(Posted September 17, 2001)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Ryan Miller, the son of Dawn L.C. Miller and Robert Miller III of Millington, Md. and a senior at Juniata College studying international relations and French, spent the 2000-2001 academic year working as an intern at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France and followed that experience this summer by interning at the office of Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-Md.) in Washington, D.C.

Miller spent his junior year abroad, studying at IEP-Strasbourg, a political institute based in Strasbourg, from September 2000 to June 2001. In November of 2000, Miller was selected as an intern for the conservative delegation of Sweden in the European Parliament. He worked directly for Jesper Haglund, press officer for the conservative Swedish delegation.

The European parliament, voted into existence in 1979, has elected representatives from 15 countries. The legislative body meets in Strasbourg and Brussels, Belgium. Miller worked about 12 hours a week during his internship. His main duties were researching articles relating to European Union foreign policy and writing a lengthy report on the reaction in the United States to European defense and security policies.

"I really got a sense of how politics works on an international level," Miller says. "I learned that diplomacy and politics must have a personal component that people must master before they are able to push their agenda through."

Miller also experienced politics on a domestic level when he worked as a summer intern for Maryland politician Gilchrest, who represents the state's 1st District. Miller's duties included covering House and Senate meetings and hearings and researched public policy documents on education and other issues.

Miller has been active as a student at Juniata. He is co-president of the Model UN organization in 2001-2002 and served as vice president in 1999-2000. He is politics editor of the Juniatian, the college's student newspaper, and is a member of the French Club and College Republicans. He also is active in Juniata theatre productions.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.