VT Senator Hinsdale and Stephen Miller Were High School Classmates - But Not Prom Dates
Miller made waves as a conservative teen, delivering a student government campaign speech where he declared, “I will say and I will do things that no one else in their right mind would say or do."
In the cozy confines of Vermont politics, where community ties run deep and progressive values often define the landscape, it's a "small world" revelation that hits close to home: Senate Majority Leader Kesha Ram Hinsdale once shared a high school hallway with Stephen Miller, the controversial architect of former President Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies.
The connection, unearthed in a recent Los Angeles Times profile of Miller, highlights the unexpected intersections of personal history and national politics, reminding Vermonters that even in our Green Mountain State, global ideologies can trace back to shared roots in California's liberal enclave of Santa Monica.
Hinsdale, a Chittenden County Democrat and the first woman of color to serve in the Vermont Senate, attended Santa Monica High School alongside Miller during their formative years.
The school, often dubbed a "hothouse of political engagement," fostered an environment where young voices clashed over issues like multiculturalism and diversity — themes that would later define both their careers, albeit on opposite ends of the spectrum.
According to the Times, Miller made waves as a provocative conservative teen, delivering a student government campaign speech where he declared, “I will say and I will do things that no one else in their right mind would say or do.” The address, which included controversial remarks about school janitors and trash collection, reportedly led to him being booed off stage and escorted away.
Reflecting on her classmate's boldness, Hinsdale offered a measured take in the article: “The only compliment I think I’ve ever come up with for Stephen is that there are plenty of conservatives and far-right wing conspiracy theorists and hate mongers that spout what he spouted from behind a computer screen. I have not in my life before or after seen someone do it in an amphitheater full of their high school colleagues.”
This high school anecdote underscores the "small world" nature of their paths: from the same California classroom to polar opposite roles in American politics. Miller, now 39, has risen to prominence as a key advisor in Trump's orbit, championing policies like family separations at the border and travel bans that drew widespread criticism.
Hinsdale, 38, has built her career in Vermont advocating for environmental justice, immigrant rights, and inclusivity — causes that directly counter much of Miller's legacy.In a 2022 interview with Jewish Insider, during her unsuccessful bid for Congress, Hinsdale expressed her motivation to enter national politics in part to "undo a lot of the damage that people like Stephen Miller have caused."
Hinsdale, who represents Chittenden Southeast and serves as Senate majority leader, has been a vocal proponent of policies supporting immigrants and marginalized groups. In February 2025, amid debates over federal immigration reforms, she told a local audience, “Vermonters know the value of community and compassion,” in response to concerns about potential hardline policies.