Ashtonbee’s VP loves a good challenge
Ashtonbee VP Melissa Miller
Ashtonbee’s new vice-president is settling into her job and stepping up to the challenge of making the campus an even more fun, accessible and interactive environment.
Melissa Miller, an energetic first-year student studying auto body repair techniques at Ashtonbee, said that she was looking for a position on campus that would allow her to become more involved on a daily basis. The VP position fit the bill perfectly.
“I didn’t just want to come here and then go home,” Miller said. “I wanted to have something that would make me stay here and get involved.”
Miller has taken to her job with confidence and enthusiasm and said she would like to accomplish as much as she possibly can in her time at Centennial College.
“I’m trying to make the campus the best, most interactive campus that I can as a VP while I’m here,” Miller said. “Because my program is one year, I want to leave a really positive impact.”
She has spent the first few weeks on the job working directly with her fellow students at the campus, helping them with any concerns that have come up.
“I try to assist students with whatever complaints they may have. Mostly, what we have now are questions about health care and tuition,” she said.
She also helps new students adjust to college life and is always thinking about events she could help with to get students to feel comfortable and interact on campus.
Miller balances her duties as VP with her academic and athletics responsibilities. Miller plays forward for the Centennial Colts’ varsity soccer team. A soccer player since high school, she tries to squeeze in study time on her trips to Progress for practice and bounces ideas for events off her teammates.
Centennial’s automotive program offers her a chance to learn more about what she loves while testing her own mettle.
“I’ve always been interested in cars, but I never thought I’d be an auto mechanic,” she said. “I figured I’d challenge myself a bit – see if I like the field.
If I don’t like the field maybe I’ll try something like automotive technician.”
One of only four women in her program, she said the atmosphere in the classroom is fun and laid back.
Miller hopes to get into business for herself and one day open her own shop.
She is confident the experience she earns as VP in leadership and interpersonal skills should be helpful when that happens.
Between school, student politics and athletics, Miller said she doesn’t have much time to relax, but she shows no signs of slowing down.
“It gets overwhelming at times because I lose sleep,” Miller said.
“But that’s the normal college life, I guess.”
You can reach your VP, Melissa Miller, at, mmiller@centennialcollege.ca or stop by the CCSAI student centre for a list of her office hours.
