Kim B. Miller is the Poet Laureate of Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park from October 2020 until October 2022. She’s the first African American Poet Laureate for this region. Her poetry is inspirational, and her words are bold as she is unapologetically blunt. Miller has performed nationally in person and internationally online.

She previously was named Haiku/”Haikuist” of the year in the “2021 DMV Renaissance Awards.” In 2021, she won 4^th place in the 90^th Annual Writer’s Digest Contest in the non-rhyming poetry category, in which there were over 3,000 entries in all nine categories.

Her poems have been published in African Voices magazine, a Portuguese haiku anthology, a D.C. newspaper, an interfaith anthology, a hunger anthology on websites and in books.

Her latest book is called, My Poetry Is the Beauty You Overlook.

She uses her words to connect people to their strengths and makes empowerment reachable so anyone can obtain it. She is also an experienced facilitator, creating and developing her own training materials. She recently facilitated a workshop for University of California, Berkeley.

A proud NOVA alum, she talks about her background here and how NOVA helped her follow her dreams.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background:

I’m originally from Brooklyn, New York. I spent most of my life on Long Island before moving to Prince William County, Virginia. I’m married and have four children; two from the heart and two from the stomach, that simply means I had two kids and two were added to my heart through marriage. Poets can be wordy sometimes, lol.

When I was younger I was a horrible speller who was excellent in math. If you would had told me then that I would love words and write nearly every day I would have laughed.

I got serious about poetry about 10 years ago. It is such a beautiful art form. Poetry has blossomed and it is bigger than non-poets comprehend. Poetry is a gift. It is a God given talent. I am honored that I can touch people with words.

What brought you to NOVA?

I really wanted to understand and dive deep into IT. I wanted a better understanding of software, hardware and code. The company that I was working with was having a system built and I wanted to comprehend the best way to develop it from start to finish. NOVA had hands on classes that were really practical and helpful.

I know some of you may be thinking. how does poetry “go with” IT? Well, it may be a surprise to know that a lot of us technical people are artists, too. I can love more than one thing at once. My passion for my poetry is just as strong as my love for IT and telecommunications. (I used to work for Verizon.)

Tell Us About Your Experience at NOVA (i.e., professors you’ve liked and friends you’ve met).

I felt included at NOVA. As a “returning student,” I did not feel ostracized. Professors and students were very welcoming. I performed poetry at open mics on campus. I was invited to come back and perform several times. I made some friends at NOVA and we are still in contact today.

What would you tell a student coming to NOVA?

Get involved with the various groups and events. There’s a lot to do there that is fun and unique. Yes, you are there to learn but have fun, too. Come out and enjoy the events and special programs with great speakers.

How has NOVA helped you in your career pursuits?

I‘m expanding the services and products that I offer, and my IT degree has helped me immensely. I designed and maintain my own ”poetic” website, which is www.kimbmiller.com. I also added an online store (a few years ago), which I set up and maintain.

I sell some of my bold, poetic products in person. Knowing how to safeguard my hardware and customers’ information when making purchases has been very instrumental to my growth. I also facilitate classes (online and in person). The usage of online software has made my online classes possible. I’m looking into developing some self-paced online classes. I enjoy doing motivational speaking engagements online as well.

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For more information about Kim go to www.kimbmiller.com. Her IG and Facebook handle is @pwcpoetlaureate2020.