MNTC Electrical Trades Graduate Achieves Entrepreneurial Goal | Moore Norman Technology Center
![Alan Tristan Alumni]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1740085542/mntechnologycom/geaxvcqr5bsqeesutnps/AlanTristan.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1740085542/mntechnologycom/geaxvcqr5bsqeesutnps/AlanTristan.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1740085542/mntechnologycom/geaxvcqr5bsqeesutnps/AlanTristan.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1740085542/mntechnologycom/geaxvcqr5bsqeesutnps/AlanTristan.png","width":1080}])
Before starting at Moore Norman Technology Center, successful electrician and business owner Alan Tristan says he was in a very difficult place personally and financially. He was a newlywed, with a baby on the way, and he was worried. “I was just thinking about the future, what I was going to be able to offer my family. I wanted to give them a better life,” he said.
Although he’d graduated from U.S Grant High School about six years earlier and had attended Oklahoma City Community College to study banking and finance, he’d felt overwhelmed and unsure about what he wanted to do, so, concerned about wasting time and money, he decided to take a break to make up his mind.
“I'm a believer in Jesus Christ. So I started praying for guidance and direction in my life,” Tristan said. “One day, a good friend of mine contacted me out of nowhere, and he persuaded me into joining the electrical program at Moore Norman.” His friend had just completed the program, had gotten a job upon graduation and was doing really well. Tristan felt that his prayer had been answered.
Tristan, originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, was a highly motivated student who never let his language barrier, or anything else, stop his progress. Moore Norman instructors and staff welcomed him and helped him achieve his goals every step of the way. “The support and resources I got from Moore Norman were great. They gave me the opportunity [to attend] even when I didn't have the funds to pay for the course. They gave me a payment plan. They worked it out for me. Also, I was awarded the Foundation Scholarship, and that was a huge blessing in my life at that point.”
Tristan’s long-term goal was to own his own electrical contracting company. As he prepared to graduate, he had a good job lined up, and his future was unfolding just as he’d planned. And then his DACA and identification were stolen. Without them, he couldn’t work. The issue was complicated by the fact that his father and two brothers share his same name! Alan's instructor Kevin Gunter and the MNTC Deputy Superintendent Jeanette Capshaw (both retired now) contacted then state Rep. Steve Russell who helped clear up the matter.
“That was a big stress on my on my end.” But the MNTC team, along with members of the MNTC Foundation jumped into action to help. “I was able to get my work permit on time to start working right away. They went out of their way to help, and I'm so grateful for that.” Alan went to work, got his journeyman's license and now has achieved his goal of owning his own electrical contracting company.
Tristan encourages the younger generations to consider a career in a trade. “There's a lot of high demand and there will always be high demand. We all need electrical. We all need plumbing, and HVAC. These are good paying jobs, and Moore Norman is the best school [in the state] for trades.”
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About Moore Norman Technology Center
Established in 1972, Moore Norman Technology Center is viewed as one of the nation's premiere career and technical educational institutions within Oklahoma's globally recognized Career Tech system. Serving the Cleveland County communities of Moore, Norman, and south Oklahoma City, MNTC provides high school and adult students with an innovative technical career education. MNTC also offers customized workforce training to area companies allowing them to upskill their teams and achieve their business goals. Visit mntc.edu to learn more about classes and programs at Moore Norman Technology Center.
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