Being Reveille’s Handler Is A Non-Stop Job
We are honoring the 2019 International Women's Day and Women's History Month this week by highlighting three College of Liberal Arts women making history.
Part one of 2019 International Women’s Day series features Mia Miller — student in the Department of Philosophy and Texas A&M’s first female Reveille handler.
If anyone ever invents a 25-hour watch, Mia Miller might be the first in line to buy one. The Texas A&M University sophomore from Waco is the first female handler ever for the school’s famed mascot, Reveille IX, and the pair have experienced a whirlwind of activities that never seems to end.
Miller’s appointment book is roughly the size of the Manhattan Yellow Pages and it’s filled with one scheduled interview after another – with photo shoots, football games, events and other daily duties that accompany the role of being in E-2, the Corps of Cadets’ mascot company.
“I never dreamed it would be this time consuming,” Miller said of her non-stop schedule.
“It’s been one event after another. But it’s been fun, and Rev and I are doing what we should be doing – meeting people and representing Texas A&M as best as we can.”
Miller earned a Marine Corps ROTC scholarship in high school and chose Texas A&M, although both of her parents, Randy and Rachel Miller of Waco, are Texas Tech grads.
“Her E-2 unit has given her a lot of encouragement and stood by her,” Randy Miller told the Bryan-College Station Eagle.
“They’ve been like a second family to her and we appreciate it very much. All of this is a great honor for her and she knows the responsibility she now has.”
Reveille, known as “The First Lady of Aggieland,” has been Texas A&M’s mascot since 1931 and the current collie is officially labeled as Rev IX. Miller was selected over 14 others to be Rev’s handler, and she admits “that I was a little bit shocked when it happened.”
Both she and Rev have gotten to know each other well, Miller said.
“She is a wonderful partner and she has a distinct personality,” Miller added.
“She just likes to be a dog. She likes to play with her stuffed animals and chase people. She can be a little bit goofy, which I love. I think we’re a good match.”
Following tradition, a new Rev handler will be selected next April during Parent’s Weekend. Miller will turn Rev’s leash over to a new sophomore mascot handler.
“It will be a little bit of a sad time for me I guess,” Miller, who plans to enter a pre-nursing program, said.
“It’s been a big honor for me being the first female handler. I recognized from the start that this was a big responsibility for me and also something of a challenge. I want to live up to the expectations of all of the previous Rev handlers. So far, it’s been an experience for both of us.”
By Keith Randall, Texas A&M University Marketing & Communications
Originally posted here.