Texas Border Business
After five years in the military working on aircraft, Ronaldo Limon is now turning his focus to a new mission – earning his associate degree in Engineering at South Texas College.
Limon, 25, enrolled at STC in spring 2024 after leaving the military and deciding he was ready to further his education.
“I really liked working with machines in the military,” Limon said. “I’ve always been hands on, and engineering just felt like the next step.”
Originally stationed in North Carolina, Limon served in the U.S. military straight out of high school at the age of 18. While he valued the discipline and structure, it was the technical side of aircraft maintenance that truly inspired him.
“We used to joke about the engineers not understanding what we needed,” he said. “Now I’m becoming one.”
After returning to the Rio Grande Valley, he walked into STC with one goal – get his degree.
“I talked so some people here at STC, and they pointed me to the right advisors. Everyone made it so easy,” he said. “I wanted to refresh my education since I’d been out of school for five years.”
Now in his third semester, Limon is a full-time student and on track to graduate with his associate degree by the end of the year. His days are spent mostly in the college’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics buildings, where he thrives in math-heavy courses.
“I never thought I’d say this, but I love math,” he said with a laugh. “The more challenging it is, the better.”
Limon is laser-focused on his studies with good reason. He’s a proud father to a one-year-old daughter and says his wife and child are his biggest motivations.
“This is my full-time job now,” he said. “Thanks to the military benefits, I can focus on school and spend more time with my daughter.”
Limon hopes to continue his education and pursue a career in engineering, ideally somewhere in Texas. His dream job would be working with SpaceX or a company in the aerospace field.
“I’d love to stay in the Valley if the opportunity is here,” he said. “But I’m open to going wherever the job takes me.”
His advice for anyone thinking about college later in life: “It’s never too late. Don’t be afraid to start over. You’re not behind, you’re just on your own path.”
With his military background, family support and newfound love for engineering, Limon is proof that a strong work ethic and clear goals can reshape any future one class at a time.
