Navy veteran attributes his success to The Heights
Nearly 40 years later, Mark Maglin '83 still gets together with the lifelong friends he made at The Heights. As the last class to graduate from the former campus in the Friendship Heights neighborhood, which had no athletic facilities, the boys played pickup football in the empty lot across from the school.
Although he didn't attend the iconic Potomac campus, Mark says it was the people who truly mattered—his classmates and teachers. He calls the faculty "lifelong learners" who brought expertise and passion from the professional field to the classroom.
"It's not just about academic preparation; it's also about life preparation," Mark says. "It's about developing the whole person."
After graduating from The Heights, Mark attended the U.S. Naval Academy and served as a naval aviator for 24 years, retiring from the Navy as a commander. He currently works in the cybersecurity industry and lives in Annapolis.
"I look back and see the foundation that I got from The Heights and the role models there," Mark says. "The academic preparation, the rigor and the discipline has been part of my success in my career."
Mark and his wife, Missy, have been making a monthly contribution to The Heights for years. With their two kids now grown, the couple decided to revise their will and name The Heights as a beneficiary of their estate. The gift is a memorial to Mark's mother, who made financial sacrifices to put him through school.
"I owe a part of my success to The Heights," he says, "so why wouldn't I include them in my estate plan?"
Mark Maglin '83 encourages fellow alumni to consider how much of their success is due to The Heights. Contact James Kolakowski at 301.365.0227 ext. 254 or jkolakowski@heights.edu to include the school in your estate plan.