By Megan R. and Matt W.
As I walked into the The Family Foundation School business office to interview Millie Triff, her phone was ringing while she was hurrying out to make sure that things were running smoothly with the students in the ACT course.
This is the side of Millie that most students and staff see at FFS. What people do not know is how much she has gone through during her life.
Millie has been married and divorced two times, and has three children. After her second divorce, she was left alone with her kids—ages 19, 15, and 10— and two of her husband’s dental practices to sell. At this point she had a choice to make. “I was backed into a corner, and I fought back, instead of crumbling into a corner and crying,” she said.
Her faith in God was the only thing to carry her through this hard time in her life. “At my lowest point, I pictured myself as a child being cuddled into Jesus’ lap,” said Millie.
Through research about single parenting, and the 12- Step programs, Millie was able to help other single parents going through similar struggles. She wrote a weekly column called “The Single Parent Corner” in her local newspaper, The Hancock Herald.
Millie, who has a passion for learning, said, “I was able to look at myself, and ask, ‘Why do I make bad choices?’” She began to look inside of herself to learn why she made the decisions that she did. She said, “I thought to myself, ‘This is such exciting information. I must share it!’” She shared with the community what she had learned. She got a lot of feedback from local residents who appreciated her experience, strength, and hope.
Millie was in 12 – Step programs for almost 11 years before coming to work at The Family School. She started off at FFS as a replacement for two part-time workers, but with no specific job title. When the administration realized that she had excellent organizational and computer skills, they offered her the position of Registrar.
As Registrar, she is responsible for keeping academic records for students and proctoring the ACT and SAT exams, as well as getting students registered to take them.
Millie said that she is better off today, being single with her four cats, than she ever was before. She is happy and content with her life as it is. She believes that her work at FFS is service for God.
I told Millie that I admire her for being so strong. She replied, “The only reason I’m as strong as I am is because life beat me up. I hope to God you girls [at FFS] don’t have to go through what I went through. You either succumb or bounce back.”
