logos, fonts and other aspects of design.

Hamilton said his workdays start at his desk, where he checks emails and gathers items for vending machines. Most of his work is done at businesses that have accounts with Airgas.

“He’s a critical part of the team,” said Jeffrey White, an Airgas account manager. “Right now he’s our only vending solutions guy in Longview. He fills the machines, troubleshoots them, and if there’s anything wrong, he helps us with those. Our service area goes from Longview to Tyler to the Louisiana border.”

Hamilton grew up in DeKalb in Bowie County and had what became a lifelong interest in creative mediums, like animation.

“I have always been fascinated with the idea of creating something that people enjoy, such as video games and films,” he said. “Some people read books for stories, but I watch films and play video games that are story-driven because I am a visual person.”

Hamilton graduated in 2007 from DeKalb High School.

“When I was in high school, I was in charge of a novel video yearbook that encompassed elementary, middle and high school images set to music,” he said. “Being able to be responsible for different stages of media translates into my current job by allowing me to multitask.”

He said in the future he wants to take the skills he has learned at Airgas and design video games and films.

“Don’t be afraid to learn things that are outside your degree plan because you never know when it may come in handy,” Hamilton said. “I have also learned basic welding skills, computer science basics and some painting skills.”

Though the associate degree program in Digital Media Design is no longer offered at the Waco campus, it is offered at the Abilene and Harlingen campuses. For more information on the program, go to tstc.edu/programs/DigitalMediaDesign.

For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu.

(WACO) – Jonathan Ramsey thought it would be a good idea to take time off after his 2012 graduation from The Colony High School in Denton County.

Thinking back, he said it was not the best decision he ever made.

“If you just want to take a break, you are going to waste your time,” Ramsey said. “You have to better yourself.”

He began classes in fall 2014 at Texas State Technical College in Waco.

“I finally came down here to be serious,” said Ramsey, 24.

Ramsey is a candidate for an Associate of Applied Science degree in Robotics Technology at TSTC’s Summer 2017 Commencement on Aug. 18 in Waco.

“It’s a long time coming and it means moving on to bigger and better things,” he said.

Ramsey works with the program’s robots several times a week. He has come to enjoy the motor controls and troubleshooting aspects of robotics technology.

“Jonathan’s work ethic is one of the most impressive things I’ve observed since I’ve been his instructor,” said Brandon McMahan, a TSTC Robotics Technology instructor. “We know he works late nights as a server and bartender at a restaurant, but he never misses class and never uses that as an excuse. The level of his work has really improved because he comes to school with a great attitude and focuses on improving his techniques. We often use his work as an example when we show the lab to potential employers.”

While at TSTC, Ramsey discovered Cameron Park along the Brazos River. He said he likes exploring the trails and sitting at his favorite spot in the park overlooking the river while reading the Bible and drinking coffee.

Ramsey said The Colony was a good family-oriented place in which to grow up. He, like others in his generation, grew up with technology.

“When I was eight, I had my own computer,” he said. “I took it apart and fixed it so many times.”

He began playing guitar in 2008 after his grandmother gave him one as a gift.

“When I was growing up, I went to a small private school for a bit,” Ramsey said. “I sang in the chorus and learned how to read music. When I went to middle school, I learned how to play the tuba. Music is my stress relief.”

He got involved in Tiger, Cub and Boy Scouts and progressed to be a senior patrol leader and Eagle Scout. He was also a crew leader at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.

Skills he learned in Boy Scouts have helped him in his studies at TSTC.

“When it comes to leadership, I can work with a group and do that,” Ramsey said. “The most important things are time management and meeting deadlines.”

After graduation, he wants to work in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

TSTC’s Summer 2017 Commencement will include graduates from the North Texas, Waco and Williamson County campuses. The ceremony will be at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 18 at the Waco Convention Center at 100 Washington Ave.

For more information about TSTC’s statewide commencement ceremonies, go to tstc.edu/about/graduation.

For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu.

(WACO) – Cade West of Boerne already had plumbing, welding and oil field experience before registering for classes at Texas State Technical College.

He did the work after graduating in 2013 from TMI – The Episcopal School of Texas in San Antonio and briefly attending a four-year university.

“Our instructors tell us to treat school like a job,” said West, 22.

West is working toward an Associate of Applied Science degree in Building Construction Technology – Project Management Inspection Specialization at TSTC. One of the classes West is taking this summer for the associate degree is Piping Standards and Materials, which is also included in the Plumbing and Pipefitting Technology certificate program.

After graduation in 2018, West said he wants to work in the construction field and have the plumbing background to use when needed.

“It’s an honest living,” he said.

The need for pipefitters, plumbers and steamfitters is expected to grow nationwide by more than 49,000 jobs through 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some of the largest employment fields include building equipment contracting, nonresidential building construction and utility system construction.

Texas had more than 40,000 pipefitters, plumbers and steamfitters as of May 2016. Workers were earning a mean average annual salary of $46,100, according to the federal labor statistics bureau.

The Woodlands – Houston – Sugar Land metropolitan area had the most pipefitters, plumbers and steamfitters in Texas with 13,000 workers as of May 2016. The Dallas – Plano – Irving metropolitan area had more than 8,600 workers in the same period. The Waco area had more than 300 workers, according to the federal labor statistics bureau.

“In Waco, there is a huge demand for qualified service technicians in both the plumbing and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) markets,” said Don Masten of the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 529 in Waco. “Waco is aging, and we need trained people to maintain the buildings and homes as well as the aging infrastructure. With changes in technology, the process of building has sped up and become more efficient.”

Students in TSTC’s Plumbing and Pipefitting Technology certificate program take three semesters of hands-on classes to learn about backflow prevention, steam piping, blueprint reading and other topics.

“We are losing our older generation and don’t have as many younger people who want to get their hands dirty,” said Jimmy Bibb, a plumbing and pipefitting instructor in TSTC’s Building Construction Technology program. “We are more in the line of technicians.”

Bibb said school districts should include plumbing and pipefitting in curricula, similar to how construction technology and welding are offered for high school students through specialized technical career tracks.

Bibb said the typical student entering TSTC’s certificate program should not be afraid to work. He knows all too well what it takes to earn the Plumbing and Pipefitting Technology certificate from TSTC – he did it in 2009.

The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners administers the testing and licensing for people working in the fields of plumbing, medical gas piping installation, public water supply protection, sewage disposal and natural gas.

Masten said Texas requires 8,000 registered hours as a plumber’s apprentice before taking the journeyman licensing examination.

“What this means is that a worker will have to be on the job and registered with the state for approximately four years before he or she will be considered eligible for the state exam,” Masten said. “This isn’t by accident. Plumbing is very diverse and despite improvements in material and technology, the science behind it has not changed. It takes that amount of experience under a qualified journeyman to gain the skills necessary to do the job correctly and efficiently.”

For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu.