(RED OAK) – Andrew Hebron, 21, of Arlington is a Computer Aided Drafting and Design Technology major at Texas State Technical College in North Texas.
Hebron is a 2013 graduate of Juan Seguin High School in Arlington, where he was in the Chess Club and played trumpet in the band program. The high school is a Texas Project Lead the Way campus for engineering and biomedical science course sequences.
He is scheduled to graduate from TSTC in spring 2018.
Does working in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields run in your family? “My brother is working in engineering and my father works in information technology.”
How did you discover TSTC? “Research. My family and I found the Waco campus after I graduated from high school. Then, we heard about the North Texas campus.”
How have your experiences been attending TSTC in North Texas? “I like the family environment. The instructors are good at what they do.”
How did you become interested in Computer Aided Drafting and Design Technology? “I did Texas Project Lead the Way classes in high school. I took computer aided drafting and design technology and also a class in electronic current boards. I did soldering and designing and discovered real quick it was not for me. I am more of the drafting side.”
What advice would you give to prospective students? “Look at your learning type. I learn best by doing and watching.”
What do you like to do when you are not studying or working? “I enjoy music, calligraphy, woodworking and playing the organ. I started playing the trumpet in the sixth grade. I use a portable joystick and play flying simulations on my laptop. The simulator I play has the ability to follow real weather patterns. It’s my stress relief.”
Architectural, civil, electrical and mechanical drafting are some of the career fields that Computer Aided Drafting and Design Technology majors can pursue. The Woodlands – Houston – Sugar Land and Dallas – Plano – Irving metropolitan areas have the highest concentrations of drafters in Texas, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Overall, the state has more than 1,900 people working in drafting fields.
Registration for fall semester is taking place now, with two special Registration Rally events planned from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on July 13 and Aug. 8 at TSTC in North Texas.
For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu.
