Alexander Miller

Name:  Alexander Miller

College: College Nine

Department: Economics 

What Award/ Scholarship did you receive? EAP award in Global Economics

What year do you expect to graduate? Spring 2020

Where do you call home?  Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Though I grew up in the Coachella Valley and moved to Cucamonga after High School.

With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out?  Definitely the campus, which is beautiful and seemed like a great place to learn (and was).

What is your field of focus?  I’m studying Global Economics with a focus in Europe. I learned French and studied abroad in France as part of my coursework. I’m also a History major focusing on Asia and the Middle East.

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz?  That’s a big question for me right now. It’s not exactly the best job market to graduate into so I’m weighing my options. I’m thinking seriously about grad school, but I hope in the future to work in the public sector which I think would be very rewarding.

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here?  Hiking out to the Garden of Eden for the first time with some friends in my freshman year. Around the time I began to feel truly at home here.

What is your one piece of advice for incoming students about life at UC Santa Cruz?  To always be questioning your views and perspectives, to examine problems from all angles. I feel like I’ve grown so much as a person by keeping my mind open to the many sources of advice and knowledge from my professors, friends, and TAs.

How will this scholarship impact your academic life /research?  The scholarship was huge in supporting me during my time abroad in France. It was my first time leaving the U.S and was a life changing experience for me. The program was truly immersive, my French improved drastically, and I was able to see so many of the places that I’ve until then only read about or saw in movies.