Nine Times a Pirate
Friday, January 31, 2020
The Warren, NJ natives' life experiences range from being on campus on September 11th all the way through being currently enrolled students in the Class of 2022. They have been involved in the College of Communication and the Arts, ROTC Pirate Battalion, and the Pirate Sports Network. Their faith and value of Catholic education guided them all from Koinonia Academy in Plainfield, NJ to the campus of Seton Hall University. With such a wide age range and differing professional lives and interests encompassing business, nursing, the military to being students in sports videography and occupational therapy, it is sometimes difficult for all of them to get together. But their Pirate Pride binds them together to come back for events such as Seton Hall Weekend and basketball games.
The first Pirate in the family is Liz Bailey, née Miller. Liz is a graduate of the Class of 2005 from the Stillman School of Business with a major in Sport Management and a minor in Leadership Studies. Liz used her degree in Sport Management to rise to her current position as Director, Sports Marketing & Sponsorships at KPMG.
Of her time at Seton Hall, Liz says that, "I earned the academic qualifications that I needed to make my dreams of a career in sports business a reality. I will always be thankful for the professors that inspired and challenged me, the confidence I gained through self-discovery and hard work, and the lifelong friendships and memories that I made at Seton Hall." Liz's time on campus inspired her younger siblings to follow her to South Orange and now brings her 3 children to University events including Seton Hall Weekend.
John Miller was a senior in high school on September 11, 2001. He wanted to follow his sister Liz to the Stillman School of Business but also profoundly felt a desire to serve his country. He was able to do both as a Marketing major and a member of the Seton Hall ROTC Pirate Battalion. John graduated in the Class of 2007 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army where he served four years including a deployment to Iraq. John has taken the skills learned from his business studies and his time in the military in his career where he is now Senior Project Manager at ADP.
John reflected on his experiences at Seton Hall, "Among the countless values imparted to me during my time at Seton Hall and in Pirate Battalion; two have remained constant all these years later. Number 1: Strive every day to be a Servant Leader both professionally and in your local community. And Number 2: "Can Do, Never Quit," which is the ethos of the Pirate Battalion; words to live by. Perseverance; grit and determination in spite of adversity."
Annie Miller followed both her sister Liz and brother John to the Stillman School of Business as a graduate of the Class of 2009 majoring in Marketing with a minor in Spanish. She is now a Financial Planning Associate at Synthesis Wealth Planning in Montclair, NJ.
Annie said of her time at Stillman, "Seton Hall is where I am proud to have developed the tools and skills to become a leader in my workplace and community. It prepared me to be a strong professional and also a person of strong character."
Catherine Miller was the first of the family to not attend Stillman, graduating from the College of Nursing in the Class of 2011. She is now a Lead Clinical Nurse at Overlook Hospital in Summit, NJ. Catherine found that, "Seton Hall is a close knit community where students learn the knowledge and skills needed to excel in their careers and beyond."
Joe Miller followed his brother John into both the Stillman School of Business and Pirate Battalion as a graduate of the Class of 2013. Joe majored in Management and was commissioned into the Army where he currently serves as 111th Mortuary Affairs Company Commander in Richmond, VA.
Joe credits the Seton Hall community with his career development and also remains an actively engaged alumnus, "Seton Hall gave me a great education and the ability to think critically. The ROTC program there was very instrumental in me becoming the commander of 140 Soldiers at the age of 28. I have very fond memories of Seton Hall from the faculty, to friends, to the security guard at the gate. It really is a tight knit family that stays closely connected with alumni."
Christine Miller is a graduate of the Class of 2015, majoring in College of Education and Human Services with the goal of becoming a teacher, but soon followed her siblings into the Stillman School of Business.
Christine has since moved to the warmer climes of West Palm Beach, FL where she is currently a Senior Financial Analyst at Tower Hill Insurance Group. With memories of Seton Hall stretching back into childhood, she says that, "Seton Hall is home to me. It is where I fostered my love for accounting and business, learned the importance of hard work, faith and integrity, and built life-long friendships and connections that I will cherish my entire life."
David Miller, despite the age difference with his sister Liz, followed her as a Sports Management major with the aspiration to work in the world of golf. The Class of 2018 graduate also majored in Catholic Studies within the College of Arts and Sciences, reflecting the connection the Millers have with their Catholic faith.
David says that, "Seton Hall has provided me with a meaningful degree that prepared me to step into the real world immediately after graduation. The Hall is made up of faculty and students who are committed to continually bettering themselves in order to make the world a better place."
Drew and Mariclare Miller are twins and are both currently students in the Class of 2022. From their earliest childhood memories, they remember going to commencements, ROTC commissioning ceremonies, graduation parties, events on campus such as Seton Hall Weekend and going to Men's basketball games.
Drew is a student within the College of Communication and the Arts, majoring in Visual and Sound Media in the Television Production track. While not in class or studying, you may see him at Seton Hall Pirates athletic events recording video as a correspondent for the Pirates Sports Network; including on the season-long documentary season on the Men's basketball team titled, "The Voyage."
Drew has grown up around Seton Hall, but now it has, "become a place where I can develop skills in videography and photography, exposing me to valuable opportunities in sports media in close association with the Seton Hall Varsity athletic teams."
Mariclare studies in the College of Arts and Sciences as a Occupational Therapy in 2024.
Of her time exposed to Seton Hall, Mariclare said, "Seton Hall has always been much more than just a school to me. Some of my best memories of growing up are of times that I spent visiting my older siblings at Seton Hall, and I always knew that I wanted to come here when it was my turn to attend college. I truly can't see myself at any other school and I'm so grateful for the education, experiences, and lifelong friends that SHU has given me so far."
The Miller family have been an indelible part of the fabric of Seton Hall through two decades. As each of them progressed from student to alumni with experiences differing from business to nursing to tours of duty overseas, they have remained active and engaged members of the Seton Hall community. Their shared Catholic faith and Pirate Pride continue to keep them together and coming back to campus, at this past Seton Hall Weekend.
Categories: Alumni
