Back to school

Layoffs at Flint Hills and other local economic factors have brought many longtime workers back to college to learn a new profession.

That’s particularly the case for community colleges, which provide a special opportunity to earn credits to transfer to a four-year college or even to start a whole new career with an associate’s degree.

For several Odessa College students like Kenneth Pegues and Rene Baza, education has become the key to a fulfilling career in the midst of economic or personal problems.

All for his kids

After losing his job with the Flint Hills closure, 57-year-old Rene Baza wasn’t sure what he was going to do.

"We never thought the oil cycle would affect us, but it did," he said.

He said he learned about the nursing field and started going to school to retrain at night when he first heard about the layoffs. Nursing excites him because of the job stability.

"I went into nursing looking for a job that seems more recession-proof, but it’s been pretty rewarding already getting to help people," Baza said.

He received his Certified Nursing Assistant license and has done clinical work at Parks Methodist Retirement Home.

Though it is difficult changing careers so late in life, he said he’s motivated by the college education of his daughter, 21, and son, 17.

"I want to get them through school as best as I can and plan to keep working as long as I can," Baza said.

Changing careers later in life isn’t new in his family. His wife did the same when she switched to teaching. Being so removed from his school days, he said going back to retrain isn’t easy.

"I tell you I study all the time, every moment I get. I’m normally the oldest in the class, too," Baza said.

First college degree

When he was hurt at his restaurant job, Kenneth Pegues had a hard time finding something new. He ended up getting a hip replacement, and while recovering he heard about Odessa College and its occupational safety program. He applied and is pursuing that online degree path through OC.

"I have learned to look up regulations such as lighting and safety signs like that for wet floors," Pegues said.

He said his degree could allow him to work as a consultant for a company or also as an employee ensuring safety in the workplace. He said just having the degree helps finding a job.

"In today’s society, it’s better to have that degree, and I’m 47 going back to school trying to go back to school," he said.

Pegues graduated high school at age 16 and quit college to begin working. He said he hopes his example will inspire others.

"I hope it sets a precedent for my family and my family and inspires somebody else with a disability or who has had an accident," he said.

His courses are online, but Pegues often goes to campus for tutoring and other help from teachers there. More schooling hasn’t been easy on his family, but he said his kids are proud of him for trying hard.

"It’s completely worth it," he said.

OC offerings

Outgoing Vice President for Instruction Clayton Alred said the college started four new programs for students this fall: game design, windsmithing, surveying and pre-engineering. All are geared toward fields with a need for employees in a time when some fields may either be becoming less viable or less stable as a career path.

"This comes on the heels of us recognizing we need to serve our community better," Alred said.

Alred said the school constantly has people who were laid off or are concerned about being laid off coming back to seek a new profession.

He said options are often flexible for students, citing the night nursing program as unique in the state.

"It’s one of the few nursing programs with that night option," Alred said.

Alred said the surveying program trains students to work and become registered land surveyors, though it does require an additional two years at a four-year school like UTPB. He said even stepping-stone degrees help people in the community working toward a new goal.

"We serve all segments of the population and have to fulfill the needs of many students out there," he said.

NEW OC MAJORS

Here are the new fields of study at Odessa College:

>> Video game design.

>> Land surveying.

>> Windsmithing/wind turbine maintenance.

>> Pre-engineering.