Great training, rewarding career and amazing Mexican food!

When Thomas Hudson graduated from Midland High School in 2004, there was no question as to where this third-generation Aggie would go to college—it was Texas A&M all the way. Hudson says, "My grandfather's name is even on a plaque at A&M! I was not about to break from that tradition." He did do one thing a little differently: instead of majoring in engineering like his father and older brother, Hudson majored in history, and in 2008 he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from A&M.

After college, Mr. Hudson found that no one wanted to hire a bright, young man with a history degree. However, thanks to his chemical engineer father, he was able to obtain a job at Ortloff Engineering in Midland working for his dad. During this time, Hudson said he thought about getting his teacher's certification so he could teach history, and says he still may do that one day; but for now, he has found his calling at Compressor Systems, Inc., working as a graphic designer.

So, how does someone with a history degree manage to become a graphic designer with one of the Permian Basin's most prestigious companies? First, he has to take a computer graphics class at Midland College. And, that's just what Hudson did, obtaining a technical certification in computer graphics in December 2010. He says of his new career, "This is great! Being a graphic designer allows me to be creative, and at the same time, I am using a few engineering principles that I guess I picked up from my engineering family. I love my job, and I got it because of the computer graphics class I took at MC."

MC's computer graphics program is housed at the MC Advanced Technology Center (ATC) and Hudson credits the ATC's facilities as one of the many favorable aspects of his recent computer graphics training. He states, "The AutoCAD software used for training at the ATC is the same software that we use at Compressor Systems. In fact, all the ATC software and equipment is very much current with industry standards. In addition, most of the instructors are either currently working in the graphic design field, or have just recently left the industry, so they know what the 'real world' is like. The lead instructor, Derek Gasch, used to work at Compressor Systems, and he really teaches the stuff we need to know in order to get a job and get ahead in this field."

Hudson continues, "One of the evening lab instructors, Gabe Bustillos, recommended that I apply for this job. Gabe also works at Compressor Systems, and I guess he thought I had potential. I usually finished my class assignments ahead of schedule, so the instructors would give me more assignments. That was great training, and it helped me to get noticed."

Hudson explains that he is no stranger to Midland College. He took online Spanish and psychology classes from MC while he was attending A&M. He also fondly remembers the ATC from his high school days. "I was very familiar with the ATC," he says. "When I was attending Midland High, I was enrolled in high school computer science courses at the ATC. It's a great place to get training because everything is very state-of-the-art."

"All of my experiences at MC have been rewarding," states Hudson. "I loved my years at A&M, but I always felt like I was in a 'sea of people.' Even in my junior- and senior- level classes, there would be 50-60 people in a class, and sometimes it could be very intimidating. At MC the instructors seemed to cater to my individual learning style. The classes were small, and I could really tell that the instructors wanted me to succeed."

So far, the 24-year-old Midland native seems to be enjoying his new career and life in Midland. He enjoys playing the guitar and says Midland isn't such a bad place for a young person. Hudson states, "Midland is a nice size and has a certain charm, and the Mexican food restaurants are amazing!"