Milton Young

Milton Young has always been drawn to the mental health field. His compassion and willingness to listen made him the go-to person for advice while he was a corpsman in the U.S. Air Force. He’s been a psych attendant, a milieu therapist and a halfway house counselor. He has also worked in a dual diagnosis treatment program for substance addiction.

But Milton had to put his pursuit of a college degree on hold 21 years ago. His wife died, leaving him to care for his two young daughters and week-old son.

Milton had promised his wife he would go back to school and pursue his dream. He kept that promise in 2011 when he enrolled at Miami Dade College and later transferred to FIU.

Milton has studied all areas of psychology, but counseling is his passion. Under the guidance of several professors including Jessica Klemfuss and Shannon Pruden Dick, Milton is researching children’s acquisition of language, positive youth development and empowering second-language learners and immigrant students.

Although he is almost completely blind due to rapidly advancing open-angled glaucoma, Milton did not let his disability stand in the way. He completed a pilot program in photography at Miami Dade College where visually impaired or blind students work with seeing students. He learned braille and how to use computer-assisted technology for the visually impaired. He also utilized the support and services provided by FIU’s Disability Resource Center.

After graduation, he will pursue a master’s degree with a focus on family counseling, addictions, support for second-language learners, and empowerment of special communities including the visually impaired.