Name: Teddy Miller

Age: 21

Where he's from: Berkeley, California

Roots: Vietnam, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Germany

How did your parents meet?

Mom and Dad met towards the end of the Vietnam War in 1973. Dad was there setting up a plastic surgery hospital for children and working for UNICEF. Mom was invited to work for UNICEF and two weeks after they met in Saigon, they got married.

When and where were you born?

I was born on March 30, 1979 in Berkeley, California. That makes me an Aries with a Taurus moon sign, whatever that means. I am the second of four children. I have an older brother Toby who is 26 and works in San Francisco. My little sister Nathalie is eighteen and headed out to college. Gabby, the runt of the litter, is 15 and is still at Berkeley High School.

What was it like growing up in Berkeley?

Berkeley is a wonderful town. It has great food from every corner of the Earth, gorgeous weather, and a giant university. It is also a very tolerant place to grow up. I never had the slightest feeling that my mixed heritage made me different.

What is your favorite kind of music?

I like all good music. I listen to just about everything except John Tesh lite rock. I really like Outkast, Woodie Guthrie, Beethoven, and Miles Davis. It depends on what mood I am in.

What has been your biggest adventure so far?

While a friend and I were in Burma, we visited leaders from the National League for Democracy. After we interviewed Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, government spies chased us through downtown Rangoon. We had to seek refuge in the U.S. embassy.

Are you religious?

I grew up celebrating Christmas but never going to church. I started getting in touch with my spirituality when I was in India. I stayed in a monastery and learned to meditate beneath the same tree where Buddha gained enlightenment 2500 years ago.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?

Follow your heart.

Do not be afraid to do what you feel is right.

Keep your head up and make eye contact.

Turn off the tube and read a book.

Well, now that the TV is off, what are some good books to read?

Back in 8th grade, my favorite books were by Michael Crichton and Stephen King. Definitely read Catcher in the Rye if you have not read it in school yet. Anything by Leo Tolstoy is sure to be passionate and epic. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt is beautiful, and if you want to learn about world history and why some people rule over others read Pulitzer Prize-winner Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond.

Who are your heroes?

The short list goes like this: Robin Hood, Frederick Douglass, Emma Goldman, Eugene Debs, Muhammad Ali, my father, the Dalai Lama, Che Guevara and that Chinese protester who stood in front of the tank in Tiananmen Square.

Do you have any regrets?

I try to live a life free from regrets of what could have been. It is healthier to know yourself in the present than worry about the past or long for the future. I stepped on the classroom pet mouse in 6th grade, and I wish I could go back and put that little guy back in his cage instead of squishing him.

Where do you think the world is headed this century?

It is tough to say. There are infinite possibilities. On one end we are still capable of ending life as we know it either through nuclear weapons or by shattering our ecosystem. On the other side there is the possibility of creating a more just and peaceful world. Life has a way of becoming more varied and beautiful, and I have faith that mankind will embrace the values of diversity. Still, there is a lot of work to be done. The bottom line of our society should not be corporate profits, but the health and happiness of children. I believe kids are the most valuable part of a society.