STAFF REPORT
On Monday, December 18, Bellefonte suffered the loss of a great friend, student, and child. Sophomore Elliana “Ellie” Miller, one of Bellefonte’s beloved students, died due to preexisting medical issues. She has suffered from these illnesses for the majority of her life and fought bravely. Her will to live was strong and she impacted many people in Bellefonte’s community.
One of the teachers who was impacted by Elliana was AP Psych and history teacher Christine Morris, who had her in class.
“Elliana Miller was a compassionate learner and friend. She loved sharing stories of history and would go the extra mile for anyone who needed help,” she said. “Every day that I had her in class, I learned something new. She had an intrinsic motivation to learn everything about the world around her.”
Tuesday morning, BAHS Principal Mr. Michael Fedisson appeared on the announcements personally to share the loss and grief of a great student and friend. Support groups were put in place in Computer Lab C to help students and teachers deal with their loss and grief. Many posters and crafts were created by her friends in Elliana’s memory, and posts have been circulating on social media, showing everyone’s connected grief.
Senior Jenna Mccaslin had a class with Elliana and got to see the light she brought to the room.
“She was always nice to everyone. She was super creative and I wish I could have seen her excel further in life because she deserved it,” Jenna said.
The class Jenna had with Elliana was Child Development. Ellie made an impact on everyone.
“She was always really good with the kids. She would make sure they were okay and make them smile and laugh. She would always make sure they were happy,” Jenna said.
Senior Issac Gearheart was in the same creative writing class as Elliana last school year. The two worked closely together to work on Ananda, the school’s literary magazine.
“Elliana was the secretary for the Ananda club last year and she had multiple great works of writing. I noticed that she was always upbeat, humble, and kind. She always had a great personality, and was a great person to work with. She always thought of outside-the-box ideas. She will be missed,” Isaac said.
Other members of the Ananda club from last year recall Elliana’s beautiful writing and the passion she had for what she believed in. A few of her works can be seen in the previous year’s Ananda magazine. Ellie had several favorite authors including Rick Riordan, Suzanne Collins, Trevor Noah, and Amanda Gordon.
Elliana was also the treasurer for the GSA Club and has been involved in the club all of her high school career. She was very passionate about what the club stood for.
The Bellefonte Drama Club was also able to get to know Ellie better during their productions. In the most recent one, Auntie Mame, two of her cast mates, seniors Kate Harman and Hope Martin got to see the talent that Ellie brought to the stage.
“Kate and I stood behind the curtain on stage while Ellie was performing. She did absolutely fantastic in her role. Every show we would look at each other and just know we were thinking the same thing. She was so talented and kind,” Hope said.
For those who would like to extend their condolences, you can visit her GoFundMe page or contribute to a meal train set up by Elliana’s friends and family. Aside from the online donations, BAHS students Elyse Olson, Kassidy Wilson, Jalyn Meckley, and Victoria Schellenberg are taking in-person donations directly to the family for those people who may not be comfortable putting card information online.
Sophomore Ava Fischer was one of Elliana’s friends and was moved enough to set up the donation link to help Ellie’s family during this time.
“Ellie Miller was a bright soul, trying to bring happiness and light upon everyone she met. Her loss will be greatly felt by the people of BAHS,” Ava said.
A memorial service will be held for Elliana on Friday, December 22, at 3:00 p.m. in the Bellefonte High’s auditorium for those who want to pay their respects to such a brilliant student, writer, actress, and friend.
