Fresh out of high school with two potential summer jobs, Milton Kline was faced with a choice: pickles or paint? Taking a pass on the pickle factory position might have been the best decision he ever made. A chief painter at the University of Mary Washington, Kline has been covering the campus in satins and semi-glosses for more than three decades, but UMW’s walls aren’t all that he brightens. He does the same for employee morale as president of the Staff Advisory Council and for young people’s futures as leader of the popular student-painting program. He spends evenings writing referral letters to help his charges land jobs, turns up at their ballgames and class presentations to show support, and trusts them to do their own thing to help build their confidence. “I let students manage themselves,” Kline said. “In a student-run organization, they have ownership.” By now, Kline has his UMW painting schedule in sync with the school year. Projects like stairwells and railings can … [Read more...]