Ezekiel M. Miller
Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics
Agribusiness & Applied Economics
Oceanside, CA
2021 Distinguished Senior Award Celebration Program (.pdf)
2021 Distinguished Senior Award Recipient Poster (.pdf)
Before coming to Ohio State, Ezekiel Miller attended community college for his associate’s degree while also working as a civilian contractor for the Navy. This opportunity allowed him to travel extensively while going to college, and to develop online learning skills that would become useful in the future. At the same time, it cultivated and improved his academic discipline. Additionally, while transitioning to the Columbus campus he spent a few months working for the Ohio State Women’s Rowing Team, which gave him the chance to be fully immersed in rowing and participate in the system that facilitates the university’s athletic success. His most valuable experience has simply been learning how to learn again. After taking six years off from school, he had to reintegrate into the environment of collegiate academics. This was by no means easy or painless, but it has set him on a path of lifelong learning that he hopes will allow him to succeed wherever he goes, moving forward in life. It is not one experience, but a multitude of experiences, under the tutelage of many professors, that have guided him to this place.
In his nomination form Dr. Parkman and Ms. Kurzhals shared, “During his time at The Ohio State University, Ezekiel has exemplified the Buckeye values of academic achievement, earning the Dean’s List honors for the year of 2020. Ezekiel’s dedication to academics has also merited acknowledgment within his department of study, AEDE. ...Ezekiel was also awarded the Robert S. Tennant scholarship in recognition for his academic performance within his department of study.”
He worked hand in hand with Dr. Jeff King for his Leadership Studies minor capstone project to develop a professional mentorship program for undergraduate CFAES veterans. During that process, Ezekiel found a purpose in both mentorship and service back to his veteran community. Finding this strong sense of purpose has been an amazingly rewarding boon that he will take into his post-graduate life.
Being invited to participate in the hiring committee for a new professor was a great honor for Ezekiel. This process left him with a notion of having “arrived” in his collegiate career. This opportunity, paired with other accomplishments he was blessed with this past year, left him feeling empowered to determine his own personal and professional success.
After graduation, Ezekiel plans to pursue post-graduate studies in economics or finance, in hopes of breaking into the finance or banking industry.
Ezekiel recognized Mr. Christopher Henney as his undergraduate mentor. Ezekiel related, “I was connected to Chris through a mentorship program run by a partnership between the Columbus Rotary and the OSU Rotaract Club. This program was geared towards pairing veteran students with mentors. However, over the past year and a half, Chris has mentored and guided me through the end stages of my collegiate career, and helped me develop into the person I am today.”
Service, involvement, and accolades: CFAES Student Council | CFAES DEI Action Committee | Ohio State Men’s Rowing Club | Towers Honorary | Little League Coaching