NStar Articles

Montel Williams is a name many recognize from his successful career as a television host and media personality on The Montel Williams Show from 1991-2008. However, his journey to fame began long before the bright lights of the studio. One of the most formative periods of his life was his time at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he developed the discipline, leadership, and resilience that would propel him to future success. In this blog, we’ll explore his story.

In December 2006, then-Captain Margaret “Peg” Klein became the first female commandant of the United States Naval Academy, overseeing the 4,400 young men and women preparing to be the nation’s next Navy and Marine Corps leaders. She was surprised by the appointment herself - as she told Inside Annapolis in 2007, “I never dreamed I’d be in this position. Just to be interviewed was an honor in itself, so to be selected was amazing.”

In the course of many USNA Notable Graduates’ careers, many have accomplished great things because they have been faced with insurmountable odds, adversity that could topple the hardiest of souls, and choices that have no upside, no matter how they’re considered. For USNA Notable Graduate Captain Thomas Jerome Hudner, Jr., his career was defined by making an impossible choice.