Name: Callahan (Calli) Hyde Miller.
When and where I was born: Dec. 30, 1992, in Waukesha, Wis. I’ve lived my whole life, up until moving to Madison, in Wauwatosa.
Family: My mom (Kari), my dad (Patrick), my little brother (Charlie, 16), my little sister (Michaela, 14), and, of course, most importantly, my golden retriever Murphy (10).
Education: I’m currently enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and majoring in sociology with a certificate in criminal justice. I plan to double major, but I’m not sure in what yet. I graduated from Wauwatosa West High School in 2011.
My religious upbringing was: Lutheran, but my formal religious association never went beyond baptism as a baby, besides the occasional forced Easter/Christmas services.
How I came to work as an FFRF legal intern: I heard about the opportunity through the UW-Madison student organization Atheists, Humanists and Agnostics, of which I am treasurer. We’ve worked with FFRF pretty frequently. For example, FFRF generously helped fund our inaugural free conference, Freethought Fest, in 2012, where Annie Laurie Gaylor gave a speech entitled “God Fixation Won’t Fix This Nation.” Dan Barker is speaking at Freethought Fest 2013 in March, and we’ve hosted him as part of our Freethought Speakers Series in the past.
What I do here: I do whatever the staff attorneys need. Mostly, I help write letters and follow-up letters to various people and organizations nationwide who are committing state-church violations, as well as do research on some of the tips sent in from FFRF members on potential violations. I also help drink the coffee, out of the kindness of my heart.
What I like best about it: The coffee (just kidding)! I’m really enjoying all of the formal writing experience, as well as learning more and more about constitutional law. It has definitely been, and continues to be, a very valuable experience that I’m thankful for.
Something funny that’s happened at work: I find it endlessly amusing how someone is almost always offering me food. And by “endlessly amusing,” I mean “the best thing ever.”
My legal interests are: I like the more sociological aspects of law, meaning the law in action versus the law on the books. I’m really interested in the field of criminology. I plan to go to law school after I graduate from UW.
My legal heroes are: Elle Woods. (Just kidding! OK, I’m not kidding.) But I think I’ll have to go with my dad on this one, since he’s a lawyer and thus really was the driving force behind my interest in law and politics. [Elle Woods is a character played by Reese Witherspoon in “Legally Blonde.”]
These three words sum me up: Easily distracted, sleepy.
Things I like: Dogs, Lord of the Rings, folk music, boots.
Things I smite: Bugs, the meat industry, sinus infections.
Fun fact: I worship macaroni and cheese.
