Nelson then attended the University of Technology (UTech) in Jamaica from 2018 to 2020, where she was coached by Paul Francis at the MVP Track and Field Club. In her first year she placed third in the women's 100 metres at the 2018 Jamaican Under-20 Championships and ran on the 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2018 World Under-20 Championships, though the Jamaican team was unable to advance after being disqualified in the semi-finals for stepping out of their lane.