91´ÎÔª

By Jenny Lavey, UM News Service 

MISSOULA – Abigail Miller had never been to Montana before.

When she left her hometown of Gold Bar, Washington, and set out on a college search, she was looking for community and opportunity – ideally in a mountain town that she could call home for a few years.

Miller found all of that and more at 91´ÎÔª, on a Western Undergraduate Exchange scholarship, when she became a Grizzly four years ago.

“I’d never been to Montana before applying,” Miller said. “But Missoula felt like a purpose-driven place. It was small enough to feel personal, but with everything you need, and the mountains were right there.”

Now a senior in UM’s College of Health, Miller is set to graduate Saturday, May 10, at UM’s Commencement ceremonies.

A lifelong skier, Miller was immediately drawn to Missoula’s local ski areas, like Montana Snowbowl. It turns out that Missoula’s adjacent mountains – and ski hills – would impress her as much as UM’s campus.

“I visited Snowbowl during my senior year of high school and thought, ‘This is amazing,’” she said. “It felt like a mom-and-pop operation, and I loved that.”

Miller’s passion for skiing eventually led herself and her roommate to found , a women’s ski club at UM.

“We started talking about how easy it seemed for guys to just find a group of people to ski with,” Miller said. “We felt like the experience is different for women – kind of like you have to be friends before you’d go out on a weekend trip with someone.”

Miller said she and her roommate had identified a unique space on campus that was missing: an inclusive introduction to skiing and snowboarding for women, no matter one’s background.

“There’s something really special here about the access from campus, and in 35 minutes you can be at a ski hill,” Miller said. “Having that ability and understanding of how important that time is to decompress when you’re skiing, I just wanted that to be available to everyone.”

What began as an Instagram page and a spring BBQ among friends, quickly grew into a vibrant community focused on connection, inclusivity and outdoor adventure. The club organizes ski trips, hiking events, coffee meetups and even a Thanksgiving potluck affectionately called “Chicksgiving.”   

“It was clear there was desire in our friend group that women wanted to get out and learn to ski, but they didn’t know who to connect with or necessarily have access to the gear,” she said. “So we decided to get organized and file for official club status with the goal of making skiing accessible and education for women – really anyone – at UM.”

Miller said the club not only created a space for women to get involved in winter sports, but has also helped her grow as a leader.

“I’ve learned so much about planning, communication and building community,” she said. “It’s given me confidence, and that carries into how I work with patients, classmates and coworkers.”

The club eventually hopes to file for ASUM funds and possibly hold a gear exchange so that students have access to ski boots, poles and other equipment in the future.

Beyond the slopes, Miller also immersed herself in academic and campus life.

Miller was a UM Advocate and Big Sky Experience leader, roles she credits with helping her learn to lead with empathy and poise.

“Those experiences really taught me how to connect with people – and how to stand in front of a room and hold space,” she said. “I think those experiences connected a lot with my experience in a clinical patient setting.”

She’s served as a teaching assistant in an anatomy lab, completed observation hours in local clinics like Alpine Physical Therapy and Integrated Therapy Works, as well as St. Patrick’s Hospital, and interned at Missoula Bone & Joint in hand therapy. Her focus is pediatric and holistic rehabilitation care.

This spring, Miller was accepted into the University of Puget Sound’s Doctorate of Occupational Therapy program, a path she says allows her to take a holistic approach to helping people of all ages regain independence.

“OT lets me work with such a wide range of people – from children with developmental delays to adults recovering from strokes,” she said. “That variety really excites me.”

When she’s not in class or leading ski club events, Miller tried hard to drink in Missoula’s culture. She worked as a student supervisor at UM’s fitness center, hiked just about every one of Missoula’s surrounding trails, explored thrift stores and discovered local concerts at the KettleHouse Amphitheater. 

As graduation nears, Miller reflects on her years in Missoula with gratitude.

“It’s such a privilege to give back to this place that’s given me so much,” she said. “UM has been the perfect mix of academic challenge, outdoor adventure and community.”   

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Contact: Dave Kuntz, UM director of strategic communications, 406-243-5659, dave.kuntz@umontana.edu