Dallas College

Student Experience: Jared Mercantel

“I wanted to start my own apartment renovation business with a friend and thought, well, I’ll need a license, and I might as well go to school and get my associate degree too. Now I’m even thinking of going on to get a bachelor’s degree in business. I can keep working on my electrical and plumbers licenses, but if I want to be my own boss, I’m going to have to know about the business end of things too.

“I’ve learned a lot of math that I need. The electrical theory class with Tom Hoops has a lot of math too — you have to be able to figure out how many amps and how much voltage you’ll need to do the job. It really teaches you how to be a project manager and figure out what you need for every job. It shocked me to find out how much voltage it takes to run a commercial building.

“If you go into this field, you’ll learn more than you think. Even if you don’t go into it as a career, it’s always useful knowledge for a homeowner to have.”

Jared Mercantel is a full-time student working on an associate degree in Electrical Technology at North Lake.


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Hugh Brooks

Hugh Brooks

President Think Green Builders LLC
“I was delighted to find that North Lake had a Construction Technology department that taught by hands-on practice along with text. The instructors were qualified educators, but also had many years of experience in construction. Everyone in our firm, regardless of their position, takes construction courses at North Lake.”
Construction Technology
Harold Collins

Harold Collins

Welding Instructor Allan Hancock College, Santa Maria, Calif.
“The educational atmosphere created in the welding program is second to none — ensuring success to any student willing to work.”
Welding
Gabriela Sanchez

Gabriela “Gaby” Sanchez

CAD Technician Raymond L. Goodson Jr. Inc. Consulting Engineers
“I would recommend this program because it’s a growing career field. There’s a lot of need for CAD technicians, especially in civil engineering departments because of all the construction going on in the metroplex. It’s a promising career.”
Computer Aided Design and Drafting (CADD)
Frank Juarez

Frank Juarez

Retired Engineering Technician Texas Instruments; Electronics/Mechatronics Student
“From my Mechatronics class, my skills will be applicable whether I’m working as a technician in the field or in a power generation center. I’ve also realized from taking Mechatronics how much I like to teach the younger kids, mentoring them in learning how to do things from the ground up.”
Mechatronics
Jared Mercantel
Jared Mercantel
Electrical Technology Student
Electrical Technology
School of Manufacturing and Industrial Technology
Updated September 4, 2026