(YOU)HSP Spotlight: Ethan Miller
Published on 15 March 2023
Name: Ethan Miller
Position: Coordinator, Student Engagement in the Office of Campus Life
Favorite Food: French fries
Hobbies: Drag, reading, playing video games, slowly getting into styling hair, sewing and cooking
Favorite Book: "Kringle" by Tony Abbott
Favorite TV Show: The original “Charmed”
Interesting Fact: I can play piano and trumpet.
Tell us about yourself: I was born and raised in Pike County, Missouri. After graduating from Bowling Green High School, I went to Lindenwood University in St. Charles to pursue music. I ended up changing my major a few times and ended up with a degree in psychology. I continued on at Lindenwood to receive my Master of Education in Higher Education.
In my spare time, I play a lot of video games and moonlight as the drag queen Mercury Poisoning. I recently turned 29 and decided to go through my awkward teen years again by getting braces. I often get confused for a student.
What does a typical day look like for you?
No two days are ever the same. When I’m in the office, I check emails and work on promotions requests. In the midst of that, I am working on Summer Welcome, New Student Orientation, Student Leader interviews, advising CAB and student organizations, meetings upon meetings and making sure there are events happening on campus.
That’s all between getting to chat with our amazing students when they pop by to say ‘hi’, grab some candy, get a snack or ask a question. Then it’s lunchtime. A lot of my day is spent sitting in the office of my work- and life-bestie, Maryam Ouechani, UHSP’s assistant director of, residential life and student engagement.
What are you passionate about?
I grew up in a small town and never knew what diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) was until I went to college. I know several students here can relate. Being gay, I take it upon myself to be an open and affirming person so people know it’s safe to ask potentially more “offensive” questions. You don’t know what you don’t know. All this to say, educating and giving safe places for people to be themselves is my life. No one ever deserves to feel like they don’t belong or can’t be themselves.
What’s the best part about working at UHSP?
There are too many things to choose from, but my favorite is the students. I know it is cliché, but I get to meet students when they first arrive for New Student Orientation. Then I get to hire some of them in later years! I love seeing their growth from new student to confident adult. I truly could not be more grateful for our students.
What do you want students and the campus community to know about the Office of Campus Life and all of the on- and off-campus opportunities available to them?
The first thing I want our community to know is that we are here, and we are so much more than the “fun people.” We plan events, host programs, provide support and build leaders through intentional programming.
I also want students to know there are so many things for them to do here. We have events on campus and throughout St. Louis to make the UHSP experience complete.
We also offer advising, leadership growth, career growth, DEI education, tutoring and all the love we have to give. Students drive everything we do and the Office of Campus Life is blessed to help them on this part of their journey.
