Matt Miller knew he wasn't mature enough or disciplined enough to start college right out of high school, so he found himself a series of random jobs in Virginia, where he grew up.
One of those stints led to work as a fly-fishing guide in South America.
While casting flies and schmoozing his well-heeled fishing clientele in the exotic waters of Chile and Argentina, Miller learned about the famed trout streams of Montana.
On quiet stretches of the river, his clientele, many of whom were from California, inevitably asked about his college plans.
Miller confessed he didn't know what he wanted to study or where he wanted to do it - the ultimate invitation for advice, and he heard plenty of it.
“They all universally recommended going to school in Montana,” Miller said. “It seemed like a good idea, and when I got home I Googled 'University of Montana,' ”
Miller said he knew so little about Montana, he didn't even know if there was a University of Montana. But when he typed in the combination of words, up popped the Web site for the Missoula campus.
From the Web, he learned about the university, Missoula, western Montana, the fly-fishing and other recreation opportunities this corner of the world provides.
He was - no pun intended - hooked.
Having grown up in a Virginia county where the population is greater than that of the entire state of Montana, and having lived in modest farms, homes and villages in Chile and Argentina, Miller said he was ready to experience a more rural life far different from the hustle and bustle of the greater Washington, D.C., area.
At UM, his curiosity about the greater world only continued to grow and led him to some memorable experiences.
Miller earned the opportunity to take a monthlong ROTC leadership training program in South Korea. Along the way, he learned to explore and expand his intellectual pursuits.
“Academically, I thought I was interested in geography, but I've gotten more into spatial distribution and water resource issues - things I was never interested in before,” Miller said. “And I hope to continue research in those subjects in graduate school.”
Book knowledge and classroom discussions were good partners to the leadership training provided by ROTC.
“ROTC has been a big part of this experience,” Miller said. “I learned a lot about leadership and different styles of leadership, and how leadership under pressure is a completely different kind of leadership.
“I was put in stressful leadership situations during my training, and I learned I've got a temper and I need to calm it down. That's what they teach us. You learn your strengths and weakness and how to work with those things to be successful.”
“I never thought I would react the way I do under pressure. I'm an adventure racer and a rock climber, so I know about pressure,” he said. “But when you have to be a leader and lead under pressure, it changes your perspective.”
Miller also learned about the fun and camaraderie that exercise and the outdoors provide.
During the academic year, he and his ROTC comrades started each day literally hitting the ground running.
The 5:30 a.m. wake-up call soon became routine, and the daily 90-minute fitness workout was something he looked forward to.
“It makes you more alert and ready to start the day,” Miller said, adding it's a routine he'll carry forward in his life.
“I think at UM I've learned a lot about discipline and understanding what it means to have discipline.”
Miller, who loves the challenge of being fit and navigating unfamiliar terrain, decided Missoula needed an adventure race of its own and co-spearheaded the inaugural GrizzlyMan Adventure Race, which took place last month in and around Pattee Canyon and Mount Sentinel.
He wasn't too surprised when more than 100 people showed up to launch the event.
“It's a great way for people to challenge themselves in a creative format,” he said. “You have to be a dynamic athlete willing to juggle pressures of the unknown in a race like this.”
His hope is the orienteering and fitness challenge will be a lasting legacy at UM and other cadets coming up through the ROTC ranks will keep the fledgling tradition alive.
Although his path to graduation has taken some interesting side trips, Miller said he never doubted the journey would eventually lead to the U.S. military.
He comes from a long, unbroken line of family members who have served their country - most of them in the Navy - back to the Revolutionary War in America, and as far back as the Prussian Army.
His call to duty was more of wake-up call, he said. On Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked the Pentagon, his father's office was destroyed.
It was an awful time for many reasons, Miller said, but most of all because his father's office was located on the side of the building that was destroyed.
“There was no communication at the time, no way to find out what happened to him, and I spent the whole day thinking he was dead,” Miller said.
Thankfully, Miller's father, Mark, survived.
“It was something I thought a lot about, but it didn't spur me to action. I still felt I needed to mature some because I had just graduated high school the previous June.
“I felt it was important to broaden my horizon before I committed to college or went into the military.”
Recently, Miller's grandmother called to congratulate him on his commencement achievements, and told her grandson he'll be the first Army officer in the family since the Prussian Army.
Miller is proud to carry on the family tradition with a new twist, and his plan is to become career military.
“I like traveling and seeing different places, and I like going to different places and interacting in a way that serves the greater good,” he said. “And the high caliber of individuals within the Army I've met is really impressive.”
On Saturday, Miller will be a busy graduate.
He'll attend each of the three commencement ceremonies - the all-campus grand event at the Adams Center, the ceremony for the Geography Department, and the ROTC ceremony.
Then he's headed to Fort Knox, Ky., to train ROTC cadets, then to Fort Sill, Okla., for basic officer leadership training, then to Fort Drum, N.Y., next spring.
Beyond that, it's anyone's guess, he said. And that's exciting.
The travel, challenge and adventure are what he wants, and as he roams the globe, Miller said he won't forget his time at UM.
“I'll always have a place in my heart for the Griz and this university,” he said. “It's been a great place to learn.”
Reporter Betsy Cohen can be reached at 523-5253 or at bcohen@missoulian.com.
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