An adjunct professor of Education Leadership at the University of St. Thomas-Houston is leading the way to inspiring solutions and support for secondary school students who need academic intervention. Lannie M. Milon, Ph.D, has owned and operated the Huntington Learning Center in The Woodlands since November 2020.

The Center is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and it provides academic intervention to traditional students. But the former teacher and principal who grew up in “the school of hard knocks” wanted to help non-traditional, special needs and at-risk students too.

Milon said, “I contacted the Texas Education Agency and identified a social economic status financial waiver, so qualifying students can attend for free.”

As a court-appointed, volunteer child advocate for Harris County, he has worked with at-risk children for several years. Also, through a contract with the Harris County Juvenile Justice Drug Department, Milon tutors kids in juvenile custody and in foster care.

“I do transcript evaluation, test prep, tutoring and social emotional learning as a means of getting them into college or career pathways,” Milon said. “Some of what I do is highly specialized like working with kids who have autism or dyslexia. Other times, it’s the kinds of things parents might do if they were available.”

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Milon was raised by an uneducated, single mother, who was often not available. As a young boy, he was no stranger to homelessness and wrong treatment and all of the uncertainty that can accompany that state of being.

“My life has been one lesson after another of God’s grace and mercy.”

The husband and father has two adolescent children, each with a different learning obstacle to overcome.

He observed, “When you have kids in your household experiencing some of the challenges that you see in research, it keeps it real for you. And when you have a heart to help others, you can identify a more succinct plan to do so. UST is about doing unto others as I would have them do unto me and my family.”

Milon says his goal is to stand in the trenches with kids, creating opportunities and pathways to college, the military or other careers and futures.