Member Profile
Jill S. Miller
BA’92, Journalism and Political Science
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, Duke University
Volunteer, lawyer, traveler, IUAA life member
Why I chose IU
My first introduction to IU was, not surprisingly, through its basketball program. My mom is an IU alumna, and when my sister and I were little, the only nights we were allowed to stay up late were when IU basketball games were on television. In Illinois, it was sometimes tricky to find game coverage, and, even then, it wasn’t easy. I’d creep downstairs to our family room, and if I made it far enough without being heard, my parents decided it wasn’t worth disrupting the game to take me back to bed! My first memories of IU were watching the Homecoming parade — I loved the calliope! But I came to really appreciate the beauty of the campus when I attended high school journalism camp at IU. Knowing that I wanted to study journalism in college, by the time I needed to select a university, IU was a natural choice.
Favorite memories of IU
The almost-national championship basketball team in 1992 provided me with some of my favorite memories, especially heading to Showalter Fountain after our victory over UCLA in the Elite Eight. It was a perfect sunny day, and everyone was so excited. The Homecoming parade during my senior year was incredibly fun, and getting to know Dr. Wells was also a highlight.
Strangely, some of my most distinct special memories of campus were after snowfalls. I remember being totally blown away by the beautiful quiet that followed one particularly heavy snowfall, as I walked on the bridges behind Woodburn Hall. It was so beautiful that I literally stopped in my tracks, looking at the gorgeous trees and hearing the peaceful sounds they made as they blew back and forth, weighted down by the snow. I just felt so lucky to be there.
Advice to undergraduates
Appreciate every moment of your education and know that each is a unique and fleeting gift. In retrospect, even the all-nighters before exams that seemed so stressful at the time were actually opportunities to make lasting (albeit caffeine-induced) memories with great friends. To truly appreciate IU, I think you need to be consciously aware that not every school offers the rich atmosphere you find at IU. It’s not special because it’s college, it’s special because it’s IU.
Why the IU Alumni Association is important to me
As a freshman I joined the Student Alumni Association, and I have continued my involvement with the IUAA ever since. These days, working in “ACC country” means my affiliation with IU is all the more important! Can you imagine the support I needed when IU beat Duke two years ago in the NCAA tournament? Now that I work for a relatively small university, students sometimes ask me about whether I ever felt lost at a large school like IU. The answer is always no. Through my involvement with the SAA, and now the IUAA, I’ve always felt like I’m a part of a much smaller IU family. It may be an extended family that spans the globe, but it’s a family that genuinely cares about the needs of its members. With the IUAA, I know I’ll always have a home at IU.