THIS WEEK’S FREE TO BE FEATURE GOES OUT TO the other Hayden in my life!🕺 aka the only good to come out of college calculus. I’ll first and foremost attest to his kindness & bomb ass music taste.

Name/Age/Pronouns: Hayden Miller, 19, he/him

Hobbies: reading, hiking, fitness, soccer, investing

How do you think you come across to others?:
”I’d like to think I come across as authentic and kind; those are the traits I admire most in others, so I try to embody them as much as possible. Authenticity, for me, is being content with my own vulnerability. Kindness arises from empathizing with others’ vulnerability: the uncertainty, doubt, and anxiousness I feel is felt by everyone else too, so the best way we can help each other (as cliché as it may sound) is to just be kind. The two go hand in hand.”

What do you think people wrongly think of you?:
”This is a tough one. I think some people—particularly high school students who have come to me for advice about their futures—think that I have my life perfectly put together. In reality, I’m in the same boat as them, probably more clueless than most people about the details of my future. I’m ok with that, though; I have been fortunate enough to accomplish some pretty cool things, and I’m optimistic about what is to come. *Also, people have told my I look tall on zoom calls (I’m 5’9” on a good day).”

What are you looking to attract more of into your life?:
”Spontaneity. Not the ‘let’s drop it out school and move to Bali’ type of spontaneity, but the type spontaneity that adds a bit of exciting uncertainty to day-to-day routines. I want to be a person who says ‘yes’ often, and I want to attract people who do the same. Hopefully I’ll be able to tell my kids a lot of awesome stories.”

How would you describe your relationship with yourself?:
”It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster, but now I’m at a truly healthy place. I try to walk a line between confidence and humility, acknowledging both my accomplishments and my shortcomings and accepting them for what they are. Like anyone else, I’ve experienced a lot of ups and downs throughout high school and early college. I’ve learned to not constantly strive for external validation, but to work toward an unwavering, internal contentedness by practicing gratitude and humility. My mom used to tell me that humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. Taking her words to heart was one of the best decisions I ever made.”

What makes you feel loved?:
”Sunsets, good music, good books, the ocean, smiley dogs, laughter, sharing a coffee, mountains, evergreen trees. These things don’t make me feel the type of love I’d receive from another person, but they exemplify the little
moments of joy that make life really really beautiful, and that makes me feel loved.”

All-time fav scent?:
”Coconut candles. Massively underrated.”

Soundtrack of your life?:
”Playlist called ‘The Best Songs’, Spotify millerhj01”