When Mia Greene White ‘05 isn't reading or talking about books with real people or on the internet, she is spending time with her family, volunteering, narrating audiobooks and getting outside as much as possible. Mia lives in Minneapolis and has a third grader (Keats) and fifth grader (Levon) at Blake, a 2-year-old chatterbox (Tallulah) and two goofy dogs. She married fellow 2005 classmate Ben White in 2022 and has been trying to learn how to ski ever since. No word yet on whether she’ll ever make it off the greens.
Q: Name five things that make you happy
A: 1) Riding horses through the pastures at our farm; it’s been my favorite pastime since before I could walk.
2) Singing. I’m always singing, much to the annoyance of the people who live with me. Sorry, guys!
3) Being outside—in the trees, in the water, in the snow—I’ll take whatever I can get.
4) Being with my family and close friends with all of our kiddos hanging out together. It’s always chaotic and always supremely fun.
5) Books! Reading them, talking about them and making sure youth and their grownups have access to culturally relevant, authentic representation. Books and the stories they hold can change lives, and they’ve become the center of my work, my advocacy, my free time and most of the shelf space in my house.
Q: What did you want to be when you were small?
A: A singer, an actress and a teacher. I haven’t done any of them! Yet.
Q: What is the best gift you have been given?
A: Time with my family. It’s priceless.
Q: What piece of advice would you give your 16-year-old self?
A: Don't worry about fitting in. Figure out your authentic, quirky self, where you feel safe and comfortable, and THEN find the people who show up as they are and want you to do the same.
Q: What's your favorite family tradition?
A: Eating key-lime pie, looking at pictures and listening to some of my dad's favorite music to celebrate his birthday every year, even though my kiddos never got to meet him. We burn some cedar, eat treats and tell funny stories. It’s the best!
Q: Would you rather explore a new planet or the deepest parts of the ocean and why?
A: The deepest parts of the ocean. Our earth has so much to explore and learn from, and we have to work hard—and quickly—to preserve it.
Q: In what ways are you the same as your childhood self?
A: I’m an idealist. I am happiest when surrounded by animals and trees. And I’m still not very tall.
Q: What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?
A: My first concert was Hanson at the Mall of America in 1997. I was 10, and my very patient 16-year-old sister had to bring me. I don’t know if it was the best concert, but it was the most memorable.
Q: What teacher inspired you the most? How?
A: My Blake Upper School teacher Ms. DeHarpporte. She taught me to speak up for what I believed in, that I was capable enough for my ideas to stand on their own and that my values could help our community. I learned more about the world and about myself in her class than in any other academic experience I’ve ever had.
Q: What story does your family always tell about you?
A: When I was in first grade, my teacher asked me what my favorite sport was. My response? “Spelling.” It’s embarrassingly fitting.