Matt Miller ('98)

Marketing major Matt Miller imagined confinement to a desk job after JMU until his girlfriend sent his picture to a teen magazine. He scored a modeling contract and later added acting to his resume — a dream career, yes — but not entirely satisfying. Matt decided he wanted to make a difference. "When you get older and realize you've got a college education from a good school, you say, 'I've got more to offer the world than what the world thinks.'" A former JMU swimmer and amateur triathlete, Matt decided he wanted to help blind people participate in athletics. Since its inception, his non-profit C Different Foundation has encouraged numerous athletes to realize their potential through sports. Matt continues to change people's perceptions of the visually impaired while maintaining his career as a national sales manager for a contracting company. His feature-length documentary, "Victory Over Darkness," chronicles the extraordinary lives of four blind triathletes with whom he has worked closely over the years.

"You go through life, and you're given opportunities to do great things, and too often we're too scared to help someone out … but we've changed lives."