National Heritage Academies Employee Entered in US Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame

The year is 1998 and the ‘98 U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team, which was the first women’s ice hockey team to win gold in the Olympics, is featured on a Wheaties box.

Did you know one of those 20 women is employed at National Heritage Academies (NHA)?

Meet Lisa Brown-Miller, who is the team coordinator for School Quality. Brown-Miller and other members of the ‘98 team were inducted into the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame on Friday, Nov. 1, 2019 and she was the one to deliver the acceptance speech.

When reflecting back on her experience growing up, she credits the encouraging teachers she had, ones that supported her dream of playing hockey, which Brown-Miller shares was “not the norm” for girls at that time. These teachers also inspired her passion for education.

She coached at Princeton University and now Aquinas College, which is a way for her to utilize her passion for teaching. “Coaching is essentially teaching people how to be better in their sport, but also to be better people,” said Brown-Miller. “Outside of the rink, there is life.”

Brown-Miller has been with NHA since 2008, and she brings the rink with her. On the ice, she learned teamwork, which is a key component in School Quality. Her team works with school leaders on a regular basis, and it’s the collaboration that makes our schools run successfully. She loves being in School Quality, because it’s another way for her to fulfill her passion for education.

“Every DSQ is a superstar in School Quality, each bringing a different skill set,” said Brown-Miller. “When you gather these strengths together, the strength of the team increases in value.”

Each person on a team makes a difference, which she expressed in her acceptance speech.

“No one player is more important than the other. And we’re family,” said Brown-Miller. “For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and strength of the wolf is the pack.”

She lives our values at NHA, and she is passionate about the organization, reflecting that she truly believes NHA has set teachers and students up for success.

We are grateful to have you supporting our schools, Lisa! Congratulations!