STC alumna Erika Claire forges her path in HVAC and entrepreneurship
Motivated to learn about HVAC through a desire to help her sister with maintenance expenses at a family-owned apartment building, STC alumna Erika Claire said she gradually developed expertise while taking classes at STC to help her family.
South Texas College Heating, Ventilation Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR) alumna Erika Claire says she has made a career out of breaking barriers.
From the moment she arrived in the Rio Grande Valley from California more than 20 years ago and began making repairs at apartments as a maintenance woman, Claire said she never let so-called societal norms influence what she wanted to do in life.
“The most powerful thing I can tell students who wants to succeed is to find something they love to do and never give up. Whether it’s choosing a field where they can work with their hands or the environment of an office, it’s up to them, but you can’t let other people’s opinions on gender or anything else influence you,” Claire said. “In my case, HVACR is really a very hands-on field but just because it’s considered to be male-dominated, doesn’t mean that it can’t be open to everyone who wants to enter this field and work with their hands. I knew this was the right program for me and I appreciate every minute I spent here.”
In 2004, Claire said she and her sister began investing in real estate in Starr County and purchased an apartment complex in Rio Grande City.
“STC gave us mentors. We can call them for questions, and any problems you run into in the field we know they will be available to answer our questions. Faculty here are big supporters for students who are already in the field working. So that's a huge advantage that STC offers.”
Already possessing an associate degree in Electronics and a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from California, Claire said she assigned herself to the maintenance of the newly purchased apartment complex and handled painting and plumbing duties, but soon was faced with a critical dilemma when it came to air-conditioning repair.
Motivated to learn about HVACR through a desire to help her sister with maintenance expenses at her apartment building, Claire said she gradually developed expertise while taking classes at STC to help her family.
“The cost of AC repairs was super high, so my sister and I had to make a decision,” Claire said. “We decided to invest the money that we were going to pay in repairs and instead pay for classes so I could learn to fix the air-conditioning system on my own. My sister talked to me about decreasing the cost of those repairs, so I came to STC to learn HVACR. From the moment I took my first refrigeration classes, I just fell in love with the program, and I knew I had to complete it and get my associate degree.”
Arriving at STC, Claire said she became immersed in learning about the service, maintenance and installation of heating, cooling and refrigeration equipment that she found could be applied to domestic, commercial and industrial systems.
She also found a mentor in STC HVACR instructor Guadalupe Sanchez, who said he still communicates with Claire and many graduates who have entered the field.
“I appreciated being her (Claire) instructor and I still keep up with her just like I do with a lot of students, and if they run into a problem in the field, I try my best to help them,” Sanchez said. “It has been a hallmark for our HVACR program that when they graduate we never just disappear from their lives. We give students like Erika constant advice as they move forward in the business because we understand our roles as mentors.”
Claire graduated from STC’s HVACR program in 2021 and said she was hired soon afterwards by Sears Heating and Air Conditioning in McAllen where she installed HVACR systems and units.
After a year as a technician, Claire said she launched her own business called Valley Home Appliance Repair in Rio Grande City in 2022 and has found great success as an independent business owner while still helping her family on the side.
“STC gave us mentors. We can call them for questions, and any problems you run into in the field we know they will be available to answer our questions,” Claire said. “Faculty here are big supporters for students who are already in the field working. So that's a huge advantage that STC offers.”
For more information on STC’s HVACR program visit www.southtexascollege.edu/academics/hvacr/.