Standing in front of her younger brothers’ fourth-grade classroom, Micah Hill, currently a Southern Miss student, was under the impression that she was there to give a last-minute STEM presentation. But that wasn’t the case. As she spoke to the room of children, she noticed her parents walk in. Assuming they were there to watch her presentation, she continued. But then her principal, principal’s and superintendent showed up. A few moments later, Rebecca Hooper, Hill’s mentor, walked through the door, holding a box.
Hill stopped her presentation, confused by the unexpected guests. Crowding together in a small elementary school classroom, kids and adults lined up, all eyes on her. What started as a simple STEM presentation shifted into an unforgettable moment for Hill. As Hooper set the box in front of her, someone began to record.
Hill opened the box, and inside sat $40,000. It all began to make sense; she was chosen for the Amazon Future Engineer Program.
“I was like what is going on, and I’m like actually in trouble,” said Hill, a USM sophomore majoring in Information Technology. “I wasn’t really sure what it was, but I had a feeling it was it. But I didn’t want to get too excited.”
A year later, Hill made her way to Seattle to start her internship at Amazon. The program, for high school seniors with an interest in computer science, provided a summer internship and a $40,000 scholarship. Out of thousands of applicants, only 400 were selected, and Hill was one of them.
At Amazon, she interned for the Alexa Smart Property Team. Their mission was to enable Alexa on a larger scale in places like hotels and hospitals. Over the summer Hill focused on improving the core device experience for those customers.
Hill never thought that she would go into the field of IT. As a child, she wanted to be a dancer or an actress. Hill’s love of IT didn’t come from a previous love of computers or technology but from the freedom and the creativity that comes with it. As of right now, Hill wants to work in graphic design, creating the layout for the widgets on phones.
“I’m convinced this is what made me fall in love with IT,” Hill said.
She found her love of IT in eighth grade while competing in a hackathon held here at USM. The hackathon was meant to get minority girls interested in the field of computer science. At the hackathon they would learn about engineering and compete within teams from different schools. USM is where Hill found her love for IT. It was her mentor, Hooper that introduced her to IT and USM as well.
“She’s been very monumental in my love for technology and my love for STEM,” Hill said. “She was the one that introduced me to it. If I need some guidance, she’s there. She’s a really impactful mentor, and I’m lucky to have her.”
But Hooper isn’t the only one in Hill’s corner. Hill’s parents have been there for her through it all, always expecting excellence from their children. From a young age, if Hill or her brothers wanted to do anything, then they had to do it well. Hill believes that the way she was raised helped her become the leader that she is today. And she doesn’t know where she would be without her parents.
As the only daughter, Hill has always looked up to her mother, striving to be like her. Growing up watching her mother, a respected individual with an unexplainable confidence, had a big influence on her childhood. Hill has worked hard, wanting to represent not just her mother but her whole family.
“She’s just amazing,” Hill said. “So, I just feel very lucky to have her as a mom. And being able to have that role model in my life. She’s definitely made me into the woman I am today.”
Hill has learned a lot from her family, mentor, and internship. She learned about herself, her need to be ahead, the importance of having a job that she is passionate about, and the value in finding a balance between her work and mental well-being. As someone that others look up to, Hill is determined to be a good role model for the people around her, just like her mother was for her. She wants others to see her as a light in the darkness.
“I would like for people to remember me as a light,” Hill said. “When things are wrong, there’s always someone in the room that’s thinking of something positive. And I want to be that person.”
USM’s Micah Hill continues to excel
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