Texas Border Business
By Joey Gomez
McALLEN, Texas – South Texas College has always been a central part of Cesar Garcia’s life.
Long before he enrolled as a student, Garcia said he grew up on the college’s campuses, spending summers assisting faculty in the labs and observing his father, the late Cesar Eduardo Garcia, teach Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) classes in the 1990s and 2000s.
His mother, Edna Garcia, is also currently a Vocational Nursing faculty member, and through his parents the younger Garcia said the foundation he built at the college opened doors that inspired him to always place education at the forefront for his success in life.
Now a professional in software engineering, Garcia said his journey to success took nearly a decade of persistence – balancing work, school and personal challenges, including the loss of his father in 2013.
“My father was actually a founding faculty member for STC, as well as the chair of the EMT program at the time, so I grew up around the college and just watching it grow,” Garcia said. “The college has been a part of my life ever since I was born, so in a way STC has always been a part of my family.”
Graduating from STC’s Bachelor of Applied Technology in Computer Information Technology (BAT-CIT) in 2021, Garcia is now a senior software development engineer with CVS Health.
Today, Garcia said he specializes in robotic process automation and enterprise-level software solutions, but credits STC’s BAT-CIT program with giving him the broad exposure to areas in IT networking, programming, databases and security.
“The BAT degree really opened a lot of doors for me. I went from being an IT technician to an engineering role and now into my current position with CVS Health,” Garcia said. “Honestly, I never thought I would be a software engineer, but that’s where I ended up and it stems from my broad knowledge received in the bachelor’s program.”
In his current role, Garcia said he has also become deeply engaged in Artificial Intelligence (AI) use. At CVS Health, he helps implement AI tools to increase efficiency and focus on what he calls “higher value” work.
As an expert in his field, Garcia said he applauds STC’s forward-thinking approach to integrating AI across its programs.
“It’s incredible that the college has taken such an initiative to embrace AI because it’s not something to be afraid of. I feel it’s something we should embrace as long as we learn to use it appropriately and leverage to our benefit,” he said. “Students should be learning how to use AI so when they enter the workforce, they are already ahead of the game.”
From his roots at STC to advancing into software engineering and AI innovation, Garcia said his professional path began in IT support roles.
A bachelor’s degree from STC opened new opportunities with DHR Health that enabled him to transition from a career as an IT technician into a web engineering role, which then solidified his interest in software development.
Garcia said he will forever remember the impact of STC faculty who brought real-world experience into the classroom. Grateful for the foundation he received, Garcia said he has now applied for an adjunct faculty position at the college, hoping to share his industry experience with students.
“My favorite instructors were mostly adjunct faculty who still practiced in their fields and who had a lot of real-world experience that they brought to the table,” Garcia said. “I really loved that insight and that left a lasting impact on me for sure.”
