Piecing It Together
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Casey measuring a jacket she designed and sewed in her dorm room.
Written by Becca LaVoie, Casey’s English teacher and coach.
In her two and a half years at Miller, Casey Klau has made her mark. She has participated in the engineering program on the concrete canoe team, ran cross country, played tennis, and even manages the girls soccer team, but what Casey is really known for and most proud of is her sewing.
She learned the art of sewing from her grandmother fifteen years ago and sewing has been a part of her life ever since. She has created many pieces for family members and friends with some special pieces being a pant suit, her 8th grade graduation outfit, and even her dress for this year’s prom. In fact, if you visit Wayland Hall in the month of April, you will most likely find Casey helping to alter the prom dresses for the rest of the girls in the dorm.
Casey and her family found the Miller School of Albemarle through a family friend that loved the Miller experience for their child. Upon visiting and seeing the campus nestled among hiking trails, Alumni Lake, and the farm, Casey quickly realized that Miller is a school unlike any other - with a student body unlike any other. Miller is a vibrant tapestry, woven from students with different interests, backgrounds, and talents intertwined seamlessly to form the intricate fabric of the school community. So in love with the idea of becoming a Maverick herself, Casey chose to enroll midyear - unable to wait until the next August to begin life on the hill.
Recently for her senior speech, Casey, wearing a dress she designed and sewed herself, shared her thoughts about how sewing relates to life and in doing so, she beautifully captured the essence of what it means to be a Miller Maverick. Coming from a high school with two thousand students, Casey was drawn to the small class sizes, individual attention, and unique opportunities that make Miller special.
Casey wrote, “For me a sewing project usually begins with figuring out a direction I want to go… Starting here at Miller I really didn’t have a lot of expectations. My path here was unknown. There were some twists and turns. Some highs and lows. Some unexpected things happened. Yet, through the collective efforts of the amazing community here at Miller, my journey has most definitely turned out to be even better than I expected.”
“Through the collective efforts of the amazing community here at Miller, my journey has most definitely turned out to be even better than I expected.”
Casey’s passion for sewing, being so obvious in her speech, inspired many people in the audience to think about their own passions, what they find worth pursuing, and what brings them joy. She also reminded many about what makes Miller such a special place now and also what a special place it has been for over 100 years. Looking back at some of the original coursework for some of the first female Miller students, all girls were given instruction in both the arts of sewing and wood working - two areas Casey has continued to explore 140 years later. Bringing sewing expertise with her to pursue independently and seeking out new opportunities and the chance to be a beginner in the woodworking program, Casey once again epitomizes a true Miller School Maverick.
As Casey wrote in her speech, “I truly love sewing because it brings me tons of joy. It allows me to share that joy with others. It puts me in the moment. Hours will go by without me even noticing. I love how different materials come together to make something beautiful. I may start in one direction and end up going another. But I know everything will come together somehow in the end.”
“I may start in one direction and end up going another. But I know everything will come together somehow in the end. ”
Though Miller School will not be the same without Casey next year, we eagerly await to hear what she does at Michigan State in the next few years. She leaves here confident in her abilities to try new things, get involved with different activities and not be afraid to let her life go in different directions—weaving her own path along the way. In Casey’s own words, “I don’t know what the future holds. I have some plans. And I know that some things will just come together. I will learn by trial and error. Some things will work out and others won’t. Some things I will absolutely love and some I will scrap. Life is a lot like sewing.”
“I don’t know what the future holds. I have some plans. And I know that some things will just come together. I will learn by trial and error. Some things will work out and others won’t. Some things I will absolutely love and some I will scrap. Life is a lot like sewing.”
