PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (May 12, 2025) – Jordan Miller has always embraced the unfamiliar—finding strength in adversity, wisdom through adventure, and purpose in persistence. His path to success hasn’t followed a straight line, but each twist and turn has helped him grow deeper roots.
Jordan Miller ’25
Born in Detroit and shaped by experiences in Michigan, Texas, and across the globe, Miller’s journey reflects a relentless pursuit of growth.
Now, as he prepares to graduate from Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) this spring with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems, he’s ready to take the next big step: joining a Fortune 500 company full time, ConocoPhillips in Houston.
“I’ve learned that life can change in an instant,” Miller said. “But with determination, resilience, and persistence, you’ll prevail in the end.”
A Life-Altering Detour
In 2017, just out of high school, Miller enlisted in the U.S. Air Force with a clear direction: a new apartment, a new car, and a steady plan. But in 2019, a sudden deployment order changed everything. He had 72 hours to report to Qatar.
Deployment in Al Rayyan, Qatar
“This adventure was something I always wanted, but I didn’t expect it to happen the way it did,” Miller said.
Stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas prior to his deployment, Miller was thrust into new responsibilities in Southwest Asia. He served as a Unit Deployment Manager and worked in Emergency Management, all while driving patients to appointments in Doha on the side—an experience that gave him an up-close view of the city.
What was supposed to be a six-month deployment stretched into eight, unfolding as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of the world.
The Challenge of Transitioning
After returning to the U.S., Miller moved to Austin and left the military in 2022 to start fresh. But the transition proved tough. A missed job opportunity, feelings of isolation, and the challenge of starting over in a new city led him to reconsider his path—and eventually brought him to Houston and PVAMU.
“I earned my associate’s degree in business administration from Austin Community College in 2023,” Miller said. “Most of it was online due to my deployment and the pandemic. I wanted an in-person learning experience and better networking opportunities. That’s what led me to PVAMU.”
As a legacy student with several cousins who also attended the University, Miller found what he was searching for—support, connection, and new dreams realized.
Support That Made All the Difference
PVAMU gave Miller the environment he needed to thrive. He credits the University’s faculty and advisors with helping him stay on track.
“What I love most about PVAMU is faculty members who have taken the time to work with me personally to achieve my goals,” he said. “In particular, my previous advisor, Ahmed Mahfouz, went above and beyond. He sat with me for almost two hours to review my degree plan. He found several previously completed courses that weren’t accounted for—had he not caught that, I might not be graduating on time.”
These moments of care, Miller said, exemplify the foundation of support PVAMU provides its students.
Opening Doors Through Opportunity
That foundation helped launch his next chapter. During his time at PVAMU, Miller secured a transformative internship with ConocoPhillips on the telecommunications team, which led to a full-time offer.
“Post-grad, I’ll be joining ConocoPhillips as an Information Technology new hire,” he said. “I’ll train in Oklahoma over the summer, then move back to Houston to begin full-time. What excites me most is the opportunity to explore different career paths within IT before settling on a focus.”
The internship gave Miller hands-on experience in the Oil & Gas industry—an industry he hadn’t previously considered.
“I traveled to Bartlesville, Oklahoma and Midland, Texas, where I visited the Mabee Oil Field,” he said. “I got to see the project I was working on in real-time. That helped me understand how everything connects.”
Looking Ahead with Clarity and Courage
As Miller prepares to graduate, he remains open to whatever comes next, including more adventures abroad.
“Ultimately, I’d like to work in cybersecurity, but I’m open to other opportunities as I keep learning,” he said. “And I’d love to live and work overseas again.”
To students navigating their own winding paths, Miller shares this advice: “Never stop networking or learning—even after you land a job offer. Go to every career fair. Strike up random conversations. You never know who you’re in the room with. Take every risk possible to achieve the life you want. No dream is too big.”
From military service to PVAMU to the doors now opening in corporate tech, Miller’s journey is a testament to what’s possible when resilience meets opportunity—and when you have the courage to follow the road less traveled.
Click here to view a complete listing of this semester’s notable graduates.
By Meredith Mohr
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