SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Braxton Miller Foundation and the Pro Development Institute announced Friday they are purchasing the former Urbana University campus to create a premier academic and athletic campus. A major part of the focus will be STEM — something Miller’s foundation focuses heavily on.
What You Need To Know
- Former OSU quarterback Braxton Miller created the foundation
- The foundation supports more than just athletics and has a strong focus on STEM
- Miller provides STEM opportunities at his old middle school in Springfield
- He said he didn’t have those opportunities as a kid and hopes to be a mentor to these kids
Xio’Mera Nemec is one of several girls that are involved in the robotics club at Hayward Middle School in Springfield. She said she wanted to learn a skill in a field usually geared toward boys.
“First, I was going to be in it so I could have a thing to do after school, and I wanted to learn about building robots and stuff,” Nemec said. “So that’s why I joined it because my brother knows how to build robots so I want to, too.”
Jacob Yates is also a member of the club, which he said keeps him busy and out of trouble.
“It means everything because I would be at home right now,” Yates said.
The Braxton Miller Foundation founded the program, which is in its first year at the school.
The foundation focuses on educational opportunities, especially in STEM, as well as in athletics and even mentors students like Yates.
“He’s a nice dude,” Yates said. “Honestly, he’s awesome. He’s like a brother.”
“I was them one day,” Miller said. “I was always into technology, sports and electronics, and being able to give back and being able to support the youth, something I didn’t have when I was growing up. So being able to do that now really makes me happy.”
Miller said it’s key to bring opportunities to kids in his hometown of Springfield and be a mentor to them.
For these students, seeing the success of Miller means everything.
“It inspires me because it’s just crazy that someone can come from Springfield to a famous football player and have all these crazy sorts of clubs and stuff,” Yates said.
“You gotta live out your dreams when you’re young,” Miller said. “Live out the dreams and follow the right people to get to the place that you want to be when you’re older. So, I try to be that shining light for them.”
The former Urbana University Campus will house programs like these to help students become professionals in not just sports but in life.
