Future Forward Mindset: Jada Malone’s Grit in Graduate Studies

The Humans of Mays Business School series highlights excerpts from conversations with exceptional individuals at Mays who make a lasting impact through their leadership, drive, and dedication. Each story brings to life the diverse journeys, challenges, and triumphs that shape the Mays community. By sharing these unique experiences, we aim to inspire personal and professional growth within our halls and share the origin stories of today’s and tomorrow’s business leaders.

Whether they’re in the classroom, around campus, on the field, or through extracurriculars, Mays students demonstrate a commitment to excellence and service. In this edition, we’re proud to feature Jada Malone, a graduate student in Mays’ Flex Online Master’s of Science in Management Information Systems and a member of Texas A&M’s women’s basketball team. She earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Technology Management, Engineering. She’s also active with the sorority Sigma Gamma Rho and the president of the student-athlete organization Women Equipped, Empowered, and Encouraged (W(E)^3). Jada is a true embodiment of the Aggie Spirit and the leadership skills we cultivate at Mays.

 

Embracing Challenges On and Off the Court

“I have a sister who is eight and a half years older than me. I would always just go to stuff with her, especially basketball practice, so I wanted to be like my sister, honestly. My dad also started coaching basketball, so I naturally ended up on his team. As far as playing at the collegiate level, I realized that I was pretty good at it, and realized I could receive a scholarship to school and play for a university. A&M is close to home. I am from Spring, near Houston, and I just wanted to be close enough for my family to attend the games. They come to every home game.”

“When I came to A&M, I knew I wanted to be an engineer because I love challenging myself, especially academically. I knew I was gonna set my mind to it and do it, but my parents thought I was crazy. When I knew it was something I could do, I decided I was going to graduate in three years. Point, blank, period. I graduated in three and a half years and now I am in the Flex Online Master’s of Science in Management Information Systems program at Mays, which was the goal for my fourth year.” 

“Basketball-wise my goal was to be a starting player, and I did that my freshman year. The next goal was to make an NCAA tournament appearance and we did that last year. This year, the goal is to keep growing, more so using basketball skills outside of the court.”

Learning to Lead at Mays Business School

“Honestly, I love Mays. The professors and advisors are so supportive. Especially being a basketball player, they work with me on anything I need. It has also been nice to be a part of a different school at Texas A&M for my master’s degree. I have always wanted to do something with technology, and Mays best fit that. I wanted a mix of business and tech, and I knew that if I stayed in the engineering school, it would primarily be tech. My undergrad also included a minor in business, so that is how I was first introduced to business education at Mays. It was a combination of both.” 

“My project management class at Mays has impacted and improved the way I lead by teaching me how to best work in groups. It has taught me that when leading a group you have to listen to everyone’s opinion, even if you don’t agree with it or think it’s right. You still have to hear everyone’s opinion. At the end of the day, projects only work if everyone does their work. I think the same thing goes on the court. We are only going to win if everyone does their part.”

“For my online master’s program, we had orientation for three to four days, and it was really fun because we got to meet everyone in the program. It was so nice to learn about each other. That is my favorite memory at Mays.”

Life as a Student-Athlete

“It takes a lot of organization — a lot. I honestly am the type of person who likes to be busy, so having things to do genuinely makes me happy. That’s why I joined different student organizations and, of course, the basketball team.”

“I did an internship with the Athletics IT Department, and it was great. I have never had real work experience so that in itself was interesting. Having a nine-to-five on top of basketball practices and extracurriculars was a challenge, but it was fun. I learned a lot of new things and got to apply what I had learned in school.”

“I am a part of W(E)^3, a female athletics organization that stands for Women Equipped, Empowered, and Encouraged. The purpose of the organization is to make sure female athletes have opportunities to meet each other and know that we support each other above all else. We have representation from pretty much every sport on campus.”

Lessons Learned

“One of the most impactful lessons I’ve learned during my time at Texas A&M is the difference between being successful and not being successful is in the details. Whether that’s in school, getting an extra hour of studying in, or getting 15 more shots in on the basketball court. Little things like that don’t seem that important, but they are the difference between you making the game-winning shot or passing that one test.”

“On the basketball court, our team is committed to making sure the next day of practice is the best that we can do. Nobody can go back and change the past, so we just try to focus on the future.”

“In terms of basketball overall, I would say just move on. There is always something happening after— you do not have time in a game to think ‘Oh I just missed that shot’ because then someone will score on you. In terms of being a teammate, just learning to be more open with my teammates is important. We don’t have many native Texas players, so I have learned so much from my teammates about where they come from.”

“I think that playing D1 basketball has actually changed my mindset on basketball jobs. At first, I did not want to be a coach, but now I think being a coach would be really cool. We have been doing community service as a team or activities with kids after the games. It is actually really fun. I am taking the little things I have learned from basketball to give to others and inspire future generations.”