CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - One would be hard pressed to find a teacher with stronger ties to Citrus Heights schools than Travis Miller, a social science teacher and baseball coach at Mesa Verde High School.

The 2003 Mesa Verde graduate grew up in Citrus Heights and also attended Citrus Heights Elementary and John Barrett Middle School. “I enjoyed my time at all of the schools I went to — especially Mesa Verde — where I thought, ‘My teachers seem to be loving what they’re doing and this is what I want to do,’” said Miller.

While still in high school, Miller gained classroom experience through Mesa Verde’s Careers in Education class. He remembers the joy of working with Carriage Drive Elementary students and seeing them get the hang of a new concept. “That’s the most enjoyable thing you can do,” he said.

Miller first returned to Mesa Verde as a student teacher. In 2016, after five years of teaching at another San Juan Unified high school, he joined his alma mater’s faculty. “I just jumped at the chance,” he said. “Having gone here, it made me want to come back and contribute to it being as good as possible.”

Miller teaches AP government, economics and international relations, and helps students make connections between the curriculum and their own lives. “I want them to care,” he said.

He shows news segments then leads class discussions. He distributes pocket copies of the U.S. Constitution. He started a moot court team, inviting local lawyers to share their experience with students. “I’m trying to make it practical and hopefully they enjoy it,” he said.

Senior Mya Lizama-Pike, who took Miller’s AP government class in the fall, said she has become more engaged with the news. “Students my age don’t watch news — they go to Netflix and Hulu,” she said. “I now find myself watching the news and understanding elections, gerrymandering and all these big political topics.”

Even out on the baseball diamond, Miller relies on his teaching playbook. “Coaching is just teaching outside,” said the former Maverick ballplayer. “I love instructing and helping students get to where they want to be.”

Thanks to his teachers — many of whom he now counts as colleagues — Miller finds himself exactly where he wants to be. “To everyone’s credit here, they’ve never treated me like I’m still their student,” he said. “There are a few teachers here who are very proud of the fact that a former student came back. It also builds a connection with my students who have those teachers because it’s [a shared] experience.”