Alumni Panelists Share Their Wisdom

4/14/2025

Dear Friends,

Earlier this year, we held an event to help guide young alumni on their career paths. On Monday, we had the pleasure of turning the tables and welcoming a panel of alumni to share their wisdom with current students and their families. I was incredibly proud of our graduates’ maturity and thoughtfulness – young men and women genuinely grappling with challenges they overcame and the people and habits that helped propel them to success at top secondary schools.

Here are some highlights from their reflections:

MANAGE YOUR TIME.

"I started swimming at age 6. As I grew older, I learned that time management is important, especially as a student-athlete. I appreciated Harlem Academy’s study hall because I could do my homework before going to practice, and I kept that habit when I went to high school.”

- Morgon ’21, senior at Fieldston

JOIN SPORTS AND CLUBS.

“Harlem Academy encourages independence and fosters a desire to try new things. But I’m pretty introverted, and when I went to Riverdale, I was nervous to talk to people. I also didn’t sign up for extracurriculars, even though I’d heard from older HA alumni how important that was. Eventually, I figured out that sports and clubs are so important to building friendships because it forces a natural connection to people who share your interests.”

- Rasan Hoskins ’22, junior at Riverdale

TALK THROUGH DIFFERENCES.

“At Harlem Academy, if we had a disagreement with a close friend or really anyone in our class, we talked it out. It’s important to be able to do that, because in the real world, there will be people you disagree with, but you still have to work together.”

- Theo ’21, senior at Grace Church

PUT IN THE WORK.

“My parents were always supportive and encouraging. But they also made sure I knew success would ultimately come down to the effort I put in every day, whether I was studying, playing soccer, or pursuing leadership positions.”

- Luca ’22, junior at Trinity

STICK WITH IT.

“There was a point in my chess career when I stopped going to tournaments. I had lost my motivation. My dad suggested that I play him every day for a few weeks, and I remember this one specific time that I lost. At that moment, I said, ‘This is never happening again!’ That helped keep the spark alive. My parents encouraged me to keep going, and I’m glad they did because I love chess.”

- Josh ’23, sophomore at Fieldston

I chose these highlights with a focus on what students can do to forge their own paths. Equally evident, though, was the degree to which trusted adults at Harlem Academy and graduates’ committed parents were always pushing them to put in the work, ultimately opening the door to future opportunities. In some ways, that echoing of values from home to school is as much the secret to transformational growth as our rigorous academics or any other part of our program.

With gratitude,

Vinny Dotoli

Head of School

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