V irgil R. Miller, ’92, is the president of Aflac U.S. He jumped on that prestigious path as an accounting major and mathematics minor at Georgia College & State University.

Outfitted in an Aflac-blue blazer lined with both Aflac and Georgia College logos, Miller recently presented a $100,000 Aflac CareGrant to the university’s College of Health Sciences—the first of its kind in the state of Georgia. The money will support implementation of COHS’ newest initiative: a mobile health clinic.
 
“Anytime we see an organization trying to improve healthcare outcomes for individuals, especially those in underserved communities, we want to help,” Miller said. “We established this CareGrant program and have donated over $2 million to organizations just like right here at Georgia College.”

The check marks the first time a CareGrant has been awarded to a Georgia institution and is the single biggest donation made toward the mobile health clinic. To commemorate the occasion, an Aflac-blue bench emblazoned with the organization’s signature duck portraits was installed outside the Parks Memorial Building on N. Wilkinson Street.

“The CareGrant is designed to ease the burden of medical care costs in rural and underserved communities, and Aflac thought our mobile health clinic aligned with their grant’s mission,” said Dr. Will Evans, dean of the College of Health Sciences. “This donation puts us a lot further down the road at establishing this clinic and extending the Health Sciences mission into our rural communities.”

The mobile health clinic is an initiative borne out of the Georgia College Center for Health and Social Issues. Once established, the mobile clinic will provide screenings, as well as primary, maternal and obstetrical care to Baldwin and surrounding counties.

In addition, the College of Health Sciences will use the unit to extend their portfolio of experts into the community while providing field experiences and internship opportunities to Georgia College students.
 
“I believe in what we’re doing, and I believe that people in this community deserve that type of help,” Miller said. 

Miller joined the Omega Psi Phi fraternity during his time at Georgia College, and many of his fraternity brothers joined him at the check presentation. Dr. Edwin Speir, the university president when Miller was a student, inspired Miller to pursue his ambitions in the business world.

“I got a chance to listen and learn from him,” Miller said. “He talked about taking what you learn and applying it to the business world, and that’s what I’ve been able to do.”

A true lifelong learner, Miller has continued to educate himself throughout his career. He attained a master’s from Wesleyan College and a doctorate from Gammon Theological Seminary.
 
“I had so much fun here, and I’ve been reminiscing about pledging right here at Georgia College,” Miller said. “I believe in education. I’ve continued to educate myself, but it started right here. So, I’m thankful for the foundation that Georgia College gave me.”

Every part of the liberal arts approach, he said, can apply to anyone’s life and career. Whether in a marketing course, math class or science lab, students can learn something that will help solve a problem later down the line.

“Make sure you pay attention, you listen, learn and take those lessons forward,” Miller said. “I always try to do a self-reflection. What did I learn to help me today, and how do I learn to be better? That’s helped me throughout my career.”

At the end of the day, he’s happy to support his alma mater and make a difference in the lives of those with limited access to healthcare.
 
“This CareGrant will make sure that members of this community get the fiscal and emotional support they need to focus on what’s most important—their health,” Miller said in his remarks. “It’s about creating opportunities for students to become future health leaders and working to advance health and wellness—that’s why we’re here.”

“We want to make sure people have access to the physical, financial and emotional support they need,” he said. “That’s my life’s passion.”