(Fort Bend County) – Nicaraguan immigrant Alberto Urbina is living the American dream.  The 33-year-old, recently named the executive director for student learning of the new Fort Bend County campus, credits technical education for his career success. 

“I was a welder by trade, but it became my gateway for upward mobility,” said Urbina.

Urbina was 5 years old when his family landed in La Porte near Pasadena. His family had fled the civil strife in Nicaragua when the government was overthrown by the Contras in 1988. His father, once a high-ranking employee of Nicaragua’s National Bank found work as a groundskeeper by day and a maintenance man at NASA by night.

“Both my parents had been college graduates but they had to start over. I saw my Dad work two jobs most of his life. That upbringing taught me that with hard work you can get ahead,” explains Urbina.

Urbina says it also taught him the value of an education. He went on to get an associate degree in welding then went to work for refineries and chemical plants in the Houston area while he continued his studies.

“You can use your trade to pay for your higher degrees. That’s what I did. Took me longer but I don’t owe any money. I paid for college as I went along,” said Urbina.

Urbina earned a bachelor’s degree in Structural Engineering and taught welding and manufacturing to high school students for seven years.

“I have a passion for technical training and workforce education.  When I was at the high school I realized students really liked the technical side of education,” said Urbina.  “For many it was a carrot to graduate high school. I saw first-hand the difference technical training can make for a student.” 

Like his father, today Urbina is working two jobs – by night he’s studying for a master’s degree in Welding Engineering from The Ohio State University and by day he’s working to grow the TSTC campus in Fort Bend County.

Urbina believes the new TSTC campus in Fort Bend County will make a big impact on students, their families, industry and the community as a whole.

“We’re going to grow this campus to be the biggest for TSTC.  This campus is the future of TSTC. Where we’re at in 10, 20 or 25 years is going to be directly tied to the success of Fort Bend County and its residents,” explains Urbina.

Urbina has big plans for the new campus.  Ground has just been broken on a second building which will house four new programs beginning Fall 2017– Electrical Lineworker Technology, Robotics/Industrial Automation Technology, Electric Power & Controls Technology and Environmental Technology. 

The new listing will bring total number of programs offered at TSTC in Fort Bend to 11. Urbina wants current and future students to know the future in technical education is bright.  

“Most of the best paying degrees are tied in some way to technology. Regardless of your career goals, technical education can be for you. You don’t have to be the technician; you can own your own company or business,” said Urbina. 

For more information on TSTC in Fort Bend County or the programs being offered there, go online at tstc.edu.