Henry Garza started working for legacy institution University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College in 2004, and now after 15 years, continues to serve UTRGV as an electrical supervisor for Campus Facilities Operations on the Brownsville campus.
Before joining the university, Garza worked in the electrical construction field with Metro Electric.
Garza’s duties as an electrical supervisor range from small to big projects on campus.
“We get requests from campus for, obviously, lights aren’t working or switches go bad or say they get some new equipment, computers, printers, and they would like us to go and get power to them,” he said. “When there is projects, remodels or small little projects, like we just had one down [at] Boca Chica Stargate. I order materials and do the scheduling of when we can go and get the job done.”
He earned a bachelor’s degree in workforce leadership and supervision in 2009 with the staff tuition assistance that was offered at the legacy institution.
“I already had, like, I believe 77 college hours because I was going for criminal justice back in ’92, when I graduated,” he said. “So, I got re-enrolled in school here, and I started taking a couple classes a semester.”
Looking back, Garza remembers his college experience and how he felt more prepared the second time around.
“I went to college right out of high school, and looking back at it now, sometimes we are not ready,” he said. “The second time around, I was a lot more focused. By that time, I was married and had a family. Responsibilities change, your priorities change.”
Garza said he recalls the process of the merger between legacy institutions, UT Brownsville and University of Texas-Pan American and the reduction of workforce that came with it.
“We were not sure who was carrying over with UTRGV and who wasn’t,” he said. “So, I think at that time, there was, like, a cloud that was floating around everybody and I think everybody was walking on eggshells.”
However, he believes the change was positive.
“We went from being a campus with, I believe, at that time was 7,000 to 8,000 students to adding the 20,000 from Edinburg,” he said. “Being, you know, up there in the same breed with, maybe like, UT El Paso or campuses like that. I thought that was awesome. I think that is a great thing that happened here in the Valley.”
Amado Rodriguez, supervisor for the plumbing department, described Garza as a team player and a good co-worker.
“Whenever we need, he helps us out,” Rodriguez said. “He strives to go up the ladder. He likes to do better each day.”
Garza advises students to work hard and finish their studies.
“At the end, there is million excuses why not,” he said. “All that matters in the end is, did you do it or not.”
