We caught up with Chris Miller, our new 6th grade and Upper School Spanish teacher, so that the community could get to know him better.
1. Are you married? Family?
I am not married although I do live with my German Shepherd, Titan. My family lives in the area.
2. Where did you go to college?
I graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor’s in Social Studies Education. My focus areas were History, Political Science, and Economics.
3. What gets you up in the morning?
I enjoy the adventure to be found each day. I have always had a great deal of variety in my life as one of four brothers. There was always something to be explored or experienced and there still is. Coffee is also a significant motivator!
4. What are your favorite hobbies?
I love woodworking, rock climbing, duck raising, and playing piano. I am easily interested in new activities which has led to an extensive, albeit strange list of hobbies I have dabbled with throughout the years.
5. What is one of your hidden talents?
I can remember and recite most anything I hear. Every word to every Les Miserables song is permanently in my head.
6. What is your favorite book and why?
There are several books which are high on my list of favorites, however, Kurt Vonnegut’s Mother Night is the one I most often reread. I love Vonnegut’s command of satire and ability to create morally gray stories. Not to mention, he is on a very short list of Indiana celebrities!
7. How long have you lived in Indiana and why do you enjoy living here?
I have lived my entire life in Indiana. I love to travel any chance I get whether that be cross country or international. That said, Indiana seems to offer a perfect balance—not too busy but never boring.
8. What meaningful event in your past significantly influenced your life?
When I was ten years old, I contracted a rare heart infection called endocarditis. Before the illness ran its course, I was hospitalized for two months undergoing open heart and brain surgery. This experience has impacted me and my family inexplicably, however, there are two ways which stand out for me. Primarily, it showed me how much we rely on The Lord and his graciousness towards us. Secondly, it grew my love of learning and education. During this time and the following months of physical therapy, my 5th grade teacher, Mrs. B., checked on us daily. She went above and beyond her call as a public school teacher, seeing to my family’s well being and to my own academic progress. In many ways, Mrs. B. helped to set me on the path I am on today. Although I am no longer affected by this disease, I am still in touch with the educator who so genuinely cared for me.
9. What historical figure would you like to spend a day with?
If I could meet any historical figure for a day, I would meet Winston Churchill. Apart from being a moving speaker and accomplished statesman, I admire the way Churchill navigated controversy and represented courage in a dark chapter of history.
10. What would we be surprised to learn about you?
Despite having never competitively played sports in my life, I was recruited into a five thousand year old Irish field sport at Purdue. I have now played Hurling for five years including for Chicago and Indianapolis.
Classical Reading List
