TSTC alumnus flourishes in career at area auto body shop

(HARLINGEN, Texas) - Texas State Technical College alumnus Daniel Ledesma has turned his love of automobiles into a fulfilling career.

Ledesma became interested in the automotive field after being introduced to it by his father, who had studied Automotive Technology at TSTC. Ledesma followed his father's lead and graduated with a certificate of completion in Auto Body Repair from TSTC's Harlingen campus in 2015. He earned an Auto Collision and Management Technology Generalist Specialist certificate a year later.

"My father used to work on the family's automobile engines when I was 8 years old," Ledesma said. "I knew that I wanted to pursue an automotive career. Years later I grew an interest in repairing automobiles. I loved seeing the auto body process with sports cars."

Now Ledesma is a manager at Hacienda Collision Center in Harlingen.

"I oversee the operations of the shop, provide training and I-CAR (Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair) certifications to our technicians, and handle other duties," he said.

Ledesma said he enjoys the work culture at the collision center.

"I work with a great team of repairers who work hard on the vehicles," he said. "Since I have a passion for automobiles, it doesn't feel like a job."

Rick Navarro is a general manager at Hacienda Collision Center.

"Daniel started in our company as a porter, where he was later promoted to an estimator, and now is the center's manager," Navarro said. "His knowledge and skills have benefited our company. He's always willing to learn new things to improve his team."

Jose Vasquez is TSTC's Auto Collision and Management Technology program team lead in Harlingen.

"Daniel was a focused student who wanted to learn and was coachable," he said. "His journey in our program is a true testimony of a person that pays his dues to the industry."

Ledesma credits much of his career success to his former instructors at TSTC.

"I was committed to the career field, and the instructors' knowledge improved my skills," he said. "I had a great experience in the program because I wanted a better life for myself."

According to onetonline.org, automotive body and related repairers in Texas earn an average of $48,330 a year. The website projected that there would be a 14% increase in the number of such jobs in the state from 2020 to 2030.

TSTC offers Associate of Applied Science degrees in Auto Collision and Management Technology with refinishing and repair specializations at its Harlingen and Waco campuses. Certificate options also are available.

Registration for TSTC's fall semester is underway. For more information, visit tstc.edu.

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