Tecas Border Business
By Joey Gomez
McALLEN, Texas – South Texas College Dual Credit Programs student Jonathan Gutierrez is headed to the national stage after earning second place in the high school division of Project MFG’s Advanced Manufacturing Competition.
Project MFG is a national collaborative effort between communities, educators and industry leaders with the goal to raise the next generation of skilled trade professions by accelerating the manufacturing trade workforce.
Gutierrez, a senior at Weslaco East High School enrolled in STC’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology program, said while the recognition feels surreal it also highlights the strength of the partnership between STC and Weslaco ISD.
“I’m honestly shocked that I got second,” Gutierrez said. “There were multiple states competing, multiple high schoolers, and I got second out of the whole group. It doesn’t feel real, but my instructors both at STC and in my high school made sure I had the skills to get here.”
Now, Gutierrez is preparing to compete at a national level March 3-6 in Granite City, Ill. at Southwestern Illinois College, where he will face 15 students from across the country in a four-day advanced manufacturing challenge.
“I feel very nervous but very excited,” he said. “I’m going to give it my all at nationals and we’ll see where we go from there.”
The competition, organized by Project MFG, tests students in blueprint reading, 3D modeling, toolpath development and G-code creation for Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining. While most competitors prepare for weeks, national finalists must complete similar tasks within four days while being observed by judges and cameras in a reality show-style format.
According to STC Precision Manufacturing faculty member Alberto Farias, Gutierrez’s journey began last summer when he was introduced to the competition.
“Jonathan always likes to jump in with both feet and do his best,” Farias said. “He’s really good at what he does. When we spoke about it, he said, ‘Yes, I’d love to do it.’ That’s his personality.”
Farias said Gutierrez competed in the dual enrollment high school division.
“There were a lot of late nights and weekends in the shop,” Farias said. “Sometimes we just had pizzas at the shop because we were working long hours. But all of our students took on the challenge wholeheartedly.”
Gutierrez said much of his preparation extended beyond the classroom. He brought blueprints and his laptop to family gatherings and birthday parties and made multiple trips from Weslaco to STC’s Technology Campus in McAllen to refine his project.
“I just put in a lot of hours,” he said. “If you have the drive and you put in the effort you still might not succeed, but it’s still worth trying. How do you know how far you can go if you don’t try?”
Weslaco ISD Director of Career and Technical Education Eliza Gomez praised Gutierrez’s dedication and the partnership with STC.
“I’m so proud of him. He is such a well-spoken, respectable young man,” Gomez said. “He is proof that putting in the hard work pays off. Employers are looking for employees willing to go the extra mile, and that work ethic will take him a long way.”
Juan Armando Sierra, Precision Manufacturing instructor with Weslaco ISD, echoed those sentiments.
“He has always demonstrated the drive to learn more,” Sierra said. “It’s all through hard work and dedication. If you put the work in and the effort, you can achieve great things.”
At nationals, Gutierrez will also have the opportunity to network with industry professionals and peers from across the country, with prize money awarded to the top three finalists.
Beyond the competition, Gutierrez said the experience represents something bigger.
“I feel very honored to meet other people from the industry,” he said. “Even though I am competing against them, I know I can also learn something from them and hopefully grow better in this industry…and maybe as a person.”
For more information on STC’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology program, visit southtexascollege.edu/academics/manufacturing/.
