Fidel Gonzalez
“It was great learning how to take things apart and put them back together like it’s done in the Real World. I really enjoyed learning the parts of an engine and how they function,” commented Gonzalez after graduating from the Diesel Mechanics Program at Western Tech. “My favorite phase and Instructor was the electrical phase with Mr. Acevedo; he was a really good teacher. He broke it down for us and took the extra time to go through each process until he was sure we understood. He made sure we knew what we were doing before we left his class.”
Gonzalez adds, “in addition to the required curriculum, I also learning how to prepare for the Real World. I had to “dress up” on professional day and practice how to speak for job interviews. I used to be late, but Western Tech made me understand what it was to be a professional and how to succeed.” He continues, “My favorite thing about Western Tech was the discipline they gave us and how the teachers were willing to sit down with us and go through things step by step. He concludes, “An important aspect of Western Tech is the hands-on work in addition to the book learning. We learn to understand the whole system before getting to the hands-on, which is perfect for us because we can look at schematics and understand what we are working on while we are doing the job.”
Within the same year of graduating, Gonzalez went on and opened his own business, Roadrunner Diesel and Transportation. As a graduate and owner, Gonzalez continues to be an advocate for Western Tech by hiring graduates. Gonzalez explains why, “I know it was tough to make it through the program at Western Tech because of the challenging courses, and if you do, then you know something about this industry. I hired a former classmate, and he was very hands-on; you could tell him go take off a transmission, and he would do it without coming back to ask questions- he knew what he was doing.”