Mark Wahlberg seeking diploma from local HS

BOSTON (WHDH) – Mark Wahlberg is heading back to class and looking to a local school to get his diploma.

Despite his success, Wahlberg never graduated from school before leaving Dorchester and hitting it big.

Now he's not only looking at scripts -- he's hitting the books, tackling the role of high school student.

The Dorchester native is taking online courses at the Snowden International High School in Boston.

It all started when headmaster Kerry Tondorf read that the actor regretted he dropped out of the school back in the early ‘80s.

“I wrote letter and held on to it, thought, ‘It’s kind of stupid,’ then thought, ‘Well why not?’ Nothing to lose,” said Tondorf.

To her surprise, she got response.

“I was surprised with degree of enthusiasm he had and his readiness to take it on,” Tondorf said.

The program Wahlberg is enrolled in focuses on current students who have fallen behind and helps them get back on track.

“We try to bring them up, not just up to speed but to accelerate their learning to bring them back to graduating on time,” said Michael Allen, Director of Accelerated Learning Academy.

Wahlberg may be a Hollywood superstar, but that doesn't mean he gets to slack on his school work.

“He has to take tests, he has to submit written work and then he has to take an end-of-the-term test,” said Tondorf.

And in the end, he gets a diploma.

The director of the online program says the 41-year-old is excelling so far.

“He’s doing really well. And he’s doing it at an incredible pace. I’m impressed and I’m not easily impressed,” Allen said.

The headmaster hopes that Wahlberg going back to school encourages other people to do the same.

“We’re hoping that more people will say, ‘You know, I can do it. If he can do it, anybody should be able to do it right?’” Tondorf said.

Wahlberg is currently filming a movie in New Orleans and is taking geometry.