By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
A Dickinson High School graduate in 2021, Blake Johnson decided to enroll in college at College of the Mainland (COM.) A Pearland High School graduate class in 1992, David Johnson also decided to enroll in college at COM.
Both are in the process technology program and will be finishing their associate degrees in August.
David is Blake’s father. David has had a career. Blake has a job but not a career.
The two are looking forward to careers involving anything from running a brewery to working in a chemical plant.
Completing the program qualifies a person to be professionally involved with “anything that has a process separating two or more products, to refine down to Its simplest form, David/Dad explained.
With the degree they can also work at sewage treatment plants—helping to keep things separated.
It would seem the younger of the two might get annoyed with his dad being somewhat of a tagalong. But that doesn’t seem to be the case for Blake and David, “It’s definitely brought us closer together,” Blake said.
Dad, aka David, values being in the same degree program as his son for additional reasons.
“For me as a father, it’s a good opportunity to spend one on one time with Blake and provide him with my knowledge and wisdom to help him avoid the pitfalls,” said Dad, aka David.
They report that they sit next to each other in class, and Dad and Blake work together in the classroom on their tasks.
“We are attached at the hip—we are a lot alike. Learning from college and learning from my dad is good,” Blake said.
“As an old dog going back to school, it’s good to be here with the younger generation and learn from them,” David said.
David and Blake have made a positive impression on the Department Chair of Industrial Careers, Derrick Lewis.
“It’s amazing in the class the way the two of them feed off each other. Dad is very proud of his son, but he has a classmate type of relationship when in class with his son,” Lewis said.
After three to four hours of class time with father and son bonding, they go their separate ways as students. David said that at home, he does not interfere with his son’s study methods.
As for the rest of the students in their classes, both David and Blake share that David is often just called Dad by their classmates.
So why is David pursuing the degree at a time when his classmates call him Dad, on account of his being in class along with his son?
He explained that he was looking to get out of the bottled water industry and shared that he’d been a regional manager but was unsatisfied with trending changes in his field.
“I’d come out of my home office and my kids—he has two older daughters — would say, ‘Dad we don’t know which version of you is going to come out of the office.’ I was so unhappy with my work, and you’ve got to be happy, so you’ve got to do what you got to do,” David said.
Some other questions, such as why enroll at COM and why major in process technology (PTEC) as David and Blake come to mind.
Blake and David chose process technology because they have friends or parents of friends who like the careers they are have with their degrees in PTEC. Son/Blake had started out as an engineering student but switched to PTEC.
They chose COM for practical reasons.
“We like the accessibility and the affordability,” both Johnsons explained.
Dad needs to work for 15 more years before he can retire, and he wants his next job to be his last job. He plans to push through the two-year program in 18 months so he can get back to working.
Dad is planning to apply to every place with openings when he finishes his degree. “I’ll work for the first company that gives me the opportunity to be part of a team,” David said.
Blake, on the other hand, is looking beyond just one job for 15 years. He is planning to finish his education and see where it takes him. He says he might go for more education. But he isn’t sure right now.
Both agree, learning with simulators at COM has been a great way to learn rather than just reading material from a book. They also both agree that they have great instructors and appreciate their knowledge as professionals who have worked in the field. They both love being in the new Industrial Careers Building.
Dad is a full-time student and a full-time husband. “My wife is an RN and she’s a great support and a best friend,” David said.
Son/Blake is taking the same load of classes as his father, but he also holds a 25-hour-a-week job at Jimmy Changas, he shared.
Blake also shared that has a sweetheart. He met her in high school. She is studying to be a teacher. At one time Blake was the lead drummer for his high school band. Now work, college and his commitment to following a closer walk with God keep him pretty busy, he reported.
As a high school graduate, Blake enrolled at COM and his tuition is covered by Opening Doors Promise scholarships. Dad is getting some assistance for his tuition from Marathon scholarships. Dad also proudly shared that he has made the dean’s list.
They will be finishing their degrees soon, and we wish both Johnson men the very best in their future career endeavors.
