Reflections Magazine Issue #71 - Spring 2010 | Page 12

Feature Article

“It was a very difficult, arduous process,” he said.
“I thought maybe it would give me an escape,
to be somewhat therapeutic. In fact it made
things worse. But I knew it was important to
share the atrocities.”
Now, he is using his story to help bring attention
to child abuse. In fact, the Canton, Mich., resident is working with the City of Detroit’s abuse
prevention program. He also speaks publicly
on the topic around the country at child abuse
prevention organizations and events.

Siena’s Special Role

Getting Out His Message

Milligan not only acknowledges the role Siena
Heights played in his success story, he said the
institution and its mission have a unique place
in society. He is living proof.

After overcoming his past to become a loving
father and a successful executive in the computer
information systems industry (he is a director of
infrastructure for a major health care provider in
Michigan), Milligan said he wanted to share his
story. In 1997, he started researching his subject,
and it took more than 10 years to finally finish his
book, originally titled “God Must Be Sleeping.”

“I’ve told people in my personal and professional
life that if it wasn’t for Siena’s mission to bring in
kids like me and give them the opportunity to
prove myself, we’d never be functioning members of society,” he said. “I wouldn’t have gotten
this from any other university. I did not even
apply to any other universities because I knew
I would not be accepted. … Many others like
myself don’t realize what Siena does. They have
given back more to the world than they realize.
They are taking individuals like myself who are
not contributing (to society) and turning them
into people who are contributing members.”
In fact, Milligan’s son, Gregg Jr., also discovered
that for himself.
“I didn’t push Siena,” Milligan said of his son’s
college decision process. “When we toured Siena, for the first 15 minutes he stuck very close to
me. Then he disappears with groups of students,
and it was like he was there all by himself, talking
to people. When we got home that night, he
told me, ‘I want to go to Siena.’ And that was it.”
In May 2009, Gregg Jr. graduated with honors
from SHU with a degree in computer information systems, and currently works with the university in developing its web site.
“It wasn’t until he graduated that I told him it was
the best choice he ever made,” Milligan Sr. said.
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Reflections Spring ’10

“I changed (the title) because I wanted to focus
on the possibility of perseverance,” Milligan
explained. “God’s not going to do your homework for you. … You have to accept responsibility for your own actions. When I began writing
the book, I focused on the end result and
worked backwards.” He said the process was
much more difficult than he expected.

“He told me, ‘I want to go
to Siena.’ And that was it.
It wasn’t until he graduated
that I told him it was the
best choice he ever made.”

“I’m finding through my research and talking
to these organizations that many men find it
difficult to come forward and talk about (child
abuse),” Milligan said. “I hope to see more people
who have gone through any type of trauma
finding my book helpful. Abuse was my cross. …
I’m the exception, not the rule.”

A Beautiful World
Milligan said education is an avenue for victims
of child abuse to over