Ronnell Wilson ’93

Ronnell Wilson, who attended Milton Academy through the ABC (A Better Chance) program, went on to graduate from Yale University and Yale Law School. He is an assistant U. S. Attorney General working out of Newark, New Jersey.

At Milton, I found myself wondering why I was given this opportunity while other smart kids had to stay home and deal with the perils of living there. My sense of guilt for being at Milton got so severe that I packed my suitcase, called my mom and told her I was coming home. She asked, “Why?” I didn’t tell her I was feeling homesick, or felt guilty. Instead, in my adolescent confusion and indignation, I told her that I felt disconnected from the “real world,” and no longer had any idea of what was going on back in North St. Louis. My mom simply said, “If you want to know what’s happening in the real world, then buy a newspaper.” She hung up the phone, I unpacked, and figured that I had to give Milton a go. Turning to my friends, I began the long, difficult process of learning to open up and expand.”

— from “The Support to Fly,” by Cathleen Everett,
Milton Magazine, Spring 2012