For Jordan Miller, that lesson came early. In 2017, fresh out of high school, he joined the U.S. Air Force, seeking stability and adventure. Two years later, he was deployed to Qatar. He was only given 72 hours’ notice. Undeterred, he began a six-month assignment that turned into eight as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded. While overseas, he served as a unit deployment manager and emergency management specialist, often transporting patients to Doha (the capital city of Qatar) and gaining a firsthand view of global service.

After returning to the U.S. in 2022, Miller transitioned out of the military and moved to Austin, eventually earning an associate’s degree online. Seeking connection and an in-person experience, he transferred to Prairie View A&M University, where he’ll graduate this spring with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems.

At PVAMU, he found what he was looking for—support, guidance, and opportunity. A summer internship with ConocoPhillips led to a full-time role in Information Technology, launching his next chapter in Houston.

“What I love most about PVAMU is how the faculty care,” he said. “My advisor, Ahmed Mahfouz, helped me graduate on time—he didn’t have to go the extra mile, but he did.”

From navigating deployment to transitioning into tech, Miller’s journey is marked by resilience and grit. And as he steps into his future, he does so with clarity, confidence, and a desire to keep exploring what’s possible.

Shantal Taylor knows what a difference access to healthcare can make. Raised in Clarendon, Jamaica, she saw her grandmother lose mobility from untreated varicose veins, while her mother, who received timely care, remained active.

“I saw people in my community suffer from minor health issues simply because there was no doctor nearby,” said Taylor, who was born in Texas but spent most of her childhood in the Caribbean.

Now a first-generation American and first-time college student in the U.S., Taylor is graduating with a B.S. in Chemistry with a biomedical concentration and a minor in biology. But her path wasn’t easy.

Migrating at 18, she found herself struggling to adapt. “I felt like I started 10 steps behind my peers,” she said. “Not because of intellect, but because I hadn’t had the same opportunities to show what I knew.”

Fueled by a commitment to underserved communities, Taylor pushed forward. She joined the PVAMU Honors Program, became president of Green Chemistry and Panthers Promoting Healthy Decisions, and earned a 3.97 GPA.

She credits Prairie View A&M and mentors like Dr. Selamawit Woldesenbet for helping her grow.

Now, Taylor is headed to Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine. She hopes to become a physician-scientist focused on primary care and infectious disease, serving both the Caribbean and U.S. communities she calls home.

Amid the uncertainty of the pandemic, Jocelynn Poppy Johnson made a decision that would reshape her future: to pursue her master’s degree at Prairie View A&M University, the school she had long felt “called” to attend.

Though she had already earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics from Oklahoma State University, something kept drawing her back to Prairie View. It was the campus she had visited often as a child, the alma mater of her older sister, and the place that had always felt like home.

“I’ve always felt like I was meant to attend Prairie View,” Johnson recalls. “It always felt like home.”

Now completing her MBA, Johnson describes her time at PVAMU as nothing short of transformative. From rediscovering her purpose to growing into a confident leader, the journey has helped her heal, grow, and lead.

She has earned national recognition as a 2022 AT&T Dream in Black Rising Future Maker, was elected president of the Graduate Student Association for 2024–2025, and received a Distinguished Leadership Award for her impact on campus. She traveled across the country representing the University, interviewing celebrities, attending red-carpet events, and even gaining credits in television productions.

“They helped me grow as a communicator, a leader, and someone committed to building meaningful connections,” she said. “PVAMU gave me the space to rediscover myself after a challenging period during the pandemic, and I’m grateful for every moment.”

Today, Johnson serves as a coordinator in the College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources, where she’s accepted a full-time role, continuing the work she loves: supporting students and advancing the College’s mission.