Five seniors from the Socorro Independent School District’s diesel technology program at Socorro High School will put their careers into overdrive this spring after securing paid internships with Rush Truck Centers, an affiliate of Peterbilt Technical Institute (PTI).
In addition to the internship, Rush will sponsor Diego Fierro, Emiliano Guerra, Carlos Hernandez, Guillermo Robles and Andrew Silerio to attend PTI in Denton, Texas, this summer after graduating high school.
Socorro High School hosted a signing ceremony on February 15 in the school's Diesel Lab to celebrate the students' achievements.
Socorro High School Bulldog Emiliano Guerra shared his excitement for the future.
“It feels like success!” Guerra said. “This was the level that I was going (for) when I first started (the diesel program), but now that it did happen, I'm very grateful and feel satisfied.”
Rush has strongly supported the district’s diesel technology program since it began in 2021. The program is one of 47 Career and Technical Education programs available to high school students in the district.
Jacob Madrid, general manager of Rush Truck Centers in El Paso, said the shortage of technicians in the diesel truck industry has led Rush to collaborate with SISD to establish a pipeline of future talent.
Madrid said students in the internship program will begin by performing level one repairs such as preventive maintenance and inspections, and progress toward more complex tasks such as troubleshooting, diagnostics, engine teardowns, and larger repairs. Students who successfully complete the internship will be offered full-time positions.
“This partnership with Socorro has really been beneficial because we haven't had anything like this here locally in El Paso in the past that gives us prime talent coming into the industry,” Madrid said.
Andrew Silerio has always dreamed of having a career in the automotive industry. As a child, he enjoyed working on cars. He would take apart his toy trucks to see how they worked. In high school, he enrolled in the district's diesel program to expand his knowledge and pursue his passion. He said he feels confident that the program has prepared him well to succeed in his internship at Rush.
“We’ve had a lot of trainers, and a lot of different opportunities to work on different trucks and different engines and things like that,” said Silerio, who will graduate from Socorro High School on June 1.
Students in the diesel program can earn certifications that prepare them to maintain and repair brakes, diesel engines, suspension and steering, and electrical and electronic systems.
At PTI, students will receive specialized training on Peterbilt engines and equipment. They will get hands-on training with company products and technologies and earn factory certifications to prepare them for a career as a Peterbilt technician.
El Dorado senior Carlos Hernandez said he was eager to see where these opportunities would take him and his friends in the future. He looked forward to sharing his experience at PTI with his friends.
“I feel like it's really important because I'm not going to go alone,” Hernandez said. “I'm going with my friends and also have the same experience with them at the same time.”