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AJ Rowland
AJ Rowland
01:00

AJ Rowland

Rowland Dusters

Raymondville, TX USA

"All of us were put here for certain reasons. Everybody just needs to find their place."

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AJ's work combines: Engineering, Technology, and Problem Solving

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Day In The Life

Aviation Mechanic

I perform maintenance on agriculture planes for my family's crop dusting business.

01:29

Day In The Life Of An Aviation Mechanic

My Day to Day

I start the day by pulling all of the airplanes up to get them loaded and ready to go. My brother and I will get the maps ready for the pilots and make sure everything is organized. I'll proceed through the day making sure everything is in order. If something goes wrong with one of the planes, I work on it. For example, the air conditioning went out in one of the planes. I'm able to fix that so the pilot can be comfortable. At the end of the day, we prepare maps and schedules for the next day.

Skills & Education

Advice for getting started

In high school, I was told I had to go to college and get a four-year degree to be successful. I didn't know what I wanted to pursue but I went to college anyway because that's what everyone said to do. I realized within three semesters that college wasn't for me. I'd rather be working than sitting in class. I moved back home and joined my family's agricultural business. I also earned my mechanics license from a technical college. I enjoyed that so much more because it was hands-on learning.

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Certification

    Mechanics License

    Texas State Technical College

Learn more about different paths to this career

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life has been direct

  • 1.

    My family has deep roots in the crop dusting industry—I’m the fourth generation in my family to join the industry.

  • 2.

    Through high school, I was pushed to go to college and get a four-year degree.

  • 3.

    I quickly learned that traditional college wasn’t for me, so I decided to move back home and lean into my family’s agricultural side instead.

  • 4.

    I went to a technical college and earned my mechanics license, which I put towards the family business—instead of outsourcing maintenance, I wanted to be able to do that in-house.

  • 5.

    I currently work as the lead mechanic for my family’s business.

  • 6.

    I’m also working on getting my pilot’s license and becoming a fourth generation agricultural pilot.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from Teachers:

    You need to go to college. You need a four-year degree. You won't be able to do anything without a degree.

  • How I responded:

    In high school, I was told I had to go to college and get a four-year degree to be successful. I didn't know what I wanted to pursue but I went to college anyway because that's what everyone said to do. I realized within three semesters that college wasn't for me. I'd rather be working than sitting in class. I moved back home and joined my family's agricultural business. I also earned my mechanics license from a technical college. I enjoyed that so much more because it was hands-on learning.

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