Michael (Social Work & Dance)

Mike has made some challenging leaps in his life. Raised by a single mother, he commutes an hour each way from West Harlem to the Packer Collegiate School’s campus in downtown Brooklyn. One of his teachers described him as “one of the most vibrant, warm and courageous students” in her experience. Determined “to make my mark on this school,” he volunteered for many tasks at Packer, and went to South Africa to teach in a township school. This gave him a sense of his own privilege: “While I have nothing compared to so many others at Packer,” he said, “I met and taught kids there who only ate one meal a day. It made me so much more grateful for what I have, as well as for the education I am receiving.” Packer’s varsity basketball team usually has two or three captains. This year it has only one: Mike. At Packer, Mike has taken what his counselor described as “every dance class we offer.” Mike is attending Skidmore, determined to make a career in the world of dance.