Senior Spotlight 19: DeAndra Miller

“I have a planner. I basically try to block out every second of my time: This is the time that I will cook, this is what time I’ll do homework. It’s the only way to stay sane because then if I have it written down, I get done and I move on. It’s just a lot of time management, which I used to never really be good at.”
DeAndra Miller, English literature, concentration in gender studies, instructional science, & Spanish

By Shalom Baer
University Communications Student Assistant
publicinformation@minotstateu.edu

MINOT, N.D. – DeAndra Miller stayed busy during her time at Minot State.

The mother of three — who is expecting her fourth child — was heavily involved on campus. She worked at the Red & Green, Minot State’s student newspaper, first as a reporter, then as sports editor, and ultimately as editor of the paper for the 2018-19 year. She was also a Student Government Association Senator, President of the English Club, and member of Beta Theta Sorority.

“I have a planner,” Miller said. “I basically try to block out every second of my time: This is the time that I will cook, this is what time I’ll do homework. It’s the only way to stay sane because then if I have it written down, I get done and I move on. It’s just a lot of time management, which I used to never really be good at.”

While at Minot State, Miller made connections with faculty.

“I always make jokes that I’m such a loser because my professors are like my friends. I genuinely enjoy being around them, talking to them outside of things that have to do with class, and that’s so great,” Miller said. “They’re just amazing. They’ve been so supportive, and I feel like they’ve always acknowledged everything I’ve done. I feel like that’s a really big deal, not just to do things, but to be equally acknowledged as you are doing. They just do an amazing job of that.

“Definitely shoutout to Nicole Thom-Arens, Sarah Aleshire, Dr. Patti Kurtz, Chris Lozenski, and Dr. Esser. They’ve all helped me in way or another, they’ve all just been amazing.”

Miller said that her professors were understanding of her busy life.

“There are times when I’ve had to bring my son to Spanish class with me, or do different things with my kids with me,” Miller said. “I’d have this baby with me, and Dr. Sigel was so great about the fact that I had my kid in class. He’d do the attendance and he would count my son as a half. It was really accommodating for someone like me who is not traditional. It was a very welcoming environment, and I really appreciate that.”

Miller graduated with a bachelor’s in English literature with a gender studies concentration, an instructional science concentration, and a foreign language concentration in Spanish. She plans to start working on her masters of fine arts degree at Florida International University in fall of 2019 on a full-ride scholarship.

“So I have to basically drop this baby in June, and go right back to school in August. It’s a three-year program, and I’m going to be a teaching assistant there, so I also get to directly teach composition and creative writing,” Miller said. “I was really, really excited because it’s a really small cohort, they typically don’t accept more than 10 people a year, less people within my genre. They also don’t fund everyone, so I was really lucky to get funding. I’m really excited.”

Once earning her MFA, Miller plans to earn her doctorate in comparative literature.

“My long-term plans would be to use that MFA to find a job within academia while I also attain my Ph.D. I feel like I would benefit greatly by diversifying myself by also getting a Ph.D.,” Miller said.

About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.

Published: 05/14/19   


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