Meet the Brothers Making a Name for Themselves in CNM’s Mechatronics Program
Israel and Moses Cavazos are two peas in a pod. They work together, go to school at CNM together, and recently landed internships at Intel together.
“We just make a really good team,” Israel says. “We’ve gone through life together and it’s special to have the opportunity to continue to grow with each other in this field.”
After graduating high school, Israel started working at 505 Southwestern operating a packaging machine. Moses was hired soon after, and that was the beginning of their journey toward careers in automated technology.
The brothers were both interested in pursuing some kind of higher education but knew a four-year program wasn’t the right fit. In their research, they found CNM’s new Mechatronics (Industrial Automation Technology) and knew they’d found the perfect program.
CNM’s Mechatronics program was developed in response to in-demand and evolving industrial and manufacturing trends and provides students with training in everything from programmable logic controllers (PLCs) to engineering CAD and more.
For Israel and Moses, the variety of knowledge and skills they’ve learned through the program has been the most rewarding part of their coursework.
“I’d never worked with PLCs before, and now it’s my favorite thing to work on,” Moses says.
“We had been exposed to some of the technology because of our jobs at 505 Southwestern, but I had always been interested in learning about electrical work,” Israel explains. “Electrical work is a key component of the program, and now I’m able to put together things like a basic electrical panel or a light switch.”
Along with their coursework, Israel and Moses were recently hired as Manufacturing Technician interns at Intel. As interns they will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience running and troubleshooting various manufacturing equipment. They will also be partnered with current Intel engineers to help guide them through their work.
“I never would've thought that we could get an opportunity like this and so quickly,” Moses says. “This is a huge for us, especially since New Mexico is at the forefront of the manufacturing industry, and it’s an honor to represent our program in this way.”
As Israel and Moses gear up for their new internships and keep working towards their mechatronics certifications, they couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunities they’ve found with the help of CNM.
"We were nervous about enrolling in this program because school was never our strong suit, but once we got here the instructors were so supportive and wanted to see us succeed, and because of that we’ve already accomplished so much,” Moses says. “I would encourage anyone to give this program a try, even if you don’t have prior knowledge. This program will teach you the everything you need to know to feel prepared to enter the workforce.”
“Since we started this program, we have been exposed to so many options that I would have never dreamed of ten years ago,” Israel says. “The job options are almost endless, and I want to encourage other people to give this program a try so they can see how many doors are open to them.”