Student Experience: William Castro

“I'd always dabbled in electricity and liked it since I was a teenager. The classroom work here helps with a lot of things — there are things you learn in class and things you learn on the job, and you need both.

“The best thing for me personally has been the math. It had been so long since I took it in high school that I needed to go over even basic stuff. You tend to forget it if you don’t use it.

“My advice to people wanting to get into electrical work is that you need to both work in the field and take classes. If you’re having a hard time in the classroom, it may be because you’ve never seen that particular skill used in the field. If you work on your techniques in the class labs, you’re going to understand better what you need to do on the job. Also, if you go ahead and get a job in the field, you’re going to be in a lot better position to know if you’re going to like electrical work as a career.”

William Castro has held his current position with Irving-based Amber Electric since mid-2008. He also worked as an apprentice electrician for Humphrey and Associates for two years, a career change made after serving as a supervisor for Taylor Publishing Co. for 11 years. He is working on an associate degree in Electrical Technology and speaks Spanish, a skill he terms “a necessary job site skill in Texas.”

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