Chasing A Legacy: Jessica Padgett ’25

For as long as she can remember, Jessica Padgett ’25 strived for two things: making her beloved father proud and becoming an Aggie. She never grew tired of her father Jim, who was known for his larger-than-life presence and the boundless love he had for his family. However, years after his untimely passing, Jessica discovered her own way to return the favor.

Jessica spent much of her life around the oil industry. She worked for different energy companies in roles ranging from project manager assistant to electrical and instrumentation clerk. Such roles merely scratched the surface of what she brought upon starting her Oil, Gas, and Energy Law track in the Master of Legal Studies program.

A Well of Knowledge

For years, the Padgett family were industry stalwarts in La Belle, TX, a tight-knit community 12 miles south of Beaumont. Her father was an accomplished businessman, who would go on to work for and partner with over 30 companies in his career. She recalled a childhood spent often accompanying him, driving across state lines to visit the many oil wells he oversaw. She soaked up the sights, sounds, and smells of the job forever intertwined with the work.

“He was contracted by the oil companies to maintain their wells, make sure they were operational, and maintain their pumping and gauging,” Padgett said. “I would ride with him to all the wells on the weekends, or whenever I had a day off from school. To this day, they are some of my greatest memories.”

Jim’s entrepreneurial passion matched his business acumen. He would go on to establish Padgett’s Pumping and Gauging Oil Field Service, which became one of the largest such companies between Houston and New Orleans.

“What stuck out the most was his hard work and dedication; it was nothing to see him put 10,000 miles on a vehicle in a week. It was basically a 24-hour-a-day job,” she said. “At the time, he carried around two phones and four pagers because some of the wells had to be manned at all times. As technology improved, the wells would automatically call him if something was wrong.”

Jim retired in 2001. He quickly transitioned to a less demanding business venture in order to support his family and adhere to his growing ailments. Seizing an opportunity, Jessica asked her father to teach her the ins and outs of his former business ventures so she could step in and pick up where he left off. To her surprise, Jim declined. She recalled how reluctant he was to have his daughter navigate her way through an often unforgiving, male dominated industry.

“He said no when I asked to be trained and have the business passed down,” she said. “He told me the industry was a ‘man’s world,’ and that I wouldn't make it unless I went back to school to learn all the laws.”

He changed his mind over time but gave advice that would stick with her forever.

“He instructed that if I was going to do it, I had to do it right. I had to pick up my bootstraps and dig deep,” she said. “I would have to learn it all. I’d have to know more than the other ranchers, farmers, and cattlemen, so that I could tell them where to put the wells and know how to run things.”

His health deteriorated further, and in 2011, he experienced a near-fatal accident that left him on life support. Jessica, her young son, and her mother stepped in and immediately became Jim’s full-time caretakers. The experience drew their family even closer, but it also forced her to forgo her dream of becoming an Aggie. Despite it all, their new routine didn’t stop their family from making new memories.

Fulfilling A Dream

Jim passed away in 2021. As the Padgett family sorted through collective grief, Jessica eventually decided that it was time to pick up her own bootstraps and move forward. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Houston Baptist University in 2024. Toward the end of her time as an undergrad, she discovered the Texas A&M Law MLS program and jumped at the opportunity. She was rooted not only in the industry that shaped her life, but also in her desire to become an Aggie.

“From the time I was little, I have always been drawn to Texas A&M,” she said. “We bleed maroon.”

At the start of her MLS program, she felt an instant connection with the coursework and her professors. She explored various aspects of the industry on a macro, micro, and legal level.

“I loved learning about the law. I'm a curious person anyway,” she said. “If I've had any questions, my professors have been right there to answer me. The way I see it, the more you know, the better in life you're going to do.”

As a student, Jessica's taken her knowledge and turned it into a passion. She’s also observed modern distinctions within today’s industry.

“Within oil, gas, and energy law, I don't see it as a man's world anymore –– I really don't,” she said. “I have friends that work in the oil field, and the job I'm trying to get isn't necessarily a ‘man's world’ job.”

As she sets her sights on graduating this winter, Jessica refuses to take her foot off the gas. She intends to pick up where her father left off and carry on his legacy in a way that’s uniquely hers. She even plans to go back for her Ph.D. Back home in La Belle, she’s never too far from the oil industry or the associates she grew up with. Many of the surrounding oil wells are still operational and often maintained, she said.

For now, her father’s legacy grows with each shared milestone. It’s one of the many things from Jim that she wears like a badge of honor.