Esther Miller ’16
Finding her way to Messiah was a smooth journey for Esther Miller ’16. As a Lancaster high school student researching which colleges offered peace and conflict as a major, her brother—who was already a student at Messiah—informed her, “They have that at my school.”
Then she found a childhood photograph that showed the two of them playing in the Yellow Breeches. It was meant to be.
So, after a gap year with Mission Year, an urban ministry program, she enrolled at Messiah, looking for ways to combine her faith perspective with her major and two minors—one in urban studies and another in studio art.
She completed an internship close to campus at the Makespace, a Harrisburg row home that provides studio and gallery space to artists. “I designed posters and fliers for events, organized artist events and taught children’s art classes,” she said. “I love doing art that brings people together.”
Her second internship took her to the European Center for the Study of War and Peace in Zagreb, Croatia. She took classes, worked at the center and completed a commissioned art piece based on the narratives of war survivors.
“I enjoyed the communal culture,” said Miller. “It’s a very relaxed atmosphere. The people would stand very close in line. When I got back to the U.S., I had to remember to stand back from people in line.”
What’s next for Miller? She says she hopes to apply to Eastern University’s master’s program in urban studies with a concentration in studio art.
“I’m learning more about how I want to live the rest of my life than how I want my career to look,” said Miller.