TSTC student, Navy veteran ready for duty in new career

(WACO, Texas) - Wesley Good learned several lessons in the U.S. Navy that have helped him at Texas State Technical College's Waco campus.

"The military was definitely a huge change of lifestyle," he said. "I learned a ton about personal responsibility. There is punctuality, and you have a duty to do the best that you can for the people around you."

Good is a candidate for graduation with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Instrumentation Technology at TSTC's Summer 2024 Commencement set for 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 16, at the BASE at Extraco Events Center in Waco.

"Veterans typically have strong technical aptitudes and problem-solving skills, which are essential in instrumentation work," said Kyler Valenta, an instructor in TSTC's Instrumentation Technology program. "Their ability to diagnose and fix issues, often under pressure, is highly valuable."

Good began classes in early 2023 at TSTC.

"Initially I was a little worried because I did not know how well I would mesh with college students," he said. "I had been in the military, and there is a certain rapport that military members have with each other. I also worried about meeting people."

Good found that he got along well with his classmates and instructors. And he found that he enjoyed the program's hands-on learning opportunities.

"We have a lot of physical trainers that we get to use, things we will use in industry," he said. "At least for me when we are talking about things in class, I can picture it and touch it, and it helps a lot with visualization and memorization."

After graduating from Richard King High School, the Corpus Christi native spent more than six years in the Navy stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, where he was an aviation machinist's mate working on jet engines.

Good had TSTC on his mind while he was serving in the Navy. He said he learned about the Instrumentation Technology program from a family friend.

"I had an idea of what instrumentation was," Good said. "The reason it interested me in the Navy was because everything I did was mechanical. I was turning wrenches. I did not do any electrical work, so I was very unfamiliar with electricity. I thought it was a great opportunity to learn about it."

Good accepted a job offer during his fourth semester from Zeeco Inc., an Oklahoma-based company specializing in boilers, incinerators, industrial burners, and flare systems. The company has a presence in Texas. Good will start his job as a controls engineering technician in the burners division in early September.

"I think that speaks volumes for us as a department that companies see the value and knowledge in our students to offer them positions a whole semester before they are set to graduate," Valenta said. "It shows the need for quality instrumentation techs."

Good said his advice for people leaving the military is to attend their branch's separation classes, find out what programs are available to veterans in their home states, and research potential career paths.

"If you are going to do it, take it seriously," he said. "If you are not serious about school, your time would be better spent doing something you care about."

Registration continues for the fall semester at TSTC. For more information, go to tstc.edu.

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