Helping students set goals and build a brighter future has always been a huge passion for Weldon Miller. He has always liked seeing success for himself and others. However, now that he has returned to his former role as a security guard, he can continue to help students throughout their high school years.

Miller has known San Rafael High since he was a student. He later became a security guard. As most of his mentors were working at SRHS, he decided to work as a security guard starting in 2011. “Reach one, teach one,” said his college coach. These words stayed in his mind. He recalls his high school years and realizes how much help he received. Now he wants to be the one who helps others. Miller is back at SRHS and is eager to build bonds with the students and bring enthusiasm to the community.

Debbie Trimble, a staff member for SRHS, worked here when Miller was previously at SR. Trimble doesn’t see a change in his personality and sees him as “very kind and dedicated to the success and happiness of all our students.” Jack Murphy, an SRHS graduate, says “He made connections with students and made SRHS feel more like a community.” 

Growing up, his aunt and grandmother were the ones who looked after him. He lived in the Canal with his younger brother. He and his brother had excellent chemistry and loved playing sports together. They would go out and play any sport they could. Even though they were brothers it didn’t get in the way of their competitiveness. 

Miller was an athletic freak in high school. He was an all-around sports player. He had successful seasons in the sports he played. In the fall, he would get off the ball fast and hustle to either make the sack or tackle. In the winter, he would always put up points on the board and, thanks to his height, get the rebounds. In basketball, he averaged a double-double and was the team MVP. In the spring, he would do something he hated: running. He joined Track and Field to do the hurdles. When asked why he did something he didn’t enjoy, he said, “I hated running, but I love to compete.” With sports and high school ending, he attended the College of Marin (COM) for two years, where he played basketball. He then continued on to Iowa Wesleyan University.

Miller’s greatest strengths are his ability to communicate and build bonds with people, making him dependable. He has faced many obstacles in his life. Two of the biggest ones include his younger brother being sent to jail and a back injury that occurred shortly after. His back injury was a squatting incident during a team practice in the weight room for basketball. He was squatting 625 pounds. As he finished college, he returned to SRHS to be a security guard after being inspired by his campus officer in high school, Ben Johnson. He finds joy in building relationships with both kids and adults in his job.

Having been a player, loving the sport, and building bonds with other people, he made a choice to coach basketball. He did so at Archie Williams for seven years and at SRHS for three years. For now, he is not coaching. When he left SRHS in 2016, he wanted to gain more experience in other jobs while balancing coaching.

Lee Chretien, an SRHS teacher who also knows Miller, describes him as being “phenomenal” at developing a bond with players and having a deep knowledge and love of the game. Miller was a highly skilled basketball player during his time at SRHS and as a collegiate player. He has decided to become involved in coaching as it’s more of a calling for him. While it is not a job that pays much, he feels it is more meaningful to have a love for the sport and the kids. Chretien believes Miller can be successful as a security guard. Chretien also believes that a security guard “requires someone who can be an authority figure for high school students.” He adds that “it is a hard job.”

Mauricio Islas, a student at SRHS, was in PE class running a mile. After, Miller came up to him and had a conversation with him. Miller talked to Islas about ways to lose weight and sports. “He’s a cool and funny guy,” Islas says.

Reflecting on his achievements, he is most proud of the way he handles difficult situations in life and how he always strives to maintain his enthusiasm and positivity. He likes to have fun and chill but, oddly enough, doesn’t understand sarcasm. 

Overall, Miller is a cool and smart guy with a passion for learning and a desire to positively impact the world. He is a great and kind friend who loves to support others. Weldon never loses his enthusiasm. He always tells himself what his college basketball coach told him, “Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”