Growing up as one of 14 children living in a three-bedroom home, Alice Jordan-Miles quickly learned the importance of being grateful for everything her family had. Despite their challenging financial circumstances, however, Jordan-Miles’ parents always made sure to reinforce to her the importance of giving back in some way or another. In Jordan-Miles’ childhood, this meant regularly volunteering in the neighborhood and the community, in a process that Jordan-Miles described as sharing her family’s love with others.
“My parents always instilled in us that even though we may not have a cent in the bank, we were rich in love for one another and those around us,” Jordan-Miles said.
Today, as a graduate of IU Bloomington and the 2017 recipient of the Distinguished Latino Alumni Award, Jordan-Miles has been recognized as a dedicated community servant committed to bettering the world around her. Giving back to IU through her time and expertise, Jordan-Miles has served as the president of the Latino Alumni Association, a member of the IUAA Executive Council, and a recommender to the Groups Scholars Program. For her service to the university, Jordan-Miles was recognized with the IUAA President's Award in 2014.
According to Jordan-Miles, it is her relationship with the Groups Scholars Program that has been particularly impactful for her--a relationship that has led her to give back so much of her time to Indiana University.
“The Groups Program and Indiana University broke the vicious cycle of poverty when it came to me and my family. I will be forever indebted to IU for changing the trajectory of my life,” Jordan-Miles said.