Spring graduation means many things to students closing one chapter in their lives to start another.
For Stacy Miller and her 7-year-old son, Isaac, graduation meant something different. It allowed them to accept their husband and father, Adam Miller’s, degree in his honor.
Adam completed all of his classes in the Executive Master’s of Business Administration (EMBA) Program at Auburn University and would have graduated with straight As, according to Stacy.
Just four weeks before graduation Adam was taken to the hospital for tests on April 10, because he was not feeling well, according to Stacy. He died that day at age 34.
Blood clots the size of golf balls went to each of his lungs, blocking blood from going to the lungs, according to Stacy.
Graduating from Fort Hays State University in Fort Hays, Kansas, Adam wanted to further his education by obtaining a master’s.
Parents Loretta and Dave Miller said Adam met with the representative for more than two hours when he was looking at Auburn.
“He was highly impressed with the program, and he was highly impressed with the integrity of Auburn,” Loretta said.
Loretta also said Adam chose Auburn University over five other universities, including Yale.
Kim Kuerten, director of the EMBA program, said Adam was in a cohort of 53 students.
Working as the senior adviser at Wells Fargo in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Adam traveled to campus one week per semester and spent the remaining time participating in the program from a distance.
“As a class they’re all friends and colleagues and classmates, very connected to each other, and then we’re racing towards spring, and they’re going to graduate, and then this happens, so it just knocked everybody for a loop, dealing with just the reality of losing a friend,” Kuerten said.
Stacy said Adam always loved education and was always taking classes of some sort, because he loved to learn.
“We were just so proud of him and knew how much work he’d gone through to finish [the degree,] so we wanted to honor him by going and accepting the degree for him,” Stacy said.
The University holds a memorial service each year for students who have passed away.
Kuerten, staff and students in the program attended the service May 3, where families of 10 students honored their loved ones as well.
Nicole Sloan, one of Adam’s classmates, informed Kuerten of Adam’s death, helped facilitate the process of bringing Stacy and Isaac to Auburn for graduation and represented the Miller family at the memorial service.
The Friday night before graduation, May 9, the EMBA, Physicians EMBA and Master’s of Real Estate program held a banquet of 400 people and hosted a separate graduation ceremony.
Kuerten said they had to balance honoring Adam while still allowing his class to celebrate their accomplishment.
“Honestly, Stacy is what made that possible,” Kuerten said. “She was so … gracious and open, sweet, and it allowed people to just go ahead and be themselves while it was going on.”
According to Kuerten, Adam always wore a bowtie, so the men in his class wore a bowtie to graduation and the women wore a multi-colored ribbon in his honor.
“He was just a ray of sunshine,” Kuerten said.
In remembrance of Adam, the University flew an Auburn flag behind Samford Hall and displayed it in the Student Center, according to Kuerten.
Kuerten said she presented the flag and honor certificate to Stacy at graduation.
“Well I can understand why Adam chose Auburn, because of the outpouring that Auburn did for Stacy,” Loretta said. “That was very impressive.”
Kuerten also said EMBA students spoke at graduation in honor of Adam.
Involved in his high school debate team, Adam showed a love for education at a young age.
He graduated from Kelly Walsh High School in Casper, Wyoming, where he was born.
According to Loretta, Adam had a full ride to a college in Casper, but one week before college began Adam had a different plan.
“He told me, ‘Mom, I need to go to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to the University of Sioux Falls,’” Loretta said. “So within a week we got him packed up and ready to go.”
Little did Adam know he would meet Stacy, a senior, his freshman year at Sioux Falls.
Adam loved to play soccer starting from a young age, and became a referee at 12 years old.
By age 15 he was awarded referee youth of the year for the state of Wyoming, according to Loretta.
Adam played goalie at the University of Sioux Falls.
Loretta said Stacy wasn’t interested in athletics, but wanted to attend the soccer games.
“It turned out Stacy really wanted to see Adam,” Loretta said.
According to Stacy, she and Adam became good friends and started dating after three months.
Stacy said Adam used to snowboard, and one time he had an accident where he had amnesia. The only thing he could remember was Stacy’s name and phone number.
“He didn’t even know his own name,” Stacy said.
She was at her parents’ house at the time, so her mom went to pick Adam up from the hospital.
“Our relationship just went on from there,” Stacy said. “We laugh because my sister said, ‘You know if a guy gets amnesia, and you’re the only one he remembers, you gotta marry him, right?’”
Stacy and Adam were married in South Dakota.
Adam found a love of running after his soccer career.
“It was a real surprise, and he started doing marathons,” Dave said.
His goal was to complete a marathon in each state, according to Dave.
Dave also said there might be a memorial race in honor of Adam held in Cheyenne. Proceeds would go to Isaac’s school.
“Adam was always a jokster and a teaser, he liked to really enjoy life,” Loretta said.
Kuerten said students Adam worked with on projects and in class were personally affected by his death.
“Every student that was honored at that [memorial] service had become an integral part of this campus and this family, and even if they hadn’t graduated, they would be Auburn people forever,” Kuerten said.
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