Wanting to Help Others Motivates Fayetteville Grad at TSTC

The desire to help others can be a powerful motivation when pursuing a career. That can apply to a range of jobs, including nursing, teaching and therapy. But that also applies to being an electrical lineworker.

Thomas Gully (a Fayetteville High School grad) and Mike Gonzales (of Katy), two students in Texas State Technical College’s Electrical Lineworker and Management program at the Fort Bend County campus, are in it for the love of people.

“Linework is another kind of first responder to me,” Gully said. “It’s always nice being able to help your community.”

When a big storm rolls in, it can knock out power for large parts of a community. Whether during the heat of summer or the freeze of winter, no power can mean life or death for many. It is the lineworkers who then step in to get things running again.

Of course, people are not the only reason why Gully and Gonzales enjoy the program and career field.

“I love heights,” Gully said. “Once you overcome your fear of climbing the pole, there’s nothing quite like it.”

Both students are on track to graduate this August. Gully hopes eventually to be able to take his work back to small towns and those in need, while Gonzales wants to move toward aerial linework.

TSTC offers Electrical Lineworker and Management at its Abilene, Fort Bend County, Harlingen, Marshall and Waco campuses. An Associate of Applied Science degree and a certificate of completion are available.