Miller does good
Friday, Dec 4, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Morgan is my niece. She’s amazing…
Geneseo (IL) High School senior Morgan Miller has been selected for Western Illinois University’s Centennial Honors Scholarship, which awards $10,000 per year to academically high-achieving students.
High school students with an ACT score of 30 or higher and a grade point average of 3.0 or higher are eligible for the scholarship.
“I selected Western because I feel that it has the type of atmosphere that I learn best in,” said Miller of her decision to attend Western. “It has supportive and encouraging instructors, a substantial amount of educational resources and plenty of places that I can feel secure in. Western is a place where you can grow as both a student and a person. You can challenge yourself academically to prepare for your future career and you can join a wide variety of activities that will bring you in touch with inspiring and outstanding people to learn from.”
Miller said she expects to major in instrumental music education at Western.
After graduation from Western, Miller hopes to be hired by a local middle or high school as an instrumental director, as well as continue to teach private clarinet lessons.
In high school, Miller participated in several music ensembles, including honors band, pep band, pit orchestra, the Quad City Youth Symphony Orchestra and the ILMEA district and all state festivals, as well as her church’s orchestra and bell choir. She also played tennis over four years for her high school.
Well done!
- jim - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 9:14 am:
I’ll double your assessment — very well done
- Just a Citizen - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 9:14 am:
Well deserved. Morgan is a super intelligent young lady who is super talented and one of the nicest people you will ever meet!!!!
- Skeptic - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 9:14 am:
Congrats to her! And here’s the best wish that Western will still exist when she gets there.
- Anonymous - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 9:17 am:
We all hope for the best for our nieces and nephews so this is a great story.
I have 15 nieces and nephews and most of them are doing well but I know the feeling when one of them achieves something great.
Congratulations Rich
- Anonymous - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 9:21 am:
As an uncle myself of 15 nieces and nephews, I congratulate you Rich on being an uncle of such a smart young niece.
- Annoyed - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 9:23 am:
Congrats to your niece on what sounds like a well deserved honor.
Now let’s appropriate funding to the public universities so they can continue to educate Illinois students!
- Amalia - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 9:25 am:
Congrats, and way to think things through!
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 9:30 am:
Morgan Miller,
Congratulations on a very well deserved honor reflecting the hard work and dedication you have made the hallmark of not only your academic career, but your continued good works for your community.
It’s students like you that elevate society by actively participating to make your community a better place with you in it.
As seniors everywhere plan on their next steps in life, you are a prime example of Western Illinois gaining by you being part of the student body and your continued growth will also be a tremendous gain for the rest of us in the years to come.
Congratulations, you accolades are well deserved.
OW
- VanillaMan - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 9:33 am:
This world needs more, and better Clarinet players. To see one win a scholarship is music to my ears!
- Honeybear - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 9:36 am:
That’s excellent! Oddly enough this is the second time this week I have heard about Western and it’s music program. I was chatting with a good friend whom I haven’t seen in a while at the girls Tang Soo Do class. I had forgotten where her viola playing daughter had chosen to go to school. She ended up at UMSL but wanted to go Western. UMSL offered a full ride. So good choice and congratulations. And I have say as a person who has a music performance degree from NU, I wish I had pursued a Mus. Ed degree. Let’s just say I suffered a lot for art coming out of school. I don’t regret studying music. What I regret is not understanding the stability that a music ed degree gives a musician right after graduation. She can teach and gig just as much as most performance majors. (Please consider joining the AFM. Musicians do need the protection of a union, trust me on that) Let’s hope that arts funding survives the budget process. Rich, do her a solid and pull the strings for that.
- Diogenes in DuPage - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 9:42 am:
Young people like Morgan restore my optimism for our society’s future. Thanks, Rich, for sharing your pride and information about your niece’s accomplishments.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 9:44 am:
Congrats Rich on your niece’s academic success and very bright future. Educational accomplishments are key happiness events in life.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 9:53 am:
===Congrats Rich===
None for me, thanks. It all goes to Morgan and her family. They value excellence.
- Formerly Known As... - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 9:59 am:
Congratulations Morgan! Well done. Sounds smart and talented.
- A guy - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 10:03 am:
Inspiring young lady. Best of luck to you Morgan.
- Team Sleep - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 10:05 am:
Rich - now you know that you have a for sure heir to your media empire.
- illini - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 10:10 am:
Congratulations Morgan. Well deserved and best wishes for your future.
Rich, I am never reluctant to tout the accomplishments of my 6 nieces and my one nephew.
Fine Arts graduates are special people and thankfully all 4 of my nieces with that degree are gainfully and successfully employed.
- Trstmay - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 10:11 am:
I graduated from there with a BA in music education in 1974. Great program and nice people.
- chiatty - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 10:12 am:
Nothing quite as rewarding as being a proud uncle!
- Captain Illini - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 10:16 am:
Well done to your niece! And I might add that Geneseo has a very fine music program that provided her the opportunity to excel…how would I know? - a 1979 graduate of Geneseo High myself and All-State musician…small world, as I probably know her parents, but that would require you to tell me whom you’re related to!
- walker - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 10:19 am:
Best wishes Morgan, and kudos for sticking with music and wanting bring its joys to others. Also have heard good things about Western.
- Bogey Golfer - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 10:46 am:
Congratulations Morgan, and best wishes on your career and life.
- burbanite - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 10:59 am:
That is awesome! You must be very proud.
- @MisterJayEm - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 11:00 am:
Congratulations Morgan!
As a musician and a millennial, you will hear plenty of people — olds and scolds — telling you what you should be doing. They’ll try to tell you what the economy/future/world will need in the 21st Century. And the world will need lots of things. But what it won’t need is bright and talented kids selling themselves short.
Stick with it. You got this.
– MrJM
- DuPage - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 11:02 am:
Congratulations to Ms. Morgan Miller!
- Flynn's Mom - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 11:13 am:
Congratulations Morgan!
- Downstate - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 11:18 am:
Wow! Congratulations.
A true right brain-left brain standout.
Academically and musically accomplished. That’s a real rarity and something to be very proud of.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 11:27 am:
===Academically and musically accomplished===
She’s also a star athlete.
- PolPal56 - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 11:58 am:
Congratulations to Morgan. Western offers a terrific undergraduate education, better than most R1 schools.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 12:25 pm:
“It all goes to Morgan and her family.”
Congratulations, Morgan and family, for a great accomplishment and bright future.
It is also great that Morgan plans on staying local and enriching her community.
- Downstate - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 2:02 pm:
–She’s also a star athlete—-
Forgot that one - Western is lucky to get someone with that level of talent and discipline.
- Geneseo Gent - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 3:45 pm:
On top of the smarts she is a nearly six foot gorgeous young lady!!!
- JoanP - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 3:47 pm:
Good for her! And how wonderful that she wants to teach music in the schools. Arts education is tremendously important.
- Morgan's Dad - Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 8:17 pm:
Thanks Rich, and all. Morgan is a beautiful person inside and out. She truly cares for others and wants to help spread the gift of music.
She smiled at your blog, and read through the comments and was appreciative.
- Morgan's Dad - Saturday, Dec 5, 15 @ 12:12 pm:
You can help her make a splash at her upcoming Music Department home by liking/commenting on this FaceBook post by the WIU School of Music:
https://www.facebook.com/westernillinoisuniversitymusic/posts/812586065535651