Finding his path in parks: Zyah Miller’s summer with RDCO

Under the wide Okanagan sky, where lakes, trails and parklands shape both landscape and lifestyle, Zyah Miller is finding his place, one project and one summer at a time.

A familiar face to Kelowna, Zyah has called the community home for years. Before stepping into his role with the Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO), he built a strong foundation graduating from Okanagan College with an Environmental Studies diploma. Today, he is continuing that journey at UBC Okanagan, where he is working toward a bachelor’s degree in geography, a field that reflects both his curiosity about the natural world and his interest in how people interact with it.

That passion led him to the RDCO this summer, where he has taken on the role of Parks Capital Projects Student. The position offers a front row seat to the planning, development and improvement of the region’s parks, spaces he has long appreciated as a resident and now helps shape as a student professional.

For Zyah, one of the most rewarding parts of the job is seeing how ideas on paper translate into real world impact. Through his work, he has gained a deeper understanding of what it takes to make parks accessible, sustainable and enjoyable for the whole community. Being involved at this stage has helped connect his academic studies to tangible outcomes across the region.

Working with the RDCO team has also revealed the scope of work behind parks management, broadening his perspective on potential career paths. What once felt like a general interest in environmental work has become more focused, with growing interest in areas like planning, land management and community-focused design. The experience has helped him start to picture how he might apply his studies in a meaningful way after graduation.

Outside of work, Zyah embraces the active Okanagan lifestyle. Whether he is playing basketball, snowboarding or heading out for a walk or hike, he finds ways to stay connected to the environment that inspired his studies in the first place.

While the summer is still unfolding, the moments are already adding up, from time spent in the field to collaborating with colleagues and seeing familiar parks through a new lens. Visiting sites as part of his work has given him a greater appreciation for the thought and planning behind each space, changing the way he experiences places he once knew simply as a visitor.

As his summer with the RDCO continues, Zyah is focused on building skills, gaining experience and contributing to the parks that help define the region. For him, the role is more than just a summer job, it is a step toward a future rooted in the landscapes he has always enjoyed and a chance to play a meaningful role in keeping them thriving for others.