A familiar face: Halley Miller marks 34 years at Truman State

Sodexo checker Halley Miller has been working at Truman State University for 34 years, and throughout the changes in her position, she continues building community through connecting with staff and students

 

When Miller started working at Truman when she was in her 20’s. She was a dish washer in Ryle Hall.

 

“I remember when I first started, it was scary because I had never seen so many dishes, and it was all brand new to me.” Miller said, “”

 

Halley had cracked the code to longevity in the beginning. She recognised the ways her coworkers liked things done, so she made it a point to respect those ways. Miller said, “That’s how you get along. That’s how you stay.”

 

Halley said she fondly remembers the work culture when she was just starting out. A specific instance was when she missed the container while trying to refill ice in Ryle’s dining hall. “There was ice everywhere, and it was rush hour,” Miller said, “We were fussing and fighting about this and that, but then when an incident happened, everybody kicks in and helps.”

 

“That was like family”

 

For new students, leaving the comforts of home can be the scariest thing about going to college. The buildings are new, schedules change drastically, but it’s the people that make this new place feel like home. For many, the dining halls are a frequent stop during the busy day-to-day. Sodexo checker Halley Miller has been known to help ease the transition through simple everyday conversations. Miller sees these people everyday. She learns their faces, their schedules, and hopes they’re okay when they miss a meal in Missouri Hall’s dining hall. 

 

For many Truman State University students, the dining hall is one of the first places where campus begins to feel familiar. For 34 years, Sodexo checker Halley Miller has been part of that familiarity.

Miller began working at Truman in her early 20s as a dishwasher in Ryle Hall. She said the pace and volume of her first day came as a shock.

“I remember when I first started, it was scary because I had never seen so many dishes, and it was all brand new to me,” Miller said.

She adapted quickly, crediting her long career to recognizing how her co-workers preferred tasks to be done and respecting those expectations.

“That’s how you get along,” she said. “That’s how you stay.”

Miller said the work environment in those early years felt close-knit. She recalled missing the container while refilling ice during a busy rush in Ryle’s dining hall.

“There was ice everywhere, and it was rush hour,” she said. “We were fussing and fighting about this and that, but then when an incident happened, everybody kicks in and helps. That was like family.”

Miller said she used to be really shy and quiet when she first started working, but as she continued to interact with people throughout the days, she became much more comfortable. 

Over the decades, Miller’s duties have changed, as have dining spaces and generations of students. Now a checker in Missouri Hall, she interacts with hundreds of students throughout the week and has become a familiar face for many, especially first-year students adjusting to life away from home.

The transition to college can be difficult, and the dining hall is often one of the few consistent stops in a student’s day. Miller said she makes an effort to learn students’ faces and routines and notices when someone who usually comes in misses a meal.

Sophomore Cooper Spacil said he frequents the dining hall, and Halley is always a constant there ready to strike up conversation. Spacil said he recently passed through the dining hall on Halley’s birthday. “I wished her a happy birthday and she just lit up. MO is already a delight, and part of that is because of Halley,” Spacil said.

Senior Kaden Leath, said he noticed Miller’s impact early in his college experience.

“I remember every time I walked in without my friend, she would ask me where she was, and just her remembering that we were always together felt nice,” Leath said.

He said that kind of attention is what makes Miller stand out.

“You can tell she actually does care about her job,” Leath said. “She’s very sweet to everyone. She’ll ask how you’re doing and actually care about the answer.”

For many students, that recognition matters.

Through brief greetings, daily conversations and small gestures, she works to create a welcoming environment for students navigating new surroundings.

After 34 years on campus, Miller continues to help build the sense of community that first drew her in.