Texas Border Business
By Joey Gomez
McALLEN, Texas – Years after first riding a bus from Sharyland High School to South Texas College for Architectural Engineering Design Technology (AEDT) courses through the college’s Dual Credit Programs, Ashley Estrada Sotelo says she has returned to where her journey in education began.
Joining STC this fall as the Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT) program’s newest faculty member, Sotelo brings 13 years of industry experience into the classroom with a personal mission to inspire the next generation of manufacturing professionals.
“Manufacturing is an art. It means taking a design and solving the puzzle to make something efficient in terms of cost and time,” Sotelo said. “We are teaching students how to create something with precise measurements and then mass-produce it for the world – it’s beautiful.”
Originally aspiring to become an architect, Sotelo earned college credit through the STC’s Dual Credit Programs and then attended the former University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) on a golf scholarship.
She opted to pursue a bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering at UTPA, a decision which launched her into a successful career working for Horton Pedestrian Access Solutions, a manufacturer of automatic and manual pedestrian-access products, including sliding door, swing doors and specialized entrances for hospitals and businesses.
Sotelo remembers starting on the floor level, gaining experience as a manufacturing engineer focused on improving production processes, and then advancing to product manager, overseeing aspects like product sustainability, competitive analysis and new product development.
Throughout her career, Sotelo said she was often the only woman engineer in the room, but it was that experience which motivated her to show students that opportunities in engineering and manufacturing are always within reach.
“I want female students to see that if I can do it, they can do it too,” Sotelo said. “I’m from the Valley. I’m Hispanic; but I was still able to break barriers and succeed in this male-dominated field. Anything is possible.”
AMT Department Chair Erika Guerra said students stand to greatly benefit from Sotelo’s engineering and automation experience.
Sotelo’s approach to the classroom is bound to provide students with valuable insight into the expectations of modern industry, Guerra said.
“She has the knowledge, the patience and the expertise,” Guerra said. “Students can ask questions, and she can explain concepts by relating them to real industry examples. She fits very well in our department, and we feel lucky to have her.”
Sotelo said it was faculty members like Guerra that inspired her into a career in education. Now, she seeks to make an impression on students by connecting classroom theory with practical applications.
She also strives to do the same by explaining how the tools, measurements and safety procedures students learn at STC are used in working manufacturing environments.
Sotelo hopes to introduce students to emerging applications such as 3D printing, which can help companies create prototypes without interrupting production. Her broader goals include increasing enrollment and showing students how STC’s hands-on training can lead directly to the workforce or become a foundation for a future engineering degree.
“This program gives students the hands-on experience required to be successful in a manufacturing facility,” Sotelo said. “When they enter the industry, they will be skilled and ready. I can tell them why something must be done in a certain way because I have seen it and I have done it.”
Information source: STC
