Chela West Miller, ’03

From the desk of Ginger Bell, Director of Family and Alumni Relations:

Chela Miller graduated with the second graduating class of Brook Hill in 2003 after spending two years with us.  Her father had come to teach Spanish at Brook Hill and brought her along!  Chela fondly remembers those years so long ago and having the privilege of seeing the first two boarding houses built and cheering for the Guard sports teams before there was even a football team.

When asked for her favorite memory of her time at Brook Hill, Chela said, ” I have difficulty picking just one. So here are a couple. Getting to walk into graduation holding my dad’s hand because he was the last of the faculty to process in and I was the first of the (graduates to file in) is a very sweet memory. Another one is from our senior trip to Taos, NM. I think it was Matt Sikora, Matthew Smith, Jonathan Glenn, a couple others and me who went exploring one morning right before we were about to go on a group hike. We decided to hike up to the top of the mountain we were on, all while the rest of the group was headed to some mountain lake, which we never saw. Of course, we were supposed to be with the rest of the group, So when we finally came down, only one sponsor was there waiting for us. I’m pretty sure he was livid, but he kept his cool. That hike was great and so worth missing the mountain lake hike! And finally, the two years I played volleyball for Coach Kelly were great! An amazing coach pushing me to be better as a player and a leader. Her mentoring provided me with a great example of how I would want to mentor other girls and women.”

Other ways Brook Hill helped shape Chela?  She credits her History/English teacher, Mrs. Russell, with helping her to “blossom into a collegiate writer with the confidence needed to succeed throughout the rest of high school, college and into her professional life.”  And, as a Christian, Brook Hill provided extra support to her Christian life by including faith in the classroom and on the athletic courts, integrating it into her real world.  Chela left Brook Hill for Dallas Baptist University for her undergrad and graduate work, and found comfort in the similarity of the two schools.  “For life after school,” Chela says, ” I believe the well rounded education I received at Brook Hill prepared me intellectually to walk into most any environment and be able to carry on an intelligent conversation on most topics.”  Her personal advice for current students is to find something to be a part of and commit to now!  It is so worth becoming involved and connecting with peers with whom you share a passion.

Chela is currently an Executive Assistant for the leading international software company, Lanyon Solutions, where she handles meetings, events, and travel needs.  She and her husband live in Duncanville where they are helping to raise her cousin’s 4-year old daughter.

Even after 12 years and the addition of 500 students, I’m proud to see that faculty involvement, the collegiate level curriculum, close friendships, and a wide variety of opportunities to challenge yourself are all still major components of who Brook Hill is.