Red Raider Club Scholar Athlete of the Month: Kierra Miles
May 04, 2015 | Academics
Sophomore Kierra Miles has been named this month's Red Raider Club Scholar Athlete.
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May 4, 2015
Written by: Ty Parker, Athletics Communications
In collegiate athletics, it is common for freshmen to go through an adjustment period during their first year on campus in order to learn and grow both on the field and in the classroom.
Texas Tech softball player Kierra Miles was not your common freshman.
As a freshman in 2014, Miles started 52 of 54 games where she ranked second in homeruns and RBI for the Red Raiders and was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team. She has continued to demonstrate her strong bat throughout her sophomore campaign in 2015 as she currently leads the team RBI and is second in doubles and homeruns.
Her approach at the plate - a lethal combination of power and aggression - mirrors her approach towards academics as well. The social work major and Spanish minor feels the knowledge she gains in the classrooms gives her the power in life to make her as successful in her career as it has on the diamond.
"That's the main reason why I'm here," Miles said of earning her degree. "All throughout high school, I've always wanted to get good grades and do my very best. I feel like I've brought that to Tech. I've done well in the classroom, but I want to continue to do better because I feel like knowledge really is power. It's so cliché, but I feel like that's what is going to help me become a better citizen for society."
Miles displays a strong passion for using her educational opportunities at Texas Tech to position her for a career that will make a lasting impact on society.
"I've always had a passion to help people," Miles said. "I want to make a difference; not just have a job that has a high salary, but actually do something with my career field."
It was this desire that led Miles to select social work as her major of choice. The program trains its students to use self-awareness and sensitivity to the plight of humankind to promote social justice within the global community. Miles said that while there are many paths that the field of social work could allow her to go, she has her eyes set on two specifically.
"Some things that really interest me are school social work which I would be working as a counselor or another field is working with human trafficking victims, which is something that is really close to my heart."
Miles is clearly ahead of the game both on the field and when it comes to identifying her career aspirations. She has helped lead her team to a 9-3 record over their final 12 regular season games, setting a school-record along the way with four consecutive series wins.
Miles says the key to it all has been organization, getting ahead, flexibility and the help at the Marsha Sharp Center for Student Athletes.
"I go to the Marsha Sharp Center quite frequently to get some studying in or get an extra tutor if I need anything," Miles said. "Each week we have a team study hall where we either go meet at the facility or at the Marsha Sharp Center in a classroom for an extra hour to get some work done and that has helped me a lot. That's an extra I can just sit down and get some work done."
Miles gives credit to the academic facilities, her teammates, coaches and Lubbock as a whole for making her experience at Texas Tech a rewarding one so far. Her main advice to incoming freshman? Don't procrastinate.
"I would say to get ahead and don't just let your classes pass you by," she said. "Get ahead, get organized, and get all of your work done. Then, you will have more time instead of procrastinating until the end, being rushed and not having time to practice, do extra and get your schoolwork done."
