Student Experience: Edward Alexander

“I ‘retired’ early — that’s another word for laid off — in September 2007 at age 51, but by the time Thanksgiving rolled around, I was climbing the walls. You can only play so much golf. So I decided to go back to school and enrolled in a Mechatronics class.

“Mechatronics covers a wide range of cutting-edge technologies. It’s a huge, growing field — SMU and MIT are creating programs in it. The equipment used in research and development applications is marrying computer technology and manufacturing. I’m also really interested in the mechanics of creating a fully automated home for handicapped people so they can live easily in their own home environment. 

“I really enjoy learning the science of how to put components together to work properly and achieve the results you’re looking for. Dallas College is lucky to have Clay Rawlins and Arch Dye teaching their Electronics and Mechatronics program. They care about the students who come here and go beyond the classroom to help their students succeed in their careers and their lives.”

Edward Alexander began taking classes at the colleges of DCCCD in 2004 and retired in September 2007 after 26 years as a telephone repairman. He initially planned to earn a certificate to work on high-speed data circuits for his job, which was “surplussed” before he finished the certificate. A volunteer assistant in the Mechatronics lab, he plans to earn an associate degree in Electronics and specialize in working in alternative energy fields such as wind and solar power.

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