New SPC instructor leads future diesel service technicians

LEVELLAND – After graduating from South Plains College’s diesel service technology program in 2013, Marie Flores made a career out of her passion. More than a decade later, she has returned to the college to help aspiring technicians do the same.

Flores is a new instructor in the same program where she received an Associate of Applied Science degree.

“I’ve been in the diesel technology field since I graduated from SPC,” the Levelland native said. “I’ve worked in the oil field, in the natural gas industry and for Warren CAT. Since 2013, I’ve been turning wrenches.”

After years of applying her skills in the field, Flores said she was interested in a position that would work better with her schedule raising her five-year-old child. She also has another career goal she wants to fulfill.

“I’ve been praying about helping people,” she said. “I got a phone call from SPC, and I felt that was God’s blessing. I took this position to help technicians prosper in the diesel service industry.”

At the start of the Fall 2024 semester, Flores began her journey as an instructor in the diesel service technology program. She said she wants to prepare students for life as a technician outside the classroom.

“My main goal is for these soon-to-be technicians to be ahead of the game like I wanted to be when I was a student,” she said. “Learning from books is different from hands-on work on equipment in the field.”

Hands-on work is an important part of a diesel service technician’s experience, Flores said. In addition to her time at SPC, she said she learned a lot about being a technician growing up with her family of mechanics and welders.

“I just grew a passion for working on equipment and engines,” she said regarding the times when she helped her dad on projects.

Considering the advice she received from family, Flores said she was aware of the difficulty of being a woman in the diesel service technology field.

“My dad made it clear that I was going to have to work twice as hard to earn my spot wherever I was going to work as a mechanic,” she said.

Flores said SPC faculty members, such as Whitney Owens, former professor and program coordinator of diesel service technology, and Tony Ortiz, former associate professor of automotive and diesel service technology, also helped her overcome multiple obstacles.

“I highly respected my instructors,” she said. “If I had any concerns or questions, they were a great help.”

The diesel service technology program also allows for a lot of peer-to-peer collaboration, Flores said. For her, working in the shop with other students was like spending time with brothers.

Flores said connecting with other students in her classes was beneficial because they could catch each other’s mistakes.

“I felt like we were all each other’s backbone,” she said. “What one person didn’t know, the other person knew. We would all come together with our knowledge to figure out or troubleshoot certain diagnostics.”

As an instructor at SPC, Flores said she wants to establish a similar brotherhood. She said students must realize the importance of leaning on their peers to maintain a safe work environment.

“I would like to build that culture where they don’t feel humiliated or embarrassed to ask for help or for not knowing,” she said. “Nobody knows everything; everything is a learning experience, and everything keeps changing for the better.”

In addition to getting students comfortable with hands-on work, Flores said she wants to help them realize they must work hard to find their passion and achieve their dreams.

“You can get so far with books,” she said. “But when it comes to hard labor like being outside, being rained on and working in the blazing sun, that’s when your passion is truly tested.”

 

Diesel Service Technology

Diesel service technology at the SPC Levelland campus is a two-year program designed to train in the maintenance, diagnostics and repairs of diesel-powered equipment. Students start their first year studying for the basic diesel certificate, preparing them for their second-year concentration. In the first year, students learn safety, shop procedures, HVAC for machines, basic electrical, basic hydraulics, diesel engine overhaul and more. Second-year students study advanced electrical, electronic controls, advanced tuning and more. Those who choose the transportation concentration will study more advanced diesel engine repair and overhaul. Students who choose the heavy/agricultural equipment concentration study advanced hydraulics and delve into two sections of powershift and hydrostatic powertrains. Students pursuing the equipment certificate will take the AED Technician Certification test.

Students can also earn an Associate of Applied Science in Diesel Service Technology. This is still a two-year course of study, and the courses are taken along with the diesel service technology courses. Dual certification in transportation and equipment certifications can also be done with a certificate only or the degree path. LEARN MORE