Veronica Miller is a familiar face of the Wake Forest community. 

Every weekday, she sits behind the front desk of Reynolda Hall and greets students, staff and visitors as they walk into the administrative building. Whether directing guests to one of the many offices housed in Reynolda or simply saying “hi” to those passing between Hearn and Manchester Plazas, Miller is always ready with a warm welcome.

An outgoing woman, Miller has a knack for remembering names and details about the lives of those she meets. When she sees someone she knows, she’s quick to call out and ask follow-up questions about their previous conversations. 

In her interview with the Old Gold & Black, Miller tried to downplay her capacity for attentive care but proved herself wrong by frequently interrupting her own answers to wave to friends and passersby. She said talking to students is her favorite part of her job.

“Yeah, I’m serious,” Miller said. “I want to know how your classes are going and what you did this summer, if you’re going to the football game… I just like talking to the students.”

Miller knows the Wake Forest community well, but students may not know much about her, including the diverse endeavors she pursued before joining the staff at Wake Forest.

Itinerant careers, then returning home

Miller grew up in Lexington, North Carolina and earned two bachelor’s degrees at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in education and textile marketing.

For about ten years, she worked as a kindergarten teacher in Greensboro. She cherished the opportunity to watch her students grow throughout the school year and later progress through the upper elementary grades.

“The kids – you never know what they’re going to say, or how they’re going to react,” Miller said. “They’re the most honest people in the world. It was fun just being around them. When they leave to go to middle school, it’s like my babies are leaving!”

Miller eventually left teaching after finding that her professional responsibilities had become burdensome.

“It got to where the parents weren’t taking care of the children like they should,” Miller said. “It became the teacher’s responsibility, and that was more than I wanted to take on.”

Miller then worked as a flight attendant for ten years. She moved frequently for her job, living in Chicago, Norfolk, V.A., Raleigh, Greensboro (again) and Hilton Head, S.C.

Besides these relocations, Miller also had the opportunity to travel as a flight attendant. She described meeting new people and discovering new cities – especially Chicago — as the highlight of her job.

“You fly with a different crew every week, so it was fun. Sometimes I’d be in a place that I would explore,” Miller said.

She continued: “I never went overseas, but I was on [Air Wisconsin], a regional [airline], so I went to a lot of beautiful places. I went to a lot of those flyover states in the West. Then I started flying east and it was nice, because I’m not a Western girl. I wanted to stay on this side [of the country].”

Miller moved back home to the Piedmont Triad area in 2021. She briefly returned to the classroom to work as a substitute teacher until she saw an advertisement in the mall for Rhino Sports, an event planning company. She applied for the job and soon began working frequently on Wake Forest’s campus.

“I was familiar with Wake Forest anyway, because I grew up so close to it,” Miller said. 

It wasn’t until a fateful conversation at a Face to Face event in 2023, though, that she considered working for the university itself. 

Miller struck up a conversation with Mark Peck, Wake Forest’s security supervisor, and Peck told Miller that he was looking to recruit a new employee.

“I applied, interviewed and was hired,” Miller said. “I worked full-time in the gym for a year.”

Miller worked from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. She adjusted to the late schedule, but was interested when Major Derri Stormer from University Police approached her with a nine-to-five opportunity: security officer at Reynolda Hall. She began her new position in August 2024. 

“It took a lot of adapting, but I like it,” Miller said about her role. “I’ve met a lot of students, faculty and staff in Reynolda Hall.”

On the job

Miller’s main responsibility as a security officer is to provide information and directions to the building’s visitors, but on occasion, she assists with urgent situations. Typically, this involves coordinating a response between different teams.

“I do hear a lot of fun stuff over the [police] radio,” Miller said. “I’ll hear something before there’s an alert put out.”

She contacts the fire department whenever the Reynolda Hall elevators break down and trap people inside. Miller also reported that she once had to call University Police when an individual smoked marijuana in the building.

“I think it was upstairs in the kitchen, but that’s another story,” Miller said. “They were checking the bathrooms… we didn’t catch the person.”

Though Miller rarely deals with security events, she said students may be surprised to learn that she does wear a body recording device. 

“If you ever see me [press the camera] twice, it’s recording,” Miller said. “I take the footage to the police department at a docking station.”

Outside of work

When she’s not in Reynolda Hall, Miller enjoys reading humorous writing — particularly author Jennifer Weiner — and painting landscapes. Years after studying the subject in college, she remains deeply interested in fashion.

“I never had a job relating to textile design, but I like clothing a lot,” Miller said. 

She is especially fond of secondhand shopping and likes to support causes with her purchases. Her favorite nearby stores are the Rescue Mission in downtown Winston-Salem, which provides anti-poverty and substance abuse recovery programs, and Helping Hands in Clemmons, which supports shelters for teenage boys who have been victims of abuse or neglect. 

When asked what advice she would give to students, Miller kept it simple.

“If you need help, ask for it,” she said. “If you need mental help, ask for it. Stick to your plan, go to class and take part in extracurricular activities.”