Teaching & Learning

Anthropologist, Role Model, Marathoner

“They always say you can’t judge somebody until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes, and I’ve always wanted to try on different shoes.”

Jaimy Miller is a dynamic individual. She has an innate ability to understand the multiple perspectives of culturally diverse people and to offer solutions that can lead to successful integration into Canadian society.

Jaimy is an honours graduate from the University of Alberta, having earned her Bachelor of Arts with a major in anthropology and a minor in archeology. She then moved on to McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario for her Masters of anthropology with a focus on cultural archeology. As part of the completion of her Masters, Jaimy wrote her thesis about the disenfranchised Papachase Band—of which she is a descendant—and its participation in the Rossdale Reburial in Edmonton in 2005. That thesis will be a chapter in a book that is being published by the University of Western Ontario.

“Culture and identity are two things that I’m very interested in… have always been interested in. I think it’s because I come from a family with mixed heritage… a diverse cultural background.”

Jaimy is the intercultural communications facilitator in the Centre for Excellence in Intercultural Education at Norquest College. As a research analyst and workshop facilitator, she has counseled a number of major companies and businesses that employ new Canadians on how to attain better productivity through effective communication and respectful work environments.

“What do immigrants or temporary workers need to know when they begin working in Canada? What expectations are there? How do employers and fellow employees communicate? These are all parts of our culture that we take for granted, but there is a need to be understood in order for workplaces to run effectively.”

Jaimy’s own life experiences allow her to draw parallels with newcomers for whom fitting in is critical. She recognizes that building cultural communications solutions into business practices is essential.

Besides her passion for her work, Jaimy is a successful marathon runner. For her, it’s about the power of mind over body, and how supporting others and being supported are critical to crossing the finish line. To raise funds for charities like the United Way and Youth Emergency Shelter, she has run one full marathon, three half marathons, and plans to run her second full marathon in October.

Never one to rest on her laurels, Jaimy will be pursuing a Masters of public policy at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario.

- Written by Lauren Henrie, Edmontonians Sept 2009