Dallas College

Student Experience: Austin Brooks

“I actually first taught myself how to weld on YouTube because I’m always working on tons of projects, but when I got to the metal part I was lost. Then I realized I wasn’t very good at teaching myself, so I came to Mountain View to really learn how to weld. 

“Dewayne Roy is such a good teacher because he’s so hard on you and wants to teach you the right way to do things. You’ll think you’ll have done something really nice, but he just won’t accept it if it’s not done absolutely right. And that’s how you learn to do things well.

“The classes you learn in aren’t the ones you breeze by and get an A in. The classes where you really learn are the ones where you work your rear off to get a C, and the teacher makes you work for that C. 

“I’m deciding on whether to do an associate degree; my end goal is to transfer to a four-year university. I’m in the Criminal Justice program, still getting my basics out of the way, though I took some criminal justice courses in high school. 

“I’m taking welding for my own knowledge so that I can build what I want to and know how to handle the metal part of my construction projects. If I’m not in school or with my girlfriend, I’m in the garage working on something.”


Read More

Alonzo Adams

Alonzo L. Adams

Self-Employed Mechanic Adjunct Automotive Technology Faculty Cedar Valley
“I was eager to learn, and the Diesel program really excited me. The more I learned, the more I realize it’s not so hard. All of my instructors have been knowledgeable; any questions I had for them, they were pretty much able to answer everything. These are great courses if you want to work on diesel engines.”
Automotive, Automotive Technology, Automotive Technology - Diesel and Heavy Equipment
Rafael Merren

Rafael Merren

Owner/Operator Grump’s Rod Shop
“It’s great to have intelligent capabilities, but if you don’t have the skillsets to back them up, what’s the point of going out into the real world? If you have a practical skill, you can always put bread on the table.”
Auto Body Technology
Kathryn Jaeger

Kathryn Jaeger

Technician, Trophy Nissan of Mesquite
“People look at a car and open the hood and see all the hoses and connections, and maybe think, ‘I am never going to figure this out.' Then you learn the basic concepts, and it’s more simplistic than you would think.”
Automotive Technology
Doug Jochum

Doug Jochum

Art Teacher Skyline High School
“The students here are also attentive and helpful — I found out right away that there’s a group of them who have been here a while and who will chip in to help you do anything you don’t understand or help hold something you’re working on. I think that attitude is a reflection of the teaching here as well.”
Welding
Austin Brooks
Austin Brooks
Full-Time Student
Welding
School of Manufacturing and Industrial Technology
Updated July 28, 2026