Once a month, Morris Hills Athletic Director Mr. Haraka meets with his high school baseball coach.

His high school coach and athletic director were both mentors who inspired him to follow his dreams and ultimately leave a lasting legacy here at Morris Hills.

“They took an interest in my career, and they took an interest in me as a person. But the biggest thing about them is they were leaders. If there was ever a problem, they always thought things through and could troubleshoot, and they just were well respected,” Mr. Haraka said.

“The fact that they saw something in me, that I could be a leader, was something that made me want to follow in their footsteps,” he continued.

Morris Hills is incredibly sad to say goodbye to Mr. Haraka after 19 years as he retires this coming December, but the school community wishes him the very best as he starts a new chapter.

Mr. Haraka earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration at Montclair State University in 1991. During his senior year of college, he began coaching high school baseball and basketball on the side. Later, he pursued his master’s degree in educational administration at Kean University.

He began his career in education 32 years ago as a teacher and coach at Bloomfield High School. In 2000, he became involved in administration for two years as the supervisor of special services in the Mount Olive School District.

After another four years as Parsippany High School’s Athletic Director, Mr. Haraka arrived at Morris Hills, where he continues to leave a lasting impact on students and staff.

As the Hills Athletic Director, Mr. Haraka supervises the athletic programs, the Physical Education department, the athletic trainer, and the nurses. Mr. Haraka said, “The best part of my career has been the kids [and] seeing student athletes, or students, for that matter, just grow and achieve great things, both on and off the field.”

“You might not miss the actual job, but you’re gonna miss the people,” he said.

Around six years ago, Mr. Haraka started his specialized GT program for students interested in social media and athletics. The Instagram account, @hillsathletics, quickly became students’ first resource for all-things MH sports.

In his free time, Mr. Haraka enjoys spending time with his daughters, playing golf, and grabbing coffee with friends.

Once he retires, he looks forward to working for BSN Sports, which sells sports equipment to schools. “That will give me the opportunity to still work with my colleagues, the athletic directors in the area, just in a different role,” he said. “High school athletics is still in my blood, and it gives me a chance to still kind of be involved.”

The Morris Hills community won’t be the same without Mr. Haraka and his continuous support.

“I just want to thank the entire Morris Hills community for the great years I’ve had here,” he said. “It’s a special school. It really is. It’s kind of like a family, and it’s been my second home for all these years.”