Students

Legacy of Love

Bauer Senior Approaches Graduation, World of Possibilities

By Jessica Navarro

At just 22-years-old, Michala Padgett is already thinking about her legacy.

The Bauer College senior is approaching graduation with a full résumé of academic and extracurricular successes and plans to start a full-time marketing position with PepsiCo this summer, but she has her sights set even higher.

“I so believe in the power of mentorship and collaboration and what we can do together,” Padgett said. “I want to be a driving force for change.”

That change is rooted in “agape,” the Greek word for love that is tattooed on the back of Padgett’s neck.

“It’s something I heard a lot growing up,” she said. “It’s this all-powerful, unconditional love that you have for the universe and the connectedness with everyone around you. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders have used the word ‘agape’ to talk about being better and showing this love to the world, and I want to keep that going and make it part of everything I do.”

Padgett has found ways to connect and collaborate throughout her undergraduate college career, double majoring in marketing and retailing & consumer science with a minor in sales. Through her minor, she is part of Bauer College’s Program for Excellence in Selling within the Stephen Stagner Sales Excellence Institute.

In addition to her success in the classroom, Padgett is also an active student leader on campus, serving as chapter president for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority as well as project manager and Young Women’s Mentor for Enactus UH. Padgett was also part of Class 4 of UH RED Labs, the university’s startup accelerator program housed in Bauer College. She’s held several internships and student worker positions during her college career, including marketing and social media work for UH Campus Recreation and a marketing/communications internship with PepsiCo that led to a full-time opportunity.

“It definitely sounds like a lot when you hear someone else say it,” she said. “But I’ve tried to make the most of my experience. If I see something, and I get excited for it — I’m going for it. Sometimes you fail, but it’s worth it for the experience you gain.”

One of the more intimidating experiences, Padgett said, was joining RED Labs as a freshman and quickly becoming head of marketing for her team’s startup project for a mobile application to provide comprehensive and customized meal plans and workout regimens.

“We were working that summer at TMCx, the co-working space in the Texas Medical Center, and it was like Google in Houston,” she said. “It was this group of UH students and Rice (University) students, MBAs and professors, all together in this accelerator.”

Padgett added: “We were the youngest ones there, but that didn’t stop us.”

The summer culminated in Bayou Startup Showcase, a pitch event attended by hundreds of members of the city’s startup scene.

“These were big-time Houston entrepreneurs who came to see my freshman self present,” she said. “It was an amazing experience that helped me grow up a lot.”

The next summer, in 2017, Padgett again challenged herself to do something a bit scary — launching an online fashion blog and social media presence.

“It’s frightening to put yourself out there, but once I did it, I hit the ground running,” she said. “I was so jazzed to be able to express myself.”

Padgett landed brand collaborations and slowly grew her online following as she taught herself search engine optimization and graphic design skills through blogging.

“The world is changing,” she said. “Technology is taking over. You don’t have to follow the rules anymore. You can make your own way.”

For some, not knowing exactly what the future holds might be an intimidating prospect, but for Padgett, it’s a thrilling opportunity.

“I like being on the forefront of things,” she said. “I feel like I’m part of this boom of a new generation, and seeing where it can go and where I can help to take it is exciting.”