Academic News

John Avlon ’91 to Speak at 2023 Graduation

This year’s Graduation speaker is John Avlon, Milton Academy Class of 1991. John is an award-winning journalist and author of six books, including Lincoln & the Fight for Peace and Washington’s Farewell. He is a CNN senior political analyst and anchor, known for his “Reality Check” segments across the network. Previously, he was the editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast and chief speechwriter for the mayor of New York City during the attacks of September 11, 2001. He lives in New York with his wife, Margaret Hoover, and their two children, Jack and Toula Lou.

Graduation Details

This year’s graduation ceremony will be held on the lawn in front of Robert Saltonstall Gymnasium on Friday, June 9, at 9:30 a.m, rain or shine. Graduates should arrive at 8 a.m. A live stream of the event will be linked from Milton’s homepage on the morning of the ceremony. The formal graduation procession begins at Straus Library. A bagpiper then leads the faculty and seniors in a march to their seats.

Seniors Go “On Project”

From volunteering to shadowing professionals, to creating art and performances, to diving deeper into their academic passions, members of the Class of 2023 are well on their way toward completing their senior projects. 

Senior projects are a Milton tradition. Seniors may elect to go “on project” by finishing their courses and spending the month of May working on a full or half project on a topic of their choice. Topics must be approved and sponsored by a faculty member, and the students must dedicate a certain number of hours to their project. 

This year’s senior projects include internships at Massachusetts General Hospital and Newton Wellesley Hospital, a college athletic department, in various laboratories and tech companies, and a veterinary office. Seniors are also volunteering in local classrooms—including in the Lower and Middle Schools—for environmental nonprofits and community farms, and helping in local public schools. Art and research topics—which result in performances, exhibitions, films, and demonstrations at the senior project fair— include Russian literature and culture; artificial intelligence; South Asian authors; social change through art; immigration; forensics in criminal investigations; ceramics and sculpture.

Senior projects culminate in the Senior Project Fair in the Athletic and Convocation Center (ACC) rink on Wednesday, June 7, at 1:30 p.m.

Humanities Workshop Hosts Student Conference on Public Health

This past weekend, Milton Academy students participated in the Humanities Workshop’s Student Conference on Public Health hosted at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The goal of the Humanities Workshop is to show students how key themes prominent in humanities studies—in particular, the importance of empathy and compassion—can be instrumental in working to solve the world’s complex problems. Urged by a COVID pandemic that has raised immediate concern about the safety and well-being of our school communities and forced us to consider the intersection of health and justice, the Humanities Workshop chose PUBLIC HEALTH/GLOBAL HEALTH as this year’s theme. The conference featured keynote speaker Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Executive Director of Boston’s Public Health Commission, and showcased students’ learning about public health.

View photos from the event and click on this video below to watch the conference speeches.

Holocaust Survivor Judy Josephs Shares Her Story

Milton observed Holocaust Remembrance Day with a powerful assembly hosted by the Jewish Student Union and messages from guest speaker and Holocaust survivor Judy Josephs. Ms. Josephs was a young girl growing up in Poland when the Nazis invaded; she was able to survive by concealing her Jewish identity for years until liberation. Her parents and siblings were murdered.

Antisemitism continues to affect the lives of Jewish people in the U.S. and worldwide. Ms. Josephs’ story reminds us of the danger of hatred. She asked the audience to meet differences with acceptance.

“Stretch out your hands,” Ms. Josephs encouraged students. “Stretch out your minds, stretch out your hearts. Regardless of race, color, or religion, we are all people. Do not forget it.”

Centre Connection

Centre Connection, Milton's online newsletter for parents, is published five times each year through the efforts of the Milton Academy Communication Office and Parents' Association volunteers.

Communication Office

Sarah Abrams
Marisa Donelan
Eileen Newman
Esten Perez
Gregory White

Milton_seal_color