Lisa & Todd Walter
For Todd Walter ’87, the decision to attend Miller School of Albemarle wasn’t his own. After struggling in algebra at his local high school, his father told him he was going to military school. Todd arrived at Miller reluctantly, expecting the worst. But four years later, he left with a diploma, lifelong friendships, and a profound sense of gratitude. “Starting out, I didn’t want to come,” Todd recalls. “And then I didn’t want to leave.”
For Todd, Miller provided more than an education. The structure and discipline of the school, paired with the camaraderie of athletics, helped him manage his ADHD and gave him the foundation to succeed. “The military thing was very intriguing to me,” says Todd. I was an ADHD child coming up, and the discipline and structure along with the sports aspect allowed me to get my ADHD under control and give me the building blocks to help me be a productive member of society. A lot of that is still at play today — order in my life helps me keep myself on track.”
“At Miller, we were all searching for a sense of belonging. We found it there. We were proud to be part of something bigger than ourselves.”
For Todd’s wife Lisa, Miller became part of her life in a different way. Though she wasn’t a student, she was never far from campus. “I spent literally every opportunity to be there — every formal, every dance,” she recalls. “It was a beautiful campus with lots and lots of memories of things that you didn’t experience in the public school system.” Lisa became so integrated in the school that she developed her own friendships there as well. “Lisa was not just involved in my life; she was involved with every one of my classmates as well,” Todd says.
The couple recalls those years with fondness: scrapbooks of photos, long letters written before the age of cell phones, and the deep connections forged in a tight-knit community. “Miller was small,” Lisa says. “The intimacy of the school created a level of family tie you don’t experience at larger schools. That’s why people keep going back, year after year.”
Looking back, Todd credits Miller not only with helping him academically, but also with shaping his values. Inspired by his government class at Miller, he studied political science in college and eventually dedicated his career to nonprofit work. Much of his passion has centered on helping young people, particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds, find pathways out of hardship. “So much of that came from Miller,” he says. “At Miller, we were all searching for a sense of belonging. We found it there. We were proud to be part of something bigger than ourselves.”
That legacy of belonging and impact is one reason the Walters chose to give back to the school in a meaningful way. As the first members of the Samuel Miller Society, they have made a planned gift to the school’s endowment through their retirement plan.
“This type of giving is actually very simple,” Todd explains. “You put it in your estate plan, and when the time comes, it’s handled. It doesn’t affect your family in the present, but it makes a lasting impact on the school. For us, it was an easy decision. We wanted to do something that would ensure Miller’s future.”
The Walters also give annually to the operating fund, supporting the school in the present as well as the future. “Both matter,” Lisa says. “Operational gifts keep the school running day to day. Endowment gifts are in perpetuity; they secure scholarships and opportunities for future generations. Together, they help sustain Miller for today’s students and tomorrow’s.”
They find it especially meaningful to be able to give back to the school that gave them so much and shaped who they are today. “We didn’t come from money,” Todd says. “Everything we have came from hard work. To be able to contribute now, in a way that helps the school carry out its mission, is something we’re proud of.”
For Todd and Lisa, Miller School of Albemarle is more than a place they once knew. It’s where Todd discovered his passions, where Lisa formed lifelong memories, and where both found a community that has endured through the decades. Today, through their giving, they’re ensuring that generations for years to come can find that same sense of community and belonging.