Pipes, Purpose and Perseverance:
A Journey in Process Technology
By Scott Turnbough
By all accounts, Carline Njeru is a powerhouse. As an operator at Chevron Phillips in Pasadena and a key member of the fire and emergency response team, she handles high-stakes responsibilities in a field still largely dominated by men. But her path to success didn’t start in a control room. It began thousands of miles away in Nairobi, Kenya.
Raised by her grandparents, Njeru came to the United States as a teenager after the loss of her mother. Her journey is marked by resilience, reinvention and a relentless desire to create a better life for her children.
“I always wanted to be an engineer like my grandfather,” she said. “But when I came to this country, I met Robert Leal, a process operator and ACC alum, who introduced me to operations, and I realized that was exactly what I needed to do.”
That realization led her to the Process Technology program at ACC, a decision that shaped her future in powerful ways.
Njeru speaks passionately about the program, which trains students not just to pass exams but to walk into industry jobs with confidence.
“The instructors have actually worked in chemical plants,” she said. “They don’t just teach from a book. They teach you to be an operator.”
Hands-on training is a core element of the program. From full-scale equipment labs to the Polaris Unit outside campus, students interact with the same systems and tools they will encounter in the field.
“We touched the pipes. We learned how to trace lines. We used the DCS systems. So by the time you get to a plant, it’s not a shock. It’s second nature,” Njeru said.
The program also offers mock interviews with industry professionals, plant tours and strict training on workplace expectations. Even classroom policies mirror the real world.
“If you’re five minutes late to class, it’s marked as a missed day. That’s how it is at work. If you’re late, your coworker can’t go home,” she said.
The program is rigorous. Coursework includes chemistry, physics and instrumentation. Students must be ready to compete.
“The job market is mature. Only the best get hired,” Njeru said. “Your GPA matters. You have to bring your A-game.”
She completed her degree with minimal student debt thanks to scholarships offered by the college. Today, she has a job that allows her to provide for her family and build a future she once only imagined.
“This program gave me the chance to give my kids a childhood I never had,” she said.
As a woman in the field, Njeru has found a welcoming environment at her company.
“They treat you like one of the team,” she said. “It’s like going to work with family.”
For Carline Njeru, ACC’s Process Technology program was more than a path to a paycheck. It was a path to purpose.