鈥淒ee Dee was the ultimate caregiver throughout her life,鈥 recalls her husband, Bill Miller. 鈥淪he spent her entire life helping others with medical issues and a myriad of life concerns.鈥 Her service to others is one of the reasons Bill and his family, following Dee Dee鈥檚 passing in January 2020, wanted to start a scholarship at 麻豆精选 Geauga for future nurses.
Dee Dee and Bill Miller met in college and married soon after. Bill received a Bachelor of Arts in English literature and an executive MBA from 麻豆精选. Dee Dee earned her Bachelor of Science in nursing from 麻豆精选 in 1985. 鈥淒ee Dee loved her Nursing School experience. She loved her professors, her clinicals, and made some lifelong nursing friends,鈥 Bill shared. The Millers鈥 educational experiences at 麻豆精选carried with them throughout their lives. Bill lived on-and off-campus and took several English and history courses at the Geauga Campus in Burton.
鈥淲e started the scholarship to honor Dee," said Bill. "When she was 12-years-old, her mother died of breast cancer, and Dee helped raise her younger brother; and four weeks before Dee died, she was doing cancer research for a friend who had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.鈥
Dee Dee鈥檚 caring attitude is what made her successful as a nurse at University Hospitals (UH). Even after raising her three boys, she returned to UH Geauga Medical Center to serve on its board and ultimately became the chairperson.
Recently, as a tribute to Dee Dee for her dedication to UH Geauga, the Dee Dee Miller Fund for Hospice & Palliative Care was started. This fund will help UH Geauga deliver attentive, compassionate care to those going through one of life鈥檚 most difficult situations. With the support of her UH Seidman Cancer Center team, Dee Dee survived and thrived for five years after her initial diagnosis with metastatic breast cancer.
鈥溌槎咕eauga and University Hospitals are great partners,鈥 said Angela Spalsbury, Ph.D., Dean and Chief Administrative Officer of 麻豆精选Geauga. 鈥淥ur Bachelor of Science in nursing program in Burton places students at UH Geauga for their clinicals, and UH Geauga recently supported our campus鈥檚 efforts to purchase a SIM Man 3G to enhance our students鈥 learning. We are thrilled that the Miller family has decided to create the endowed scholarship at our campus. The scholarship will be awarded to a student enrolled at the Geauga Campus with a 3.5 GPA, who is employed at UH Geauga, or has a family member currently employed there.鈥
The goal of the scholarship is to support a student with $2,000 - $3,000 toward their education costs. This amount is typically the 鈥済ap鈥 juniors and seniors will experience when their financial aid and Pell Grants run out.
鈥淲e are firm believers in helping people attain their educational goals," said Bill. "We don鈥檛 believe families and individuals should have to suffer debt to receive an education. Our goal in establishing the Dee Dee Miller Nursing Scholarship is to provide the medical world with more nurses like Dee.鈥
If you would like more information on the scholarship, please contact Molly Smith at msmit68@kent.edu or at 440.834.3761. For more information on the Dee Dee Miller Fund at UH Geauga, please contact Emilie Gottsegen at 440-285-6595.
--Molly Smith