To
      Serve
      and
      Effect:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      student,
      Megan
      Miller
     
     
      gets
      national
      recognition
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
      volunteer
      work
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Sarah
      K.
      Murphy
     
     
      NEWS
      EDITOR
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      familar
      face
      can
      be
     
     
      seen
      in
      the
      millennium
     
     
      issue
      of
      Maclean’s
     
     
      magazine.
      Megan
      Miller,
     
     
      4th
      year
      UPEI
      biology
     
     
      student,
      is
      one
      of
      the
      100
     
     
      Canadians
      to
      figure
      on
      the
     
     
      magazine’s
      list
      of
      people
     
     
      to
      watch
      out
      for
      in
      coming
     
     
      years.
     
    

    
     
      Miller’s
      presence
     
     
      among
      these
      100
     
     
      Canadians
      stems
      from
     
     
      her
      dedication
      to
     
     
      volunteer
      work
      in
      the
     
     
      community.
      Along
      with
     
     
      classes,
      Miller
      divides
      her
     
     
      time
      between
      the
      Queen
     
     
      Elizabeth
      Hospital
      Youth
     
     
      Volunteer
      Program,
      the
     
     
      Abuse
      Prevention
      Service
     
     
      (APS),
     
     
      and
      raising
      awareness
     
     
      against
      impaired
      driving
     
     
      amongst
      Island
      youth.
     
    

    
     
      “Some
      of
      the
      people
     
     
      in
      the
      magazine
      were
      in
     
     
      there
      because
     
     
      they
      were
      ‘thinkers,””
      says
     
     
      Miller,
      who
      feels
      this
     
     
      public
      recognition
      is
      a
     
     
      contradiction
      of
      sorts.
      “I
     
     
      think
      that’s
      wonderful.
      In
     
     
      my
      case,
      the
      way
      I
      sort
      of
     
     
      think
      about
      it
      is,
      I
      do
     
     
      volunteer
      work,
      and
      I
     
     
      don’t
     
     
      do
      it
      to
      be
      recognized
      in
     
     
      things
      like
      this.”
     
    

    
     
      At
      the
      age
      of
      13,
     
     
      Miller’s
      brother
      Michael
     
     
      was
      struck
      by
      a
      car
      and
     
     
      killed
      as
      he
      walked
      a
     
     
      Charlottetown
      street.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Although
      the
      off-duty
     
     
      RCMP
     
    

    
     
      officer
      who
      had
      been
     
     
      driving
      admitted
      he
      had
     
     
      been
      drinking,
      the
      judge
     
     
      still
      acquitted
      him,
      ruling
     
     
      that
      there
      was
      reasonable
     
     
      doubt
      he
      was
     
    

    
     
      legally
      impaired.
     
    

    
     
      Although
      Miller
      had
     
     
      been
      involved
      in
      several
     
     
      projects
      before
      her
     
     
      brother’s
      death,
      such
      as
     
     
      working
      with
      the
      hospital
     
     
      volunteering
      program,
     
     
      further
      involvement
      with
     
     
      groups
      fighting
      to
      eliminate
     
     
      impaired
      driving
      certainly
     
     
      helped
      heal
      some
      of
      the
     
     
      wounds.
     
    

    
     
      “Tt
      started
      off
     
     
      guess
      in
      the
      Students
     
     
      Against
      Drinking
      and
     
     
      Driving
      group
      I
      was
     
     
      involved
      in
      in
      high
      school.
     
     
      I
      was
      on
      the
      executive
     
     
      there
      for
      three
      years.
      Sol
     
     
      was
      very
      active
      in
      that
     
     
      sense,”
      explains
      Miller,
     
     
      adding
      that
      she
      didn’t
      start
     
     
      doing
      presentations
      until
     
     
      she
      left
      high
      school.
      “At
     
     
      that
      point
      [when
      she
      began
     
     
      presenting]
      it
      had
      been
      4
     
     
      or
      5
      years
      after
      Michael
     
     
      was
      killed.”
     
    

    
     
      “By
      then,
      you
      have
     
     
      somewhat
      of
      a
      chance
      to
     
     
      let
      that
      settle
      within
     
     
      yourself,
      and
      develop
      your
     
     
      ideas
      and
      sort
      of
      grow
     
     
      from
      that
      experience,”
     
     
      added
      Miller.
      “I
      think
      it
     
     
      would
      have
      been
      very
     
     
      difficult
     
     
      to
      do
      [presentations],
     
     
      immediately
      following
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      event
      [Michael’s
     
    

    
     
      death].
      I
      don’t
      think
      I
     
     
      would
      have
      been
      able
      to
     
     
      do
      it
      immediately
     
     
      following.”
     
    

    
     
      These
     
     
      presentations
      turned-out
     
     
      to
      be
      a
      great
      way
      to
     
     
      channel
      Miller’s
     
     
      energy.
     
     
      Until
      her
      brother’s
     
     
      death,
      Miller,
      like
      many,
     
     
      felt
      that
      people
      her
      age
     
     
      were
      invincible,
      that
      life
     
     
      stretched
      out
      before
      them
     
     
      and
      there
      was
      little
      to
     
     
      worry
      about.
      But
     
     
      Michael’s
      death
      shattered
     
     
      those
      assumptions.
     
    

    
     
      “When
      a
      younger
     
     
      person
      dies,
      the
     
     
      community,
      suffers
      a
     
     
      lot,”
      Miller
      says.
      “[A]
     
     
      Situation
      like
      that
      is
      very
     
     
      difficult
      for
      everyone
      to
     
     
      deal
      with.
      So
      I
      think
      that
     
     
      when
      you
      realize
      that
     
     
      things
      can
      happen,
      and
     
     
      you
      should
      use
      the
      time
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      you
      have
      to
      do
     
     
      whatever
     
    
   
   
    
     
      you
      can.”
     
     
      Although
      Miller
      is
     
    
   
   
    
     
      dedicated
      to
      helping
     
     
      others,
      she
      admits
      that
     
     
      volunteering
      is
      not
     
     
      necessarily
      a
      selfless
      act.
     
     
      Using
      her
      involvement
     
     
      with
      the
      APS,
      for
      which
     
     
      Miller
      is
      asked
      to
      present
     
     
      to
      a
      variety
      of
     
    

    
     
      groups
      in
      the
      community,
     
     
      she
      admits
      to
      getting
      a
      lot
     
     
      of
      enjoyment
      out
     
    

    
     
      of
      these.
     
    

    
     
      “T
      love
      getting
      up
      in
     
     
      front
      of
      people
      and
      doing
     
     
      these
      presentations,”
     
     
      she
      adds.
      “That
      there
      is
     
     
      something
      good
      that
     
     
      comes
      of
      it
      is
      definitely
     
     
      an
      important
      part
      of
      it
      but,
     
     
      I
      don’t
      think
      you
      would
     
     
      actually
      do
      something
     
     
      [like
      this]
      for
      yourself,
      or
     
     
      to
      enjoy
      yourself.”
     
    

    
     
      Atarecent
      APS
     
     
      presentation,
      when
      asking
     
    
   
   
    
     
      her
      audience
      how
      many
     
     
      [of
      them]
      had
      been
     
     
      abused,
      Miller
      was
      sadden
     
     
      ed
      to
      see
      every
      member
      of
     
     
      the
      audience
      raise
      their
     
     
      hands.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “People
      don’t
     
     
      consider
      it
      [emotional
     
     
      maltreatment]
      a
     
     
      serious
      issue
      in
      a
      lot
      of
     
     
      cases,
      but
      it
      can
      develop
     
     
      into
      a
      serious
     
     
      situation,”
      insists
      Miller,
     
     
      referring
      to
      the
      Columbine
     
     
      tragedy.
      “I
      think
      itis
      a
     
     
      major
      societal
      illness.”
     
    

    
     
      “Being
      able
      to
     
     
      educate
      the
      junior
      high
      age
     
     
      group,
      which
      is
      the
      group
     
     
      that
      APS
      concentrates
      on,
     
     
      is
      where
      to
      begin,”
      says
     
     
      Miller.
      “
      They
      are
     
     
      the
      next
      generation
      of
     
     
      parents.
      That
      is
      where
     
     
      the
      cycle
      [of
      abuse]
     
     
      needs
      to
      stop.”
     
    

    
     
      The
      QEH
      youth
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Megan
      Miller
     
     
      Continued
      on
      page
      8