Where Are They Now?

Aldo Herrera has only been out of high school for a few years, but already he’s found a career he loves — working in the wind industry as a tower climber. The job is hard work and means Herrera spends a lot of time away from home, but he enjoys the experience of learning something new every day.

In high school, Herrera balanced his school work with multiple jobs, first at O’Reilly’s and Sonic, and then at Fibergrate and Kwik Car in Stephenville. Herrera graduated in 2018, and took summer classes at Tarleton before deciding to attend Ranger Junior College.

He kept taking classes and working odd jobs for a year. “In 2019 one of my buddies was working at Blattner [Energy] and he called me up and asked if I wanted to come work,” said Herrera. “I wanted to try college first and then figure it out, but it wasn’t for me. So since then I’ve been on the road working on wind turbines, basically building them from the ground up.”

Currently Herrera is working on a project in Norfolk, Nebraska, assembling around 50 towers. His job is to climb towers, help direct the crane operators, and make sure everyone has the right tools to do what they need to. A typical project takes three to five months, and each offers a new learning experience. “Every day is a new day, and we don’t know what we’re gonna be doing,” Herrera said. “It took me a while to get the process and then how to do [my job]. I pretty much learned from watching other people and gaining the confidence to start doing it myself.”

Coming in with no experience and slowly building his expertise has been an empowering experience for Herrera. “It is definitely a real confidence booster once you figure out the process,” he said. “I went from asking other people how to do everything, to now having gained trust from my boss and having other people ask me how to do things. It makes me feel like I’m doing something right, while still staying humble.”

Herrera plans to stay working in the wind industry for at least a few more years, but by the time he’s in his 30s he hopes to find a career that will let him stay close to home. “Hopefully by then I’ll have a family and I don’t want to miss any events,” he said. “I remember whenever I first started doing what I do I felt like I was missing out a lot. I had to get over the fear of missing out on birthdays or Christmas, and I wish I was there.”

For now, Herrera is willing to trade some of his family time to advance his career; over the next few years he hopes to pay off all his debts and start saving for a house. “Once you realize what your goals are, those fears start to become sacrifices that you’re willing to make,” he said. “But I definitely don’t want to get accustomed to it.”

When he does get some free time, Herrera enjoys catching up on Netflix shows like Squid Games, and hanging out with friends and family back home. Eventually, Herrera hopes to settle down closer to the people he cares about. “I would love to move to Weatherford,” he said.

His parents, Rodrigo and Maria Herrera, still live in Dublin. “My mom works at the elementary school as a custodian, and my dad has been working in the dairy industry for 20 plus years,” Herrera said.

Even years out of high school, Herrera still finds inspiration in the words of Dublin coach Bob Cervetto. “He’d always tell us to stop being selfish, stop being a know-it-all, and every day to learn something new,” Herrera said. “Every time I’m having a rough day, I get that Coach Cervetto voice in my head saying ‘Keep going.’”

Herrera’s advice to Dublin graduates is to keep an open mind and always be willing to learn. “You’ll never know everything,” he said. “Also, if you don’t go to college, find something you love to do and do it every day.”

Editor’s Note: This column chronicles what Dublin graduates have done since high school. If you have any suggestions for other grads, email publisher@dublincitizen. com.