Communication Office

Jordan Hattar’s interest in international humanitarian causes formed in eighth grade. By the time he graduated from high school, he was ready to go to work, he told Milton students.

But all of the aid missions and nonprofits he contacted responded the same way: You’re not ready. Come back after college. Mr. Hattar persisted, eventually connecting with Deng Jongkuch, one of the “Lost Boys” of South Sudan, who agreed to take him there to help build a medical clinic and distribute mosquito nets.

Gun control has been the “third rail” of American politics for decades, stirring such passionate argument and deep division that compromise on gun-safety measures sometimes seems impossible, gun-control activist Brina Milikowsky ‘96 told Upper School students.

But once you move past messaging from politicians and powerful lobbyists, there is much greater hope for agreement among Americans on both sides of the issue, says Brina, who recently worked as chief strategy officer for Everytown for Gun Safety, and is now a political consultant. She was invited by students to speak about gun control after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

When political leaders prioritize their party over the needs of the country, they can’t develop solutions to serious problems, Navy veteran and former Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez told Milton students.

The United States faces great challenges, from the debates over gun control and immigration, to complex foreign policy problems, and division down party lines will prevent meaningful resolution, says Mr. Gomez, who visited campus as this year’s Conservative Club speaker.

“All these issues need strong leadership, and that’s not going to come from Washington, D.C.,” said Mr. Gomez, who said he’s encouraged by the unity and organization young people have shown since February’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. “All of these issues and their solutions will be driven by your generation.”

Born into “the most hated family in America,” Megan Phelps-Roper grew up believing that she was working to save people from eternal damnation with her church’s extremist messages. By the age of 5, she was on the picket lines with the Westboro Baptist Church, protesting everything from plays to military funerals with profane signs and slogans.

Ms. Phelps-Roper, who left the Westboro Baptist Church—and most of her family—in 2012, told Milton students that meeting people on social media who thoughtfully challenged her church’s narrow and contradictory interpretation of the Bible helped her walk away from hate. Ms. Phelps-Roper visited Milton as this year’s Class of 1952 Religious Understanding Speaker.