Young Alumni Spotlight

"The opportunities and lifestyle at the Abbey also instilled in me accountability, respect, and integrity. Although I missed my family, my four years at the Abbey allowed me to foster life-long relationships and offer stability. My teachers and friends are still some of my closest confidantes and counsel on my professional and personal life."

"Your potential for experiences at the Abbey is limitless. Take advantage of everything that resonates with you. Opportunities will come your way that frighten or intimidate you but lean on the support the Abbey provides, and step into that discomfort."

"At Portsmouth Abbey, you have the unique ability to get very involved in a wide variety of things, and in doing so grow into a multi-faceted leader of your peers. You don’t just get to interact with people in class, in a club, or at practice—you see many of the same people in all of those things, and to top it off you (not me, I was a day student) live with them. Getting to know others and yourself in these different ways allows you to begin to hone leadership skills that will serve you well in the future, if you choose."

"The best advice I could give to a current student is to challenge yourself at the Abbey and to never sell yourself short. Being there is such an incredible opportunity and often-times we get distracted as any person would, but really appreciate your time there and make the most of the experience."

"You have so many tools at your fingertips that few have. After leaving the Abbey you’ll have an exceptional skill set that you can do anything with. Look at your classmates and roommates, and think about how together you could make a small impact on the world."

"Portsmouth Abbey's emphasis towards ethics and community has allowed me to always be conscious about giving back both to the School and to other causes that I care deeply about." 

"The Abbey provides the opportunity to be exposed to a variety of people, cultures, experiences, and particularly classes that provide one with a solid foundation for life and a community you can always rely on." 

"The Abbey's emphasis on both math/science and the humanities gave me a well-rounded background for pursuing my intellectual interests in college and beyond."

"There are a plethora of faculty and students who are of the highest caliber at Portsmouth Abbey. They are your teachers, coaches, houseparents, team captains, prefects, but often they are your teammates, classmates, housemates, and friends. Seek these people out and get to know them well."

"My experience at Portsmouth Abbey was instrumental in shaping who I am today. The rigorous academics prepared me for a very different academic system in the UK."

"Get to know your teachers and houseparents; they will be your biggest advocates. Work hard, and use the amazing opportunities at the Abbey to serve whatever community or cause is important to you."

"The humanities program at Portsmouth Abbey School is life changing. It's fair to say these courses had opened up a new way of thinking for me. I have yet to experience such high-quality courses even at Cornell."

"Portsmouth Abbey not only gave me a strong academic background rooted in Humanities, which transitioned well into a liberal arts environment, but also instilled in me a work ethic that propelled my career."

"I was unbelievably prepared for the rigors of college classes from the four years I spent at the Abbey."

"Get to know a monk, or more than one, if possible. My relationships with the monks of Portsmouth Abbey have had the most lasting impact of any part of my Abbey experience."

"I still remember lessons I learned in our humanities classes about how to be more attentive readers and thinkers, something I found to be immensely valuable during my liberal arts education (and beyond)."

"It is a truly remarkable four years that sets you on a path toward success and gives you the option to pursue what you love the most in life."

"Portsmouth Abbey set me on a path well prepared for the challenges of the professional world." 

"I was encouraged to step out of my comfort zone and challenge myself to new experiences which ultimately led and gave me the confidence to study abroad my first semester of college."

"Whether you are doing homework or making your bed, try to focus on doing the little things right everyday and the bigger things in life will fall into place."