Student Experience: Philip Gutierrez

“I always played with Legos and in high school, I decided I wanted to be a mechanical engineer. The good thing about Richland’s program is that it has hands-on experience you just can’t get anywhere else. 

“I love AutoCad; I’ve always thought mechanically in 3-D space, and I enjoy designing parts that come to life on the computer screen. With AutoCad, you can build whatever you want — it may be a $3,000 part and you can design it without having to build it physically. 

“Other students who have come from other programs and community colleges just don’t have anywhere near the same level of experience I’ve gotten at Richland. This program is just solid.” 

Philip Gutierrez earned an associate degree in Engineering Technology-Computer Aided Design at Richland in May 2011. He plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Dallas and seek work as a draftsman/mechanical engineer.

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