One Prudential technologist went from a Jamaican community with no electricity to the bright lights of New York City — and that was just the beginning.
By Kara Corridan
As Garnett Miller explains it, the family legend is that when he was born, his grandfather held him up, a la Simba in The Lion King, and declared, “This child will be the Prime Minister of Jamaica.”
And though that prediction hasn’t come true — not yet, anyway — Miller, specialist, program management, Global Technology, has led a life filled with unexpected turns.
When he was just 11, he moved from his grandparents’ rural farmhouse in Jamaica to his father’s apartment in Pelham, New York, less than 20 miles from Manhattan. While he didn’t know his father, stepmother or stepbrother well, his gut told him to embrace the opportunity.
It was one of several risks he’s taken, and, as he explains in the video above, they have all paid off.
Miller, a member of both the Black Leadership Forum and VETNET business resource groups at Prudential, spent 10 years serving in the military. He was stationed in Korea and fought in the Iraq War before joining Prudential in 2010. Though the corporate world was another drastic change, Miller embraced it. “Sometimes you have to put yourself in uncomfortable situations and believe things will work out in the end,” he says.
While his life has come with challenges, Miller embraces positivity and instills it in his three children: 12-year-old Nathanael, 10-year-old Amareese, and Annaleese, who is 6. This is especially true with Nathanael, who has autism. Miller’s guiding principle is, “A positive attitude gets you positive results.”
Watch the video to learn more about Miller and his unique career path.