Dust flies into the air, the racers pant in the heat, and the coaches, teammates and spectators cheer on the competitors through the final stretch of the three-mile cross-country course. Amongst the swarms of runners, senior Harriss Miller speeds forward, closing the gap between himself and the finish line — no twisting paths, muddy grass, or hilly terrain can stop him now. Motivated by grit, Harriss frees his mind and thinks only of beating his competition.

“I don’t think there’s any ecstasy quite like hitting a personal record in a difficult course; there’s something really joyful there, and it’s a very rewarding experience,” Harriss said. “There’s a runner’s high. Your brain gets pumped with endorphins when you’re running to make you feel better.”

Starting with middle school track and field, Harriss discovered his love for running and competing alongside teammates, and he continued this passion into high school, joining the cross-country team in ninth grade. Despite the importance of solo performance, Harriss cares for his team, setting an example by leading practices. He lifts team spirits and inspires others to excel, like his teammate and close friend, senior Marcus Blennemann.

“I’ve seen him absolutely destroy all our race times,” Marcus said. “He motivated me to show up, to practice and to work hard. He really pushes me to become a better runner and a stronger person. His camaraderie is always good because life gets tough and demoralizing.”

Running gives Harriss time to take a step back and introspect alone. The sport creates an outlet to destress from school work or personal stresses.

“Running is a good way to connect with nature because you can go into a persona,” Harriss said. “Running around in the outdoors, breathing in the air, being able to distance yourself from school and work. I have the freedom of running, not having a goal, and thinking ‘I have to return to Earth in 40 minutes, but for now I can go on a long run.’”

In addition to freeing his mind with running, Harriss also decompresses by writing down his thoughts. He turns to his pen and paper to temporarily escape and think to himself about how he’s truly feeling. 

“If I have thoughts, I put them down, and if I coagulate what I’m thinking into one line of thought, then I can ground myself,” Harriss said. “It’s a freeing experience and a process of getting me to express what I’m feeling at the moment. It accentuates what I’m feeling.”

Harriss carries his love for writing into the classroom. In English Department Chair Pauline Paskali’s Honors English 3 class, Harriss ignited and led discussions that involved the entire class. Throughout the study of American literature, Dr. Paskali admired the impact of individualistic philosophy on Harriss’s character.

“He’s a nature person and finds solace in nature, and it was eye-opening for him to get to read Emerson and Thoreau and to see the world articulated through the eyes of those who appreciate the importance of human connection to nature,” Dr. Paskali said. “I’m proud and thrilled that he’s this wonderful human being with his kindness, his goofiness, his fun, his cleverness and his intellect.”

Introduced to an array of thinking frameworks from his junior year English class, Harriss developed an interest in how studying them can improve his personal character. From Fyodor Dostoevsky’s philosophical storytelling to Dave Eggers’s blunt narration, Harriss expanded his literary meta, and thus, his repertoire of ways to direct his own life.

“I don’t want to write something where the reader can turn their brain off like a rom-com or vampire novel,” Harriss said. “I always try to instill something deeper in there because I like personal themes of how life is really meaningless, but there’s a lot of ways to find meaning if you have emotion.”

The dedication to writing compelled Harris to explore other art forms like photography. Visual Arts Department Chair Josh Martinez, who taught Harriss in Photography and Advanced Photography, notices Harriss’s calm temperament through his art.

“I remember him going way beyond the requirements of the assignment and thinking deeply about the connections between the images that he was making,” Martinez said. “He was ahead of the curve in his understanding of the content and relationship between images, and he carried on with the depth of his projects in a way that you don’t see a lot of students do.”

Learning from his own experiences and the writers he admires, Harriss developed an even more positive approach on life. Harriss realizes the inevitability of setbacks and the importance of recovering and seeking a new purpose without losing motivation.

“Although things might seem bleak, you can always find something inside to push you on,” Harriss said. “I want to be remembered as a happy guy. I want to have the passion to be happy with whatever I’m doing and inspire people to keep going.”