Chris Miller ’16 never imagined that he would pursue a career in education. But he believes everything happens for a reason. Which is why he knows that receiving his Master of Arts in Teaching from College of Saint Mary (CSM) led him to where he is meant to be.
“It was a huge leap,” he said. “But going into education has been great for me. I’m grateful that it happened the way it happened.”
After getting his bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Kansas in 2011, Miller returned to Omaha, his hometown, to look for a job in sports radio. The job market was tough, so when a friend who worked at Madonna Ability Alliance told him about an opportunity there, he took it.
He completed a three-week summer program at Madonna then accepted a full-time position as a paraprofessional in a middle school. With a desire to advance his career a few years later, he began exploring teaching certificate programs.
“CSM was, by far, the best choice for me. I really appreciated the structure of the program. You took one class at a time and attended classes in-person on Saturdays. It allowed me to keep working full-time and be in grad school,” he said.
To complete his student teaching hours, Miller took a job as a teacher at the Madonna Ability Alliance. It was a perfect fit since he was familiar with the organization and he was studying special education in MAT program.
Madonna Ability Alliance, founded by a Sister of Mercy in 1960, serves students and adults with intellectual and development disabilities, autism and health impairments.
“CSM opened me up to what the infrastructure of teaching is like. Beyond how to teach, I learned about disability accommodations and policies that govern special education,” he said.
Now, as the director of adult services and business development at Madonna, Miller develops and runs programs that serve the community. He ran Project Search, an internship-to-employment program, and developed a program that provides one-on-one support to individuals who live independently or in their family home.
He is currently developing shared living provider services, a program that would allow individuals to move in with someone who can offer support as they live more independently.
“I didn’t see myself going into this career field, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Miller said. “Schools are in need of good, dedicated teachers, and CSM has a great program.”
The two-year MAT program at CSM combines coursework on teaching methods, curriculum and classroom management with hands-on classroom experience to build confident, effective educators.