Courtesy of Texas Southern University
Janai Minga didn’t choose Texas Southern University.
“I really say Texas Southern University chose me,” she said.
Minga was looking for two things coming out of high school: an HBCU and the best pharmacy program. A lifelong cheerleader, an audition for TSU cheer in 2017 helped her find both.
“I drove all the way down from North Carolina, 17 hours, with my dad. But it was an adventure. When I got here, I tried out and made the team and I said this is the school. I love Houston. I love TSU. I love the culture. This is it.”
She spent two years on the cheer team, including one as captain. She credits TSU with exposing her to different geographical areas and developing her love of traveling.
“My third year at TSU, I did Junior Senator through SGA. I loved that. It’s also a different perspective you see on campus and things that the university and the students need. That pushed me more and more to run for Miss TSU.”
Her reign and her pharmacy school journey began just as COVID-19 shut campus down and the world stood still. Minga says it was difficult at first, but her Royal Court was full of ideas.
“We had to really find ways to dig deep and be innovative and get the students engaged because everyone was home at the time because students were starting to go home because of covid. Nobody wanted to be on campus.”
Minga says her time as Miss TSU during the COVID days taught her business acumen and resilience.
“It taught me finding peace. Peace does not mean everything around you is peaceful. Finding peace means finding peace within yourself amongst chaos. That is so valuable, and I will bring it to the workforce and throughout life.”
Seven years after that fateful 17-hour drive from North Carolina, Minga crossed the stage as a PharmD, and with a job working for one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. And it started with an internship.
“During my second year of pharmacy school I went into this internship with Boehringer Ingelheim, which is a pharmaceutical company,” she said. “It was a sales summer internship. I was exposed to marketing. I applied for a marketing position with Johnson and Johnson, and I got that fellowship. So, I will be moving to Philly in June.”
Minga plans to continue climbing the ladder within pharmaceutical marketing. She also aspires to develop a mentorship program in the next four years.