MCC gave alumnus start on his career in natural resources
Tommy Miller didn’t have to go far to take his first steps toward a career he loved – in fact, it was just down the road.
Today, Miller is a natural resource specialist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. His office: Okatibbee Lake.
Miller, 31, grew up in the Collinsville area and came to Meridian Community College to get his higher educational start. “MCC was my first choice because I could complete general classes in a familiar environment before transferring to a university,” he said. It was also a natural choice because his mom, Amy Miller, also works at MCC.
While at MCC, he followed the University Transfer path with an emphasis on biology. Although he did not graduate from MCC, he earned enough credits to transfer to the University of Southern Mississippi in 2014. He later completed a bachelor of science degree in geography and, in 2023, earned an undergraduate certificate in fish and wildlife management from American Military University.
“I picked this field because I knew I’d enjoy working in natural resources and wildlife,” Miller said. One could say it’s also in his DNA. Miller’s grandfather, Bill Pennington, was the first reservoir manager at Okatibbee.
Now in the post that he’s held for the past 13 years, Miller’s work helps manage land and water for public use and environmental protection.
One of his favorite memories at MCC is simple — playing ping pong with friends in the student activities center. “It was just a good time between classes,” he said.
Now married to Abby Miller for eight years and the father of two children, Mallory, 3, and Finn, 1, Miller said MCC helped prepare him for the next step.
“My advice to students is to use MCC as a strong foundation,” he said. “The teachers are more hands-on and helpful than they are at a university.”
For more information, visit meridiancc.edu.