Next Stop: Morehouse

Mark Abreu ’18 will be heading to Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia this coming fall. The moment he stepped onto campus, he knew he’d found his school. “It felt like home,” he says. “As I walked around, everyone was saying, ‘Hi, brother. How are you?’” That tour sealed the deal between Morehouse and some of the other highly selective schools where he had offers, like Vassar and Skidmore. “Now that I’ve graduated from Peddie, which is a predominately white school, I want to get a different experience.” 

Mark is ready to jump into college courses – the more challenging the better. While a student at Harlem Academy, he quickly discovered that a rigorous program was the fuel he needed to excel. “In public school, I used to get very bored,” he recalls. “When I came to Harlem Academy, the work was much more challenging. I needed that. I learned to push myself and get out of my comfort zone, to not settle or give in to what’s easy. Harlem Academy changed my life.” 

Mark used those lessons to succeed at Peddie, and he plans to do the same at Morehouse as a business major. His dream is to one day work in sports management – a career he first learned about in seventh grade when Michael Levine, who serves on Harlem Academy’s advisory council, came to speak to students about his role as co-head of CAA Sports. “I remember thinking, ‘I want to have his job,’” says Mark. “When Mr. Levine visited again the following year, I asked him more questions. My ultimate goal is to help young athletes of color and create an atmosphere of trust for them.”

With the move to Atlanta just two months away, Mark is excited for what’s to come: a new city, new people, and new opportunities. High on his to-do list is becoming a school tour guide. “When I visited Morehouse, a sophomore led our tour. I did that at Peddie, so I know the ropes of the role. I definitely want to be an admissions ambassador in college, showing prospective students and parents around campus. I like helping people feel comfortable in a new environment.”

Mark has been helping others since his days at Harlem Academy. He mentored younger students and was a wonderful role model. We have no doubt that he will continue to do the same at Morehouse.

Click to see our full college placement list, which this year includes Haverford, NYU, Northwestern, Syracuse, and Yale.