Graham Miller, Eagle Hill Class of 2004, is an assistant coach of the rowing team at the Brunswick School in Greenwich. His position there comes after an illustrious career in the sport that includes training for the Olympics with the U.S. Rowing Team. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Economics from Georgetown University.
I was at Brunswick for first and second grade, and I was slow to learn how to read. I had a reading disability, and I had poor organizational skills.
I attended Eagle Hill for third and fourth grade. [Faculty] were instrumental in my development. Reading continued to be an issue, but the organizational skills I learned helped me to read more proficiently. The organizational components of each classroom and the small classroom dynamics were amazing.
I have social anxiety and I was very introverted.
I was able to find friends in an unfamiliar environment thanks to the structure of the school. And I’m still in touch with two friends from the school after all these years. There was this sense of equality between students. A large portion of it had to do with acceptance.
Everyone was there for different reasons, which is great. It was such a healthy environment, and the students embodied that too.
I went on to Brunswick in fifth grade. I just tried to apply everything I learned at Eagle Hill there. Eagle Hill provided me with those tools to apply when the going gets tough.
I learned to ask more questions and be okay with that. I used to be so afraid and timid if I was confused. I just never would ask a question. Eagle Hill created an environment where asking questions was really accepted.
It took some time, but I equate most of my learning at Eagle Hill with being able to ask questions and being able to have a voice at a young age. Even though you are different, you can have a voice and someone hopefully will listen. I think that is beautiful.
A portion of it was the student body. The school provides an environment that isn’t cutthroat. I never felt like there were students at the school who were hurtful to each other. In the grand scheme of things, the student body never diminished each other.
I loved working at the school’s sort of hip alternative rock radio station. Every morning from eight to nine o’clock, a few of us would host a radio show. I got outside of my comfort zone.
Eagle Hill was also where I continued on with music. I was learning to play the drums, but a teacher got me into playing the piano. I’ve been playing classical piano for sixteen years.