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Leonardo Figueroa

“I started the HVAC program because I wanted to understand my job better — I was already working in the field. I was able to perfect some of the skills I needed for my job, especially in welding and soldering, which I was having some trouble with.

“The program was excellent, and I learned a lot. For instance, I had absolutely no knowledge of electrical systems, and now I feel pretty comfortable with them. My instructors — especially Ivory Armstead, Chris Colquitt and (adjunct instructor) Keith Bilbry — really pushed me. It’s a program I’ve already recommended to several people. 

“I’d like to get a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering someday. Working in the HVAC business has gotten my foot in the door, and I’d like to stay with it, just at a higher educational level. 

“The best part of earning my associate degree is that I get job offers at least once a month because of the training I now have. It’s nice to know that I can get a job anywhere. And by having that associate degree, I’ve been able to double my income.

” Leonardo Figueroa earned an associate degree in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology in May 2008. A graduate of Ferris High School in Ferris, Texas, he has worked as a pipefitter for seven years for Refrigeration Design Technology.


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Mike Walker

Supervisor of Mechanical Design Continental Electronics Corp.
“You should never stop learning in today’s world. If you do, you get left behind like the dinosaurs. Once you have knowledge, though, no one can take it away from you. The most important thing I learned is how to have the tools you need in today’s workforce.”
Computer Aided Design and Drafting (CADD)
Mike Reinhardt

Mike Reinhardt

Full-Time Student and Future Underwater Welder
“The instructors in the program are really great and take time to help me when I need it. I want to take every welding course I can to get the experience I’ll need for my future career: I plan to become an underwater welder and am looking at schools where I can transfer and get that specialty.”
Welding
Paul Mears

Paul Mears

Welding Artist and Business Owner Iron Art of La Jolla, Calif.
“Welding is so much fun — it’s dangerous and exciting. Dewayne Roy is one of the best instructors you could ever want. He’s not only knowledgeable in the field, but is so upbeat and willing to show you everything he can.”
Welding
Rodney Taylor

Rodney Taylor

Management Coordinator Prevost, a division of Volvo Group; Adjunct Faculty Diesel Maintenance Technician Program
“The labs I worked in at Dallas College had all of the latest equipment, and that’s what I learned on. I think that my advanced training is part of what helped me move up the career ladder; I just knew a lot more than most of my peers because of my training.”
Automotive Technology

Leonardo Figueroa
Pipefitter Refrigeration Design Technology
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology
School of Manufacturing and Industrial Technology
Updated September 16, 2025