ASUI presidential candidate Rachael Miller said she has come a long way since she once dropped out of high school.
Diamond Koloski | Argonaut
ASUI presidential candidate Rachael Miller (right) and vice presidential candidate McKenzie MacDonald campaign Monday near the College of Natural Resources.
“I went through a period of my life where I wasn”t motivated to do anything, let alone go to school,” Miller said.
During what Miller called one of the hardest times of her life, her father sent her to boarding school. She went on to graduate in the top 10 of her class.
“Here I am now as a junior in college and in my second term in senate,” Miller said.
Miller, a political science and public relations major from McCall, Idaho, is one of two candidates running for ASUI president. She is the current ASUI Senate Pro Tempore, as well as a member of Alpha Phi sorority and president of College Republicans. When she”s not involved with school, she said she loves backpacking, skiing and hiking.
Miller said her desire to go into politics was cemented last summer with an internship with Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo in Washington, D.C.
Miller said she sees herself managing campaigns in Washington, D.C. after school, but she likes to keep her options open.
“I think that I can talk about my qualifications and the things that I”ve done for ASUI for a long time, but I have to get back to the person that I am,” Miller said. “I”m very passionate, I”m very driven, I”ve come a long ways and I”m so proud of myself for doing that.”
For now, Miller said she is focusing on her work improving her university community, and her time spent working with ASUI has only furthered her appreciation of UI.
“I”m passionate about the University of Idaho and that”s why I”m here. I”m also passionate about students and representing the student voice,” Miller said. “I would love to say that I”ve done all these things for ASUI, which I have, but I think at the end of the day the thing that matters most is my character.”
Jessica Gee can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @JessicaC_Gee