If anyone ever invents a 25-hour watch, Mia Miller might be the first in line to buy one. The Texas A&M University sophomore from Waco is the first female handler ever for the school’s famed mascot, Reveille IX, and the pair have experienced a whirlwind of activities that never seems to end.
Miller’s appointment book is roughly the size of the Manhattan Yellow Pages and it’s filled with one scheduled interview after another – with photo shoots, football games, events and other daily duties that accompany the role of being in E-2, the Corps of Cadets’ mascot company.
“I never dreamed it would be this time consuming,” Miller said of her non-stop schedule.
“It’s been one event after another. But it’s been fun, and Rev and I are doing what we should be doing – meeting people and representing Texas A&M as best as we can.”
Miller earned a Marine Corps ROTC scholarship in high school and chose Texas A&M, although both of her parents, Randy and Rachel Miller of Waco, are Texas Tech grads.
“Her E-2 unit has given her a lot of encouragement and stood by her,” Randy Miller told the Bryan-College Station Eagle.
“They’ve been like a second family to her and we appreciate it very much. All of this is a great honor for her and she knows the responsibility she now has.”
Reveille, known as “The First Lady of Aggieland,” has been Texas A&M’s mascot since 1931 and the current collie is officially labeled as Rev IX. Miller was selected over 14 others to be Rev’s handler, and she admits “that I was a little bit shocked when it happened.”
Both she and Rev have gotten to know each other well, Miller said.
“She is a wonderful partner and she has a distinct personality,” Miller added.
“She just likes to be a dog. She likes to play with her stuffed animals and chase people. She can be a little bit goofy, which I love. I think we’re a good match.”
Following tradition, a new Rev handler will be selected next April during Parent’s Weekend. Miller will turn Rev’s leash over to a new sophomore mascot handler.
“It will be a little bit of a sad time for me I guess,” Miller, who plans to enter a pre-nursing program, said.
“It’s been a big honor for me being the first female handler. I recognized from the start that this was a big responsibility for me and also something of a challenge. I want to live up to the expectations of all of the previous Rev handlers. So far, it’s been an experience for both of us.”
Media contact: Keith Randall, 979-845-4644, keith-randall@tamu.edu
