Student Experience: Rodney Taylor

“I went through a whole Lincoln Tech automotive program but they didn’t offer a degree, so I went back through all of the Automotive Tech courses to earn my associate degree. Then I transferred to Dallas Baptist University to earn my bachelor’s degree in business. My experience at Dallas College opened me up overall: the automotive courses helped train me for my work, and the academic courses helped me to transfer to DBU, earn my bachelor’s degree and end up in management. 

“The labs I worked in at Dallas College had all of the latest equipment, and that’s what I learned on. I think that my advanced training is part of what helped me move up the career ladder; I just knew a lot more than most of my peers because of my training. It was natural then that people would come to me on the job with their questions. So I’d work as a mechanic for a while, then move into training and management positions.

“Sometimes people are surprised to find out how much more advanced the field is today than it used to be. The computers we use for diagnostics are laptops we put right in the vehicles. A lot of guys even today don’t have that training, and we have to introduce that. 

“Because I work full time during the day and teach in the evenings, I’m in both the work world and the academic world. I’m able to tell my students what’s important to know because I see it on the job every day. 

“While I attended classes at Dallas College, my first job in the field was a mechanic at Ryder Truck Rental, and that’s where I met Anthony Eaton, who I now work with since we’re both adjunct instructors. I also worked as a mechanic then second shift lead worker for end service for Ryder until ‘95. Then I worked as a Mazda technician in a dealership for 1.5 years and as a manager for Tune-Up Masters for two years; then City of Dallas six years, three as a mechanic and three as shop foreman.”

Rodney Taylor earned an associate degree and several certificates in Automotive Technology in 1994 before transferring to Dallas Baptist University to earn a bachelor’s degree in business. He holds automotive master certification from ASE and works full time as a management coordinator for Prevost, a premier passenger bus company owned by Volvo Bus Corp. and based in Quebec, Canada, with a service center in the DFW metroplex. He served on the City Council of Balch Springs from 2004-2006 and currently serves on the Balch Springs Economic Development Board. He has served as an adjunct faculty member in the Automotive Technology and Diesel Maintenance Technician programs since 2005.

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