For Rich ’83 and Cindy (Mann) ’82 Miller, being resident assistants at Missouri State wasn’t just a campus job. It was the launch pad for their future.

It was where they cultivated leadership, learned to build relationships and, most importantly, where they found each other.

“As an RA, you had approximately 48 new freshmen on your floor every year,” Rich Miller said. “You had to build relationships. You had to work as a team. All those skills, all the communication skills that we learned being R.A.s, I could tell immediately that those experiences were going to be incredibly valuable to me when I started my first job at Shell Oil Company in Houston.”

Cindy Miller said being a resident assistant helped her decide what she wanted to study.

“I loved having the responsibility. I loved leading,” she said. “The R.A. role helped me discover my passion. I realized I could turn that into a career in business.”

Cindy double-majored in management and marketing

Rich, a first-generation college student, found his calling in the university’s emerging computer science program. That degree set a new course for his life.

A snow day that led to melting hearts

Their love story began on a winter day in 1981 when classes were canceled due to weather. An impromptu dance party broke out in the common area of their residential house, Blair-Shannon.

From that frigid day, a lifelong partnership was born. Their first dance blossomed into a relationship that is still going strong four decades later. Their family includes three children and six grandchildren.

To honor the place that laid the foundation for their success, the Millers have given back to Missouri State by establishing two endowed scholarships:

• The Rich and Cindy Miller Computer Science Endowed Scholarship. It goes annually to one undergraduate or graduate student who is seeking a degree in computer science.

• The Rich and Cindy Miller Resident Assistant Endowed Scholarship. It goes to a student involved in residence life who also completes an essay on public affairs and has other involvement on campus.

The couple has also given to building projects on campus, such as the Smart University Advancement Center.

But their commitment extends beyond financial contributions. Rich is a member of the Missouri State University Foundation Board of Trustees and the President’s Strategic Planning Committee. Both are members of The Founders Club and hold a President’s Medallion, recognizing their high level of support for the university.

In retirement, the Millers can again be on campus often

Three years ago, Cindy and Rich moved from the Kansas City area to Rogers, Arkansas, to be closer to their children and their families.

They now spend their days chasing grandchildren, entertaining at their home on Table Rock Lake and connecting with the Missouri State community.

Several nieces and nephews have attended MO State, and the Millers are a regular presence on campus. As football season ticket holders, they can be found tailgating at home games.

The Millers are both entering a new chapter. They are embracing retirement after successful careers in sales, technology and the health-care industry. Rich retired three years ago as a vice president, and Cindy, an executive recruiter, joined him in November.

Rich and Cindy said their time at Missouri State and their education was more than just a degree. It has served as a foundation for a full life.

Their R.A. scholarship recipient appreciates the gift

Their generosity is making a tangible difference in students’ lives. That includes junior McKinley Brown, the 2024-25 recipient of their Resident Assistant Endowed Scholarship.

Brown was raised in Greenwood, Missouri, and is the youngest of four children. He is a 3D design major who has worked long hours to help pay for school. The scholarship allows him to focus on his passion.

“Last summer I worked 70-hour weeks, so it helped out a lot this semester to be able to do what I wanted to do and make art,” he said. “I worked significantly less.”

Brown serves as creative director for his fraternity and is a photographer for the student-run magazine Sartorial.

He emphasized the importance of being able to build his portfolio, which is his résumé, he said. The scholarship gave him the “gift of time and money” to explore themes like personal identity through a series of paintings.

He summarized the impact of the scholarship from his perspective: “An investment into someone who’s trying to build their future.”