Three months after arriving in the US, Abraham enrolled at the Carlos Rosario School. He started in the ESL Level 7 class and was promptly transferred to ESL 8 during the first semester. For his second semester he took the School’s Vocabulary class. Abraham felt comfortable with his teachers and classmates. “Both Ruth Ticktin and Chris Ladd were immeasurably helpful and built a strong foundation on my English. I was able to grow in the coming years at college,” he said. “There weren’t many places to practice my listening and speaking better than the Carlos Rosario School itself.”
Learning English was not enough for Abraham, he had come to the US to study and pushed himself to reach for that goal. Not even a year after arriving, he sat for the SATs and several months later, the TOEFL exam. At the end of his time at the Carlos Rosario School, Abraham enrolled in the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) for a Bachelor’s in Business Management.
Abraham is a proud Carlos Rosario School scholarship winner. He is on his fourth year at college and says about the support, “I cannot stress enough how big of an impact it makes on covering my expenses and ease my journey through college, and I am very thankful for it.” Last year, Abraham decided to add a second major (Accounting) to his degree, and is now planning to add a concentration (Minor) on Logistics and International Trade (LIT). This semester, he became the new Co-President of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) UDC Chapter.
Abraham gives an incredibly special thanks to his mentor and Director of Student Services at the Sonia Gutierrez Campus, Selvon Waldron, his “good friend and counselor who still is championing my growth at every step.” Selvon reciprocates the sentiment, calling Abraham an “amazing and inspiring mentee. Abraham is uniquely talented. He is brilliant and humble at the same time. His global knowledge and intelligence regarding social issues are way beyond his years.” Selvon lauds Abraham, that “he always reaches out to check in, provide updates or to ask for advice. He is always asking about ways to volunteer and give back. One of the kindest people you will ever meet.”
Most recently, Abraham received an offer from Ernst and Young for their Launch Internship for the Summer of 2021 in their Tysons Corner office. Once he earns his two bachelor’s degrees in December 2021, he is planning “to take on and crush” the CPA exam and apply for a master’s degree in Business Analytics. He also wants to get an internship and possibly a full-time job. In the meantime, Abraham wants to share tips with aspiring students “Listen to those above and behind you, and then lead with compassion, purpose, and determination from your own personality.”