Newark student gets perfect score

Newark High School senior Phillip Milner, who earned the distinction of being the only student in New York State to receive a perfect score of 36 on the American College Testing (ACT) college entrance exam, was recognized April 6 for his extraordinary accomplishment.

School Board President Roberta Colacino gave the award to Phillip Milner.

An after school reception attracted Assemblyman Bob Oaks, Newark Mayor Peter Blandino, Town of Arcadia Supervisor Joe De Santo, Superintendent Robert Christmann, other school administrators, School Board VP Nick Santino and member JoAnn Mincemoyer; Principal Kevin Whitaker and several teachers.

State Senator Mike Nozzolio and Education Commissioner Richard Mills sent letters of congratulation.

Milner's English teacher is Margaret Corby. She said Milner is not only a wonderful writer, reader and drawer, but he loves Kurt Vonnegut and loves to write, and he has a sense of humor and displays humility. She also suggested the school have T-shirts made up that says 'NHS, home of P-Mil.'

Music supervisor Dave Schwind, who has directed Milner, a trombone player, in Jazz Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, pit orchestras and pep bands, said Milner has grown as both a musician and student over the years.

One of 7000 students in the state who took the test in December, Milner, the son of Katherine Gardner of Garfield St. and Jeff Milner of Pennsylvania, was one of 23 in the nation to receive a perfect score on the ACT; 378,000 students took the exam.

Mayor Blandino said, 'This is phenomenal.' De Santo, on behalf of the town and county, said he expected it would be the first of many successes for Milner in his lifetime. Oaks agreed. 'I'm excited to honor you for what you've done and expect to be hearing more about the exciting things you'll be doing in the future.'

Colacino presented the student with a congratulatory plaque from the school district. Modest about his accomplishment, Milner, 18, thanked everyone at the reception for acknowledging his success, but he also thanked every teacher he had ever had, his mother and others who had influenced his life.

'This is everyone's perfect score not just mine,' he said. His mom said many people had a hand in her son's achievement. She recalled how both his Head Start teacher in Lyons and his fifth-grade teacher Karen Burgess predicted his future success. Both told her that someday they'd be saying about Phillip 'I knew him when ...'

Milner carries a 98.03 grade point average and wants to pursue a career in pharmaceutical research. He has not made his college choice yet but has been offered a full scholarship to attend Hamilton College.

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