Alumni Spotlight: Alexus Miller

My journey with College Dreams began my junior year at Hidden Valley High School. I was moving between my grandparents’ and my boyfriend’s house, since my mother was struggling and didn’t have a place for me or my baby sister to live. School was an escape from my everyday life, but I still felt a lot of responsibility, so my grades were slipping and teachers and staff began to notice.

Kim was the College Dreams Advisor at the time, and she noticed I was having a hard time. She started asking what I was interested in, what my life was like, and why I was handling school the way I was. She was there just to help me, and she cared about what I had to say. She told me I could do anything I set my mind to, but I’d have to work for it and show up, for the program, and for myself most of all.

Hair and makeup became my thing. Kim encouraged me to pursue it, so we looked up every scholarship we could find, and she helped me figure out how to put my story into essays for people who would help support my dreams and my goals. The Career Build program paid for me to start in the salon business through an apprenticeship at Enchanted Salon. Kim helped me get a grant to buy work clothes and took me shopping for them. I worked at the salon for about a year and learned what it takes to be professional in a work setting, building my confidence by talking with people every day.

Through the IDA program, I saved money every month and the program matched it, helping me save for college. It taught me how to budget and be patient with myself, because I realized that saving a little each month really adds up.

Then scholarship night happened. I had never felt like a winner, or like I was going to receive an award the way other kids did for sports or grades. When the night came, I received scholarships from people in the community who believed in me and my dreams, and I was overwhelmed with joy for all the hard work I’d put in. That’s when the quote “the harder I work, the luckier I get” really sank in.

Shortly after graduation, I started beauty school at Phagan’s School of Cosmetology. College Dreams helped me set up payments with my scholarships, made sure my money was put to good use, and always treated me like I was worth all the things they did for me. I’ve now been working at Blue Door Salon, supporting myself, for the past year and a half.

College Dreams always checked in on me. To this day, if I need them, I know I can stop by their office with any questions or concerns. I was blessed to have these people in my life, and I hope more people can experience what it’s like to be around people who want the best for you, and want you to love yourself. College Dreams changed my life. I don’t know where I’d be without them, and I could never thank them enough.