Student Experience: Mike Walker

“I have been part of many firsts in the history of the commercial and military communication transmitter industry, and have had the pleasure of working with some of the most brilliant people in the industry. The company I have worked at for nearly 25 years, Continental Electronics, has been in business for more than 60 years and is a world leader in communication technology. I had previously worked on designing mobile drilling rigs for several top companies in the Dallas area.

“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.

“By continuing your education throughout your career, you can take specific courses to make sure that new software is a good fit for your company. It is a slower, more detailed learning experience than the four-day cram courses most software sales companies offer, and it is unbiased. The instructors sincerely want you to learn and are eager to help.

“I would like to take a moment to thank the CADD faculty for its outstanding curriculum offering ongoing education for people already in the workforce, and their efforts to educate students trying to enter the job market in their specific fields of study.”

Mike Walker has attended CADD and Engineering Technology-CAD classes for ongoing education over many years. He holds an associate degree in mechanical design from Kilgore College in Kilgore, Texas. He is a working supervisor over his company’s group of mechanical engineers at Continental Electronics Corp.


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Alonzo L. Adams

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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.”
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Kathryn Jaeger

Kathryn Jaeger

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“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.”
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Doug Jochum

Doug Jochum

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“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
Mike Walker
Mike Walker
Supervisor of Mechanical Design Continental Electronics Corp.

Computer Aided Design and Drafting (CADD)
School of Manufacturing and Industrial Technology
Updated July 28, 2026