For years, San Jacinto College process technology student Kaylin Nelson did what she thought she was supposed to do.
She worked two jobs, pursued a nursing degree, raised her two young daughters and kept pushing forward. It took a divorce to make her stop and ask a question she'd been avoiding: Was this what she wanted or just what she thought she should want?
"I thought, ‘You know what? I don't know that I want to do nursing,'" Nelson said. "I needed to figure out what I wanted for myself."
The Deer Park native started at San Jac as a dual-major student. She earned a life science associate degree from San Jac in 2021 and a business degree the next year. But it wasn't until someone suggested process technology that she found her calling. "I never thought that as a female I could go into that kind of work," she said. "I thought it was only a man's world. There's no place for me out there."
Her best friend's father had worked at a chemical plant, so Nelson knew the money and lifestyle were there. As she prepared for life as a single mother, she needed a career that could provide for her kids. Last fall, she enrolled in San Jac's process technology program. Her confidence grew during her second semester in equipment class when she experienced the 8,000-square-foot glycol plant at the LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy & Technology (CPET).
"I realized I was picking it up really fast. People were asking me questions, and I was helping other students," Nelson said.
As Nelson gained confidence, she started volunteering for outreach events. One trip took her to work with high school girls, teaching them how to break lines — a hands-on introduction to the skills operators use in the field.
"It was really cool to show these girls career paths beyond nursing and teaching. To show them they have options in the trades," she said.
The experience resonated with Nelson, and that passion led her to become VP of the process technology club and start a GroupMe for women in the program. "It can be intimidating," she said. "We hop on and chat if we need anything or want to ask questions without being judged. They can encourage each other there."
Nelson attended the 2025 CPET career fair with a mission: land a full-time job before graduation. One recruiter from Linde introduced her to plant colleagues. Later during the fair, as she was networking and sharing her resume, he approached her again.
"I told him I was talking to other companies but that Linde was my top choice. I wanted him to know where I stood," Nelson said.
About a week later, she got a call inviting her to tour the Linde plant. The company created two new positions for CPET students, one specifically for Nelson.
Nelson started her new role two weeks before graduation. She now works as a nitrogen loader, moving tanks and trailers around the property, with plans to eventually work her way up to an operator. Getting to this point meant balancing full-time work, full-time in-person classes and raising two daughters alone. Summer classes were especially intense: six hours a day, three days in a row.
"I had to have friends and family watch the kids," Nelson said. "I explained to my girls that I am doing this for us. I have to go to class. I have to put my all into it." Nelson graduated in December, and for the first time in three degrees, she walked across the stage.
As for her long-term goals, Nelson wants to be more than just an operator. She hopes to work in industry outreach, bringing opportunities to students who might not know this path exists.
"I want to give back. I'll take opportunities as they come. I mean, it's led me here," she said.
For more information, visit sanjac.edu.
