Aviation student earns FAA training honor

Aviation Maintenance Technology student Tricia Johnson soared to a higher level of education by earning a Gold Award Certificate of Training from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA awarded her continuing education credits for voluntarily doing extra research and taking additional training beyond her course work at Texas State Technical College Harlingen. Johnson documented the surplus studies throughout 2007, submitted the data to the FAA and received the certificate dated February 28, 2008. The daughter of Judy and David Stevens of La Feria will take FAA exams for aviation maintenance this year and plans to graduate with an Associate of Applied Science degree in December.

“When my instructor, Thomas Cross, brought the FAA award opportunity to my attention, I felt this was something I wanted to achieve because it’s over and above what we’re required to learn,” she explained.

“I feel that I’m enriching my education and giving an employer a better quality employee. I’ve shown that I’m willing to go the extra mile to educate myself and I have set myself apart from other job applicants.”

Perhaps she inherited her career aspirations from her father, who works at United Launch Alliance located across Loop 499 from the Aviation Maintenance Technology Building on campus. Her husband, Douglas, also works in aviation maintenance. The aviation field is a detour for Johnson, who earned a Certificate of Completion in Surgical Technology from TSTC in 1993 and completed an LVN program at Valley Baptist Medical Center before becoming a nurse. She’s considering further advancement to become a mechanical engineer to design more efficient aircraft engines or inspect the metal strength of buildings. She compared medical work on patient’s health situation to a technician’s work on an aircraft.

“I’m a highly motivated individual,” she said. “I plan to keep my nursing license, but aviation maintenance is something I’ve always wanted to do. I find it very exciting to work in the hangar.”

To express her gratitude to faculty and staff, she initiated a landscaping project for the Aviation Maintenance Technology Building. Lowe’s and Wal-Mart offered discount prices, faculty contributed some funds, Grimsell’s Seed Co. donated two plants and Johnson’s family added their green thumbs to plant new bushes and flowers on the west side of the building. The college did not have money available for the project, but Johnson pushed forward.

“I started putting in some plants and then people got interested and began to get involved,” she said.

Native plants such as lantana, aloe vera, cape honeysuckle and more are taking up an increasing amount of space between the building and the parking lot. Building Secretary Connie Vasquez assists with irrigation and grounds maintenance chores.

“I would encourage anyone interested in Aviation Maintenance Technology to try out this program. The instructors have been encouraging and they always make extra tutoring available. I’m having a very pleasant experience here,” Johnson concluded.

TSTC offers Certificates of Completion and Associate of Applied Science degrees through more than 30 technical departments in the Allied Health Technology, Computer Information Systems and Industrial-Manufacturing divisions. The General Education Division provides a 48-credit Academic Core package transferable to any four-year public university in Texas. For details, call the College Information Office at 800.852.8784, ext. 4117, or 956.364.4117, or go online to www.harlingen.tstc.edu. With a record enrollment of more than 5,400 students in fall semester 2007, the college helped students receive more than $6 million in financial aid.

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