(ABILENE, Texas) – Devan Moore puts the skills he learned at Texas State Technical College to use on a daily basis.
After serving seven years in the U.S. Army, Moore attended TSTC and received Associate of Applied Science degrees in Wind Energy Technology in 2018 and Industrial Systems in 2019. Today, he is an oil and gas field inspector for the Railroad Commission of Texas.
“Not one day goes by that I do not implement some piece of knowledge that I learned at TSTC,” he said. “With the Railroad Commission, it is my responsibility to ensure that the oil and gas industry stays in compliance with rules and regulations.”
Moore, a native of The Colony, is in charge of inspections in Erath, Hood, Palo Pinto and Parker counties.
“I absolutely love what I do. I do not see this as a job; I see this as a new beginning,” Moore said.
Moore served as a field artillery cannoneer in the U.S. Army, and he said that experience gave him an advantage, both at TSTC and the Railroad Commission.
“I had zero oil-field experience,” he said. “Between my military training and my education at TSTC, I am excited about my career.”
He said his instructors and fellow students at TSTC did something for him in addition to academics.
“When I first started at TSTC, I was a little older than most of the students. But I was seasoned. At the same time, I wanted a clean slate,” Moore said. “In life, you can get into one of those slumps. I started to refine my skills, and my morale was higher. The biggest thing TSTC did for me was getting me out of my slump.”
He wants other veterans to know about the opportunities available at TSTC, especially since he was part of the first Industrial Systems graduating class in Abilene.
“I am an active member of the Abilene area’s veteran community. I want our veterans to know that TSTC can offer a career path,” Moore said. “I know that other veterans may feel the same way after leaving the service. They need to know that TSTC will help them get out of that slump and be there for them.”
For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu.