When Ellie Miller Hall, ’07 left Convent High School 11 years ago for college on the East Coast, she had no idea she would one day return to her hometown of San Francisco to help build the future of the City.

Miller Hall has been working as a legislative aide for District 2 supervisor Catherine Stefani — who was officially appointed in 2018 but who served as interim District 2 supervisor —  for 11 months. Before taking on the role, Miller Hall worked in Boston as the Deputy Director for Operations and Scheduling for former Massachusetts Governor.  

“I’m a sixth-generation San Franciscan from a family that’s deeply rooted in public service,” Miller Hall said. “When I was growing up, public service was always in the back of my head.”

Freshman Grade Chair Sarah Garlinghouse, who is a family friend of Miller Hall, has connections in the political realm who see her as a “rising star.”

“My friend who is a lobbyist was the one who wanted Ellie to come back and run Supervisor Stefani’s campaign,” Garlinghouse said. “She’s known as a firecracker and someone who is going to do really well in politics.”

Miller Hall, who acts as a liaison between the supervisor’s office and all neighborhood and community groups in District 2, says that Sacred Heart Goal Three first motivated her to pursue politics.

“I grew up Catholic, and now in my life, I follow Sacred Heart values,” Miller Hall said. “They remind me to be a good person, tell the truth and help others. I really believe that my path and career in public service is because of Convent and how I was pushed to do whatever I wanted.”

Classes like AP Comparative Government, taught by history teacher Michael Stafford also prompted Miller Hall to think about a future in politics.

“Mr. Stafford taught a class that focused on the governments of five different countries over the semester, and I said ‘Whoa, I really wanna do this,’” Miller Hall said. “He’s definitely a part of my story.”

Stafford says he remembers Miller Hall as an outgoing and smart leader.

“Ellie was very involved in the Convent & Stuart Hall community and very rooted in the goals of our community,” Stafford said. “She had this way about her that said ‘the goals of this school are something that I really believe in and here’s how I’m living them out,” and people were inspired by that and followed her because she’s that good of a leader.”

After high school, Miller Hall attended College of the Holy Cross in Boston and majored in urban policies. During her Senior Year in 2010, she worked on Gov. Deval Patrick’s reelection campaign, which she says helped her eventually get a job on his staff.

“When I met Gov. Patrick, I was so blown away by the way he talked about his work and the way he talked to voters,” Miller Hall said. “He would tell them ‘You don’t have to vote for me, you have to vote for you,’ and I knew I had to work for him,”

Miller Hall says she plans to continue to work in politics and public service.

“Ellie is really well respected in San Francisco and in the political world,” Garlinghouse said. “We’re going to see a lot of Ellie Miller Hall in San Francisco.”