A deep love of learning is why history and social sciences faculty member Mark Heath felt driven to lead in the classroom. And it’s why, two years after finishing his formal education, Mark still considers himself a student.
As an undergraduate student at Harvard from an upstate New York farm town, Mark felt exposed for the first time to the endless offerings of a liberal arts education.
“I found myself taking a bunch of random classes, because they were interesting to me, but not really knowing what to do with that, or how I could see it fitting into a career trajectory,” he says. “So, when I thought about all the classes I had taken, the volunteer experiences that I’d had, the internships that I had done, my most positive and transformative learning experiences happened in and around schools. Being able to try all of those things said a lot about what I value in schools.”
Mark enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education’s Independent School Teaching Residency program, which brought him to Milton in 2014. As his fellowship ended, history and social sciences chair Vivian WuWong asked him to stay on full-time.
Mark teaches Principles of Economics and AP American Government, both of which are semester courses. In the spring, he will teach AP Comparative Government and Topics in Global Economics, in addition to a new section of Principles of Economics.
Political and governmental turbulence these days can often shift the discussions in his classes, something Mark finds both exhilarating and challenging—he describes himself as “very type-A”—as students react to the news of the day.
“There’s so much to talk about, which is exciting, but it can also be kind of daunting, because I like to have things planned out,” he says. “In some ways, I think government used to be relatively predictable, and now it’s just not. Any kind of norm is just thrown out the window.”
Not satisfied with the status quo, Milton students push themselves and others, including the adults in their lives, to excel, Mark says. Their drive is inspiring.
“I think ‘insatiable’ is the first word that would come to mind when describing the kids here,” he says. “They want more, whether that’s more opportunities, or to learn more about something they’re passionate about, or to hear more diversity of perspectives and experiences, they just want more.”
Mark’s own passion is in school leadership—creating environments where students grow most effectively in and outside of the classroom—and Milton has provided opportunities for him to take part in some of the School’s institutional programming and goals. As a Class II dean, he works with advisors on ways to best support students through a challenging grade level, and along with Academic Dean Jackie Bonenfant, Mark co-chairs the Schedule Committee. The committee is evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Milton’s five-day, eight-period schedule.
Mark also works with the Office of Multiculturalism and Community Development. He helped plan this year’s Transitions programming and is involved in AWARE (the Alliance of White Anti-Racist Educators). He also advises cultural and affinity groups for LGBTQ+ students.
“It’s a lot of connecting with the students, and supporting them in the events and the spaces they create,” Mark says. “Hopefully, it’s empowering them to be leaders in sharing aspects of their identities.
“What I appreciated most about leaving home for college was the people I met,” Mark says, noting that he lived and interacted with people from all over the United States and the world. “I want to make sure that our students and more people have those experiences sooner, rather than later. The reason I care so much about diversity and inclusion, the reason I work with OMCD, is because my life was transformed once diversity was a part of it. Only though hearing other people’s stories was I able to think about what my story could be.”