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HARLINGEN — Jonathan Garza, an Automotive Technology student at Texas State Technical College, could not be happier with the choices that he made to learn more about the automotive industry and follow in his stepfather’s career pathway.

“My stepdad is not only a graduate of the same program (Automotive Technology), but he’s a professional mechanic who has worked with several Ford dealerships in the Rio Grande Valley and San Antonio for 24 years,” Garza said. “His hard work motivated me to experience the satisfaction of resolving a mechanical issue on an automobile engine.”

Garza, a former Schertz-Cibolo resident now living in Harlingen, is in his fourth semester studying for an Automotive Technician certificate of completion.

For several months before starting at TSTC, he worked as an unpaid mechanic at a San Antonio Ford dealership.

“My stepdad mentored me and worked at the dealership,” he said. “I learned about a mechanic’s paperwork process, how to properly diagnose a vehicle, how to drop an engine, and other job duties.”

Additionally, Garza gained some on-the-job training as a part-time tire technician at a discount tire shop in his hometown in 2022. He now works at the store’s Harlingen location.

Garza said his time at TSTC has been worthwhile.

“The instructors have taught me a lot about finding the cause of an electrical or mechanical issue and other areas,” he said.

Eufemio Martinez is one of those instructors.

“Jonathan’s commitment to correct vehicle repair procedures is instrumental to ensure that it’s completed accurately on the first attempt,” he said.

Besides earning his TSTC certificate of completion, Garza said he wants to get several ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certifications.

“It will give me the credibility to work in an automotive dealership,” he said.

The need for qualified automotive service technicians and mechanics is expected to grow in Texas over the next several years. According to onetonline.org, Texas employs more than 55,000 of these technicians around the state, and that number was forecast to top 61,000 by 2030. The average annual salary for a technician in the state is $46,800.

In Automotive Technology, TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree and several certificates of completion at the Harlingen, Sweetwater and Waco campuses.

Registration for TSTC’s spring semester begins Oct. 28. To learn more, visit tstc.edu.