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Summer 2019 Volume 24, Issue 2 St. Mark’s School of Texas Alumni Magazine
On the Path to Manhood Outside of the classroom, Marksmen receive an experiential education
The First 100 Days Students get to work in the Winn Science Center
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Best Wishes,
Katy B. Rubarth (above)
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Director of Communications
St. Mark’s School of Texas
In the newly created role of Director of Physical & Experiential Education, Mark Sullivan is focused on helping Marksmen thrive on and off campus.
The Pecos Wilderness Trip is a defining moment in the lives of Marksmen. The days spent hiking throughout the Sangre de Cristo mountains and the nights gathered around campfires and tarps forge lifelong bonds of brotherhood. It is a journey that Mark Sullivan has witnessed firsthand 34 times. For nearly four decades, Mark has served St. Mark’s in a variety of roles — as coach, teacher, administrator, chaperone, and leader of the wilderness program. Throughout his years guiding Marksmen through the Pecos Wilderness, Mark recalls one moment that perfectly illustrates the impact of the trip.
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The next day, as they began the climb, Mark noticed a remarkably upbeat mood in the group. As they made their way up the steep switchbacks, the Marksmen offered their disabled classmate words of encouragement and took turns walking beside him. Despite everyone’s exhaustion, Mark remembers the group’s excited conversation and positive energy: “During the week, there are times when the kids are down, they’re tired, they’re moping. But on this particular day, the boys rallied together and focused on the natural beauty around them.” As the group crested the last ridge and looked out over the rolling green mountains and endless blue sky, they celebrated their collective achievement. “You could see the group’s satisfaction looking at one another and knowing they had accomplished (above) The 6th-grade class camps out at Mill Creek Farm in East Texas
It was late in the weeklong trip, and Mark and his
what they set out to do together. On that day, each
wife Sherri were leading a group of boys to the
of those ninth-graders knew what it meant to be
summit of East Pecos Baldy. At 12,530 feet, it’s
a team. These boys accomplished something and
one of the highest peaks in New Mexico and a
those lessons will never be forgotten,” Mark said.
challenging trek for rising ninth-graders hauling their own packs. The night before they were to
The moment perfectly captured how a weeklong
summit East Pecos Baldy, the group gathered
wilderness trip can teach young men about so
around the campfire. As on most nights, Mark took
much more than camping. Many of the most
this time to talk about the day, their experiences,
formative steps along a Marksman’s Path to
and what lay ahead.
Manhood take place outside of the classroom. After all, a St. Mark’s education is about more than
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The coming hike would be grueling for them
academics — St. Mark’s teaches boys to thrive.
all, but especially so for one boy with a physical
This is a lesson that transcends the school day and
disability that affected his ability to walk and
extends to every facet of a boy’s life. For years, the
climb. Despite this, the boy had carried his own
School has developed programs that teach boys
pack the entire trip, never complaining or seeking
to thrive in different ways. On the athletic fields,
accommodations. As the group thought of
boys learn the enduring value of determination
summiting East Pecos Baldy, Mark recalls: “They
and perseverance. In the wilderness, they become
took great pride in the notion that they were all
more self-reliant, while growing closer with their
going to complete the hike. Together. They set out
classmates. And on trips around the world, they
to achieve something, not as individual boys, but
learn to see themselves from a new perspective,
as a group.”
becoming truly global citizens.
St. Mark’s School of Texas
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Real-World Learning Over the past few years, with the guidance of Goals for St. Mark’s IV, the School’s most recent strategic plan, learning opportunities outside of the classroom have flourished. Specifically, Goals IV recommends that St. Mark’s “identify and develop opportunities for learning beyond the St. Mark’s campus, including outdoor education and expanded domestic and international student travel” and “develop a more comprehensive health education curriculum in scope and sequence.” This year, St. Mark’s formed a new Department Chair position to help the School realize the goal of uniting the physical and experiential education programs, expanding health and wellness education, and strengthening current programming in these areas while developing new programming as needed. “By connecting these important program areas and thinking about them as a coherent experience for our students, we will continue to strengthen these important programs well into the future, and they will continue to have a positive impact on the education of every boy at St. Mark’s,” said John Ashton, Associate Headmaster. “These programs currently exist in different stages of development; for example, the Wilderness Program has decades of history to build upon while comprehensive health education has potential for growth to ensure that we are meeting the evolving needs of adolescent boys.” Considering his vast experience working with and leading Marksmen on campus and around
Director, Mark has been a constant presence
the globe, Mark Sullivan was the perfect choice
wherever Marksmen go and a stalwart supporter
to become the first Director of Physical and
of every program he will now oversee, including
Experiential Education. Throughout his 38-year
the wilderness program, student travel, physical
career at St. Mark’s, including 20 years as Athletic
education, and health and wellness.
St. Mark’s School of Texas
(above) Rising freshmen navigate a stream on the 2017 Pecos Wilderness Trip
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St. Mark’s School of Texas
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“There are so many opportunities for our boys when
With so many benefits that come with traveling
we expand the classroom off our campus,” Mark
outside of Dallas, St. Mark’s is working to expand
said. “We have to be intentional about teaching
student accessibility to these trips. Right now,
these boys what it means to be healthy and thriving
many of the school-sponsored trips, from Model
young adults so that they can carry those lessons
U.N. competitions in Boston to the Choir’s tour
forward when they leave St. Mark’s.”
of England, are available to students in specific
Many programs being housed within the new
to provide non-programmatic international
Physical and Experiential Education Department
trips each summer that visit Europe, Asia, or
have been steadily evolving over the past few years.
Latin America. This summer, Marksmen toured
The Student Travel Program, for one, has grown
France, visiting Paris, Waterloo, Dunkirk, and
immensely, both in the number of destinations and
Normandy, bolstering their history lessons and
boys participating. Scott Hunt, Arnold E. Holtberg
their understanding of the modern world. Upper
Master Teaching Chair and St. Mark’s Photography
School students interested in science could travel
(opposite) Middle School choristers prepare to climb to the top of the Salisbury Cathedral tower in England during the Choir’s 17th Biennial International Tour
programs. Moving forward, St. Mark’s plans
Instructor, has helped unite and organize these
with science faculty members to West Texas,
trips as the School’s first Director of Student Travel.
visiting the McDonald Observatory and exploring
Just this past school year, Marksmen and their
Carlsbad Caverns. And rising fifth-graders had the
teachers across all departments and divisions
opportunity to visit Wyoming with Frank Jordan.
left St. Mark’s for 27 individual trips, from debate tournaments in Atlanta to foreign-language trips
The opportunities for greater self-reliance and
in China. Scott himself spent the summer of
personal responsibility that travel provides are also
2019 leading Marksmen on trips through France,
inherent in the Wilderness Program. Boys must
Morocco, and the Pecos Wilderness.
step out of their comfortable routines and take ownership for themselves and their group. Lessons
In addition to broadening their worldview, Scott
in character and leadership come naturally when a
sees unique benefits to students when they are
group of boys are preparing their own food, setting
taken out of a familiar campus environment: “Leadership is best taught experientially, when
up their own shelter, navigating the wild terrain, and dealing with unpredictable weather. And while
you get boys to work as a team to solve problems,
Mark will help facilitate individual wilderness
whether they are navigating a foreign country
trips, he will also focus on reinforcing a broader
or starting a campfire in the Pecos. These are
institutional strength to ensure the program
situations where we can establish responsibilities
remains strong for decades to come.
and roles and put boys in a safe environment where they can learn to become both good leaders and good followers.”
St. Mark’s School of Texas
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(above) Upper Schoolers explore Utah Beach just after the 75th anniversary of D-Day (above right) Math teacher and football coach Jeff Hale and Colin Campbell ’20 on the practice field
Thriving on Campus In addition to fine-tuning the wilderness and travel
In tandem with Mark’s work, St. Mark’s recently
programs, Mark, as the Director the Physical and
formed a Health & Wellness Committee, composed
Experiential Education, will also focus on how
of teachers, coaches, trainers, medical staff, and
boys thrive when they are on campus. Across
administrators. This Committee began its work in
10600 Preston Road, teachers, coaches, trainers,
the spring by launching a comprehensive review
and nurses work tirelessly to ensure Marksmen
of the School’s physical and health education
are developing into healthy young men. St. Mark’s
programs and curriculums. In 2019–2020, the
already provides a robust slate of programs and
Committee will review the program inventory,
curriculum aimed at promoting health and
identify learning outcomes for students, and build
wellness, from the Life Skills classes to strength and
or expand on programs to achieve those outcomes:
conditioning workouts.
equipping boys with the knowledge and skills to understand their physical, social, emotional, and
Now, as stated in Goals IV, the School is working to
relational health.
“develop a more comprehensive health education
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curriculum in scope and sequence.” Mark will
St. Mark’s mission is the development of the
provide oversight and facilitate a platform for
whole boy, a mission that extends well beyond the
greater collaboration among various teams and
academic classroom. The seniors who walk across
departments, including counseling, physical
the Commencement stage are expected to be well-
education, and health education programming.
rounded men of character, ready to thrive in an ever-
From mental health and stress management to
changing world. As Goals for St. Mark’s IV seeks
nutrition and injury prevention, these programs
new ways to build on this mission, the creation of
provide crucial lessons for the overall well-being
the Director of Physical and Experiential Education
of Marksmen.
marks another momentous step into the future.
St. Mark’s School of Texas
St. Mark’s School of Texas 10600 Preston Road Dallas, Texas 75230-4047 214.346.8000 • www.smtexas.org
Weeks after setting a new record for deep-sea exploration, Victor Vescovo ’84 delivers the Commencement Address to the Class of 2019.