Texas Border Business
By Joey Gomez
McALLEN, Texas – South Texas College Diesel Technology student Noe De La O says graduation day will mark more than the end of the program. It will honor a family legacy that has shaped his future from childhood.
De La O, who earned his Associate of Applied Science in Diesel Technology, grew up around long-haul trucks, tools and the steady work ethic modeled by his father, a career truck driver. He remembers spending his early years helping with basic maintenance on his father’s semi-truck, learning the rhythm of the industry and gaining the confidence to work with his hands.
“I grew up helping my dad with basic maintenance for a semi-truck. Our whole family comes from a long line of truck drivers,” he said. “I’ve always loved working with my hands, and I just kind of fell into this path naturally. I’m proud to carry on our family’s name.”
Now set to be among the more than 2,873 graduates receiving their degree at STC’s Commencement Ceremony, De La O said the moment feels “exciting” and “surreal.” With job applications already submitted and momentum building from recent opportunities, he said completing the program is the start of a fast-moving chapter in his life.
“I’m very happy to graduate,” he said. “All the new opportunities are going to follow quickly, and I just want to learn as much as I can along the way.”
De La O was one of three Diesel Technology students who were recipients of the annual award from the Harlingen Cotton Club and each given more than $3,000 worth of tools to help them as they enter the industry.
The award will provide an immediate financial and professional boost, he said.
“I am very grateful to have received these tools,” he said. “It’s going to help me save a lot of money and hopefully find a job faster. Most diesel shops have tool requirements, so having this right off the bat helps a lot.”
De La O said he hopes to begin his career with companies like Cummins, Kenworth or John Deere on the agriculture side. Wherever he lands, he says his top priority is building a steady career that will one day help him support a family of his own, as well as give back to the father who inspired him.
“My dad has been a trucker for as long as I can remember. Seeing how expensive repairs were, made me realize that I could become a mechanic and help him and others who might be struggling with high costs,” he said. “I hope I can make my dad proud.”
Reflecting on his time at STC, De La O credits the program’s faculty for his success, noting their expertise, support and willingness to help students stay on track.
“All the instructors here know what they are doing,” he said. “They have been really helpful, and I feel I have been taught well. I’m glad I learned everything I could from them.”
Faculty with the Diesel Technology program said they immediately noticed De La O’s work ethic and intense energy he put forth in his courses at STC.
“Noe is among those students who are very driven,” said STC Diesel Technology Program Chair Nicholas Sewell. “He was always here in class learning everything he could. We as faculty noticed him as someone who really shined in their classes, which came through not just in his grades but in his overall enthusiasm for this industry.”
For more information on STC’s Diesel Technology program, visit southtexascollege.edu/academics/diesel/.
Information source: STC
