Josephine Miller

I was born in China but when I was about 9 days old my birth parents had to give me up for adoption. After a year in the orphanage, my mother adopted me as a single parent and we moved to Boise, Idaho where I was raised. Growing up as an only child to a single parent I learned how to be independent pretty early on but because of that I also learned how to stand up for myself and make my own way in the world through my own strengths and perseverance. As I got into Junior High I started learning more about how to help those around me that may not have the resources that I did. My first inclusivity activity I did was through my Junior High where the 7th and 8th grade students participated in the Refugee Program. We got the opportunity to meet people from all over the world that had come to Boise in need of a safer place to call home and, in small groups, would hear our specific “buddy’s” story and what they had to go through in their home countries. That program was an incredibly eye-opening experience and it was the first time I officially decided I wanted to help those that need it as much as I could. In my Senior year of high school I took part in a community leadership program that was known as “Wolf Connections.” This program was directed to the school, as well as the outside community,  in a common goal of making a difference and bringing people together. The things we did in Wolf Connections ranged from going to the local elementary school and getting a group of 4th graders to mentor, to driving to senior living centers in the area to hang out with the seniors and learn about them and their lives. When I got to St Olaf I knew I wanted to continue making a difference in the community, whether it be a big fundamental change or a small step in the right direction. In my Freshman year I took part in the Physics TEAM-UP Project which was focused on making physics more accessible and welcoming to people of minorities. I also participated in the Society for Physics Students (SPS) Poster Project where every week we would create a poster for an underrepresented minority in physics. This year I am continuing TEAM-UP and the SPS Poster Project and have also decided to take part in the NSM Student Action team as a way of helping a broader audience directed towards all scientists and mathematicians. I am very excited to be working with a wonderful group of peers, getting to know the community, and making a change here at St Olaf.