Miller Family “MVP” Career Venture Creates Global Experiences for U-M Student-Athletes
5/18/2023 2:00:00 PM | General, Features
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- For student-athletes at the University of Michigan, a career-oriented venture to develop connections to the business world can jumpstart life after college.
Clay and Lisa Miller have been benefiting Michigan student-athletes for years. They've gotten involved with the Michigan Athletics Career Center, funding exploratory career-based ventures for student-athletes.
Since 2019 -- the last venture before the COVID-19 pandemic -- the Miller family has hosted sixteen student-athletes in Minneapolis for a week-long trip to explore some of the city's leading companies, including Ecolab, Bank of Montreal, Stone Arch Capital, Foodsby, Medtronic, Target Corporation, Northborne Partners, Ovative Group and the Minnesota Vikings.
The Millers understand how important it is for alumni to get involved in career ventures like these. "It's one thing to give money or time to the university," said Miller, "but if you're able to provide a student-athlete with something they can build upon and use to build their career, then it's the gift that continues to pay itself back."
Photo: Miller Family
Clay Miller, a 1985 Michigan graduate, co-founded Stone Arch Capital, a Minneapolis-based private equity firm. He recently founded E2SG Partners, a private equity partnership focused on the business and technology realms. He and his wife Lisa have a passion for making a difference in the lives of students at Michigan and have provided mentorship and career opportunities to many students.
"Our goal was for student-athletes to take away something they didn't expect from this venture. We wanted them to be able to move forward with what they learn here, take that and use it to give back some day. Hopefully some of the things they learned motivated and inspired them to pursue a career path that they might not have otherwise seen."
The Millers know how meaningful career ventures are for college students, especially student-athletes who dedicate so much of their time to their sport. "Most student-athletes have a very truncated opportunity to be an intern in the summer," Miller noted.
"Give your time, give your thoughts, just jump in," the Millers said. "We hope to be catalysts to help others pick the ball up and run with it when it comes to career ventures like this. The effort involved is repaid tenfold in the enjoyment of what you get out of helping the student-athletes. That's what you do it for -- you do it to help others, you do it to give back."
"The kind of people going to school at Michigan and the kind of people that work within the university are what make Michigan unique and different," said Miller. "Hopefully other alumni will be willing to lean in and embrace the students and student-athletes to continue to uphold what makes Michigan so great."
Maurice Washington, Director of the Michigan Athletics Career Center (MACC) gave great praise to the Millers. "There's no way to thank the Miller Family for all of their contributions and service to the University of Michigan," said Washington. "They both have been amazing supporters of the MACC and because of their leadership, commitment, service, passion, love for students and staff, and financial support we are able to continue to provide groundbreaking programs and services that are unique for student-athletes. I personally consider them team members of the MACC and mentors to the staff and students. The Miller Family is what makes Michigan so special… The Leaders and Best!"
The student-athletes that attended the immersive career experiences hosted by the Millers echoed that same grateful spirit.
Olivia Bowen, Rowing
Class: Junior
Major area of interest: Sport Management, Entrepreneurship
"The amount of gratitude I have for the MACC and the Millers is so large I cannot express it well enough in words. Clay and Lisa, your kindness and eagerness to help student athletes are incredible. I had so much fun visiting companies and touring the city with you guys. You truly succeeded in showing us around the Twin Cities. I truly appreciate all of the advice you guys shared with me, I plan on using it a lot over my last two years at Michigan."
Caroline Davis, Women's Lacrosse
Class: Junior | Sport: Women's Lacrosse
Major area of interest: Environment and Business
"My week in Minneapolis not only opened doors to a new city and new companies, but also opened my eyes to the most marketable skills that I need to develop while I'm in Ann Arbor. I hope to leverage what I've learned through The Miller Family Venture to choose courses that will make me even more marketable for an internship next summer and a career path when I graduate."
Abigail Finn, Women's Soccer
Class: Senior
Major area of interest: Information Sciences and Spanish
"This was undoubtedly a once in a lifetime experience and I have had so much fun telling my friends and family about the trip. I cannot thank you enough for bringing this trip to life, and I will definitely recommend this experience to other student athletes."
Kennedy Johnson, Women's Track and Field
Class: Sophomore
Major area of interest: Sport Management
"This is my second trip I have been on with the MACC and I will definitely remember this forever. People know I love to travel but what I really pick up are the little details to make a place special. I loved everything from hearing about Lisa's reasoning for moving around and how she decided she wanted to stay there to raise her kids, to hearing about how the Minnesota Vikings were one of the first NFL teams to have a Diversity Equity and Inclusion department for the team. This trip never had a dull moment, and everything we did had a purpose and I genuinely enjoyed it."
Hank Serr, Men's Lacrosse
Class: Junior
Major area of interest: Engineering and Computer Science
"I really enjoyed going on this trip. The friendships and connections that I made were a great part of the trip and I'm happy that I was able to see what the city had to offer. I'd like to say a huge thank you to the Millers and the MACC who were able to make this whole trip happen. Your connections in the business industry are amazing, and your love for the University of Michigan is very visible and admirable. Thank you so much for making this trip happen."
Eli Winter, Men's Track and Field
Class: Junior
Major area of interest: LSA Undeclared
"Coming into this trip being an economics major and with heavy interest in finance, I wasn't sure what these companies would have to offer. All of the companies we visited were very high class and the best at what they do. Working at any of them would be amazing."
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