Early in life, Elizabeth Lopez was in touch with her creative side. From drawing to design, she knew that someday she wanted to bring what was in her imagination to life.
So, with a father in civil engineering, she became influenced to pursue a similar career and landed on drafting and architecture.
“I was drawn to both of these fields early on,” said the Matamoros, Mexico native. “I love to imagine and see things come to life. It was the best fit for me.”
But coming to the United States during high school after spending more than half of her life in Mexico was challenging.
The language barrier made her, as she describes, “less chatty than others” and more self-conscious about her career decisions.
“Could I do it? That’s what I always asked myself, but TSC solidified that for me,” said Lopez. “I found two programs, close to home that were near and dear to my heart, and nothing stopped me from finishing.”
Lopez earned her first associate degree in computer-aided drafting in 2017 and her second associate degree in architecture in late 2019.
“TSC was really a great place for me to learn and feel empowered in my fields,” she said. “Every instructor had high expectations for us, shared their real-world work experiences and gave us a foundation to build a career upon. It was here at TSC where I really broke out of my shell.”
From hands-on training in the classroom to out in the community, Lopez said she learned valuable lessons that she will carry with her as she moves forward.
As a student, Lopez had the opportunity of completing community service projects in and around Brownsville that put her skills to good use and she completed an internship with Origo Works, a design-oriented firm in Brownsville assisting with drafting and design for residential and commercial projects.
“These experiences helped shaped me to the person I am today and the professional I aspire to be,” said Lopez. “None of it would have been possible without the training I received from TSC and the financial assistance that was provided to me.”
Lopez said her family didn’t have a lot of money to pay for college, but her parents worked hard to make the investment for their daughter’s future, so in return, Lopez searched for all of the financial help she could find.
She went on to be awarded several scholarships from the TSC Foundation, as well as the Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior (IME) Becas program, or in English, the Institute for Mexicans Abroad scholarship program.
“The money I received was a great help for me and my family. It relieved a ton of stress and allowed me to get the laptop I needed to complete my assignments and homework,” she said. “Every scholarship I received was greatly appreciated and now with my two younger siblings at TSC, I’m glad to know that helping students is always their number one priority.”
Lopez will continue her education to pursue a bachelor’s degree in architecture and interior design at a four-year university in San Antonio.
“TSC has helped me find a career, the confidence to continue my education, the ability to continue growing and the skills I need to get paid to do what I love,” said Lopez.
For more information about TSC’s Computer-Aided Drafting and Architecture programs, visit tsc.edu.
