World Leader Visits Milken

Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, accompanied by financier and philanthropist Michael Milken, made an impromptu visit to Milken Community Schools on Tuesday, May 26.
With only Milken President Metuka Benjamin and Head of School Gary Weisserman aware of the visit in advance, students were surprised to learn of Blair's presence on campus and were ready to welcome the world leader to the school.

Blair and Milken toured the school and stopped by the Mitchell Academy of Science and Technology (MAST) room where they met with robotics team members and MAST science research students, some of whom had recently attended the Milken Institute Global Conference. Blair and Milken engaged the students in lively discussions about the importance of cyber security and its global impact. Austin Shalit ’16 remarked afterwards, “It’s great to see how some of the new technologies that I am learning at Milken are relevant to world concerns right now.”

Students shared their impressive accomplishments. Ben Kotzubei ’16 detailed the football helmet concussion technology he developed and the cancer research he is conducting at UCLA; Miranda Milner ’16 expounded on the research she is conducting on infant brain development; and Marcus Bernstein ‘18 recalled how he built a 3-D printer out of a hot glue gun and Legos.

Blair spoke about his position as Middle East envoy and opened up the floor to questions from the students. Quite impressed with the learning environment and unique opportunities available at Milken, Blair commented that he wished he could enroll here so he could experience what our students are learning.

Director of MAST Roger Kassebaum described MAST and robotics’ deep connection with Israeli institutions such as Technion - Israel Institute of Technology and Weizmann Institute of Science, as well as their participation in competitions in Israel. Milken noted that connecting with Israel is important, but students should not forget places like Singapore and the UK. Blair agreed, mentioning that there are many scientific endeavors progressing in the UK that are similar to what our students are studying.

They also visited the AP Language and Composition class, which examines and analyzes in depth the rhetorical and literary movements of the United States and its authors. In this class, students asked Blair hardball questions such as: Would England follow Ireland's example and recognize marriage equality; whether or not England supports a two-state solution even if Hamas would control one of the states; and what role the shifting relations between the EU & Turkey will play in the future of the Middle East. And while they posed many serious questions to him, in a more light-hearted moment, Ella Sherman ‘16 asked Blair if he would sign her yearbook, and he did.
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