Alexa Miller’s senior year at Truett McConnell University (TMU) was a whirlwind of victories and challenges, which ended abruptly due to the impact of COVID-19. Through it all, God has continued to be faithful to her.
Intrigued by the human mind
In high school, Miller said she can recall an advanced placement (AP) general psychology class that intrigued her while learning how the human brain operates. “This really began my interest in the subject itself,” said Miller, “but it wasn’t until the Lord began giving me a desire for people and ministry that I seriously considered getting an actual degree in psychology.”
After graduating high school, Miller said she enrolled as a mass communications major at a public university near her home. During this time, she had the opportunity to lead various Bible studies and ministries. It was at that point in her college career that God gave her a passion for ministry, a feeling she said was “something I knew I wanted to do for the rest of my life!”
After much prayer and wise counsel, Miller moved to upstate New York and began a one-year rigorous study to obtain her Bible certificate from Word of Life Bible Institute. She said this opportunity was “like a dream for me, and even today, I consider it one of the best years of my life.” But God had even more opportunities for this Georgia native.
As she neared the end of the Word of Life program, Miller asked the Lord to make her next steps abundantly clear. The Lord answered her prayer during a college fair soon thereafter, where shehad the opportunity to speak with Mr. Chris Eppling, Vice President for Student Services. He was representing Truett McConnell University and shared with her about the psychology program at TMU.
“There are so many things I could say about that day, but in short, the Lord answered the prayer I had been praying months earlier,” she said. Shortly after, Miller moved to Cleveland, Georgia and finished her studies at TMU.
The TMU alumna said one of the primary reasons for pursing her psychology degree at Truett McConnell was because she wanted her education centered around the gospel. “Psychology is a very interesting subject,” she said. “As someone who wants to go into ministry and has a passion for God’s Word, I wanted to study psychology through a scriptural lens first and then learn about what psychologists have proposed over the years.”
“Conversations of scripture, sin, God’s design, etc., were all welcomed and regularly implemented in each psychology class.” Outside of the classroom setting, Miller gained valuable experience through an internship her senior year. She said the internship “was helpful to me because it provided realistic expectations and helped me to build my resume for future jobs.”
Miller also led what was known as “Worship Nights in Condo 9” which was a weekly gathering of female students that consisted of worship time and a Bible study. “I wanted to create a safe space,” said Miller. “A place where girls on campus could worship and build each other up in the knowledge of our Heavenly Father.”
Miller said the “memories of being in that condo, surrounded by women in all different seasons of life, will forever be a highlight for me at Truett McConnell.”
Master’s ready
Just before commencement this June, Miller decided to continue at TMU this fall by earning her Master of Arts in Theology with a Concentration of Missiology. She wants to study missions in order to be more effective on the mission field, whether in her vocation or globally – wherever the Lord calls her next.
“The program of missiology will be beneficial in both combining and increasing my knowledge of theology, psychology, anthropology, and sociology,” she explained. “Through theology and missions courses, I hope to be even more equipped to better reach people of all cultures more efficiently and effectively with the good news of Jesus Christ.”
Miller said she has so much to be thankful for in this season of life. “I am thankful first for Jesus Christ who has led me thus far so faithfully. I am also so thankful to God for the teachers, faculty, and admissions staff at Truett who are at all times willing to help answer any questions and facilitate the laborious process of applying, registering, and submitting forms. They have been so encouraging in this next step God has led me to, and it only acts as confirmation to His will for me.”
###
Jenny Gregory is the Digital Content Specialist for Marketing and Communications.
Return to News Archive