(MARSHALL, Texas) – Jaylin Grant served four years of his five-year commitment in the U.S. Navy before receiving a medical discharge due to an injury. He still needed to provide for his family, and his experience working in the Navy led him to Texas State Technical College’s Marshall campus.
“I was initially going to join the lineman program because I had worked in electricity — I did the power grid on the ship,” the Mount Pleasant resident said. “When I was talking to the enrollment coaches, they said what I was doing in the military was not lineman, it was Process Operations. I said, ‘Sign me up because that’s what I need to do.’”
Grant said relearning some concepts from his Navy days felt redundant at first, but he soon recognized the value of the program’s structure. His instructors became his mentors, taking the time to go through every step with him and the other students.
Grant is on track to receive his Associate of Applied Science degree at TSTC’s Fall 2024 Commencement on Friday, Dec. 20. He expressed his gratitude to his wife for all she has done to support him throughout his education. He said he did his best to balance his time at the Marshall campus with helping to take care of their kids.
“It’s an adjustment, especially with these last few semesters when you need to be more technical and hands-on, and actually know things before you come here and put your hands on things,” Grant said. “But if you’ve got a great support system, as I’m thankful to have, it can be simple and easy.”
Grant said he recommends TSTC to other military veterans.
“They have programs here that we did in the military that you’re not going to learn from a regular university,” Grant said. “A good service member is going to dive right in.”
According to onetonline.org, gas plant operators earn a median salary of $88,510 in Texas, where the number of these jobs was projected to grow 17% between 2020 and 2030.
Process Operations is offered exclusively at TSTC’s Marshall campus. The program offers an Associate of Applied Science degree and a certificate of completion.
Registration for TSTC’s spring semester is underway. For more information, visit tstc.edu.
