One Michigan City man keeps himself as busy as a bee. Mark Marz is halfway through his 40th year as a science teacher for Michigan City Area Schools. His day consists of teaching AP Chemistry and Physics, Honors Chemistry, with a few regular chemistry classes thrown into the mix. Alongside teaching, Marz is the department chair for science and sponsors a few school-related clubs.
Growing up in South Bend, Marz spent a lot of time outdoors. From playing various sports to riding his bike, Marz could always be found outside. Marz went to Indiana University (IU) South Bend for a year and then decided to transfer over to Purdue University West Lafayette where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry.
Soon after graduating, Marz attended IU Bloomington to study organic synthesis but felt burnt out. After a year, Marz switched his path to education. In 1984, he received his master’s of science education and came to Michigan City High School.
“I went to IU Bloomington for two semesters to work on my PhD. I decided that it was going to take too long, and I didn’t like the long lab hours. You also had to be really good at it, and I wasn’t,” Marz said. “After all that thinking, I switched over to science education.”
Marz started teaching at Elston High School and Krueger Junior High School in August of 1985. Marz said that his favorite part about teaching is the students and all they bring to the classroom each year. Along with the joys of teaching and enthused students, Marz loves the school activities.
“I'm a sponsor for the Science Club, Fishing Club, and co sponsor the Ping Pong Club,” said Marz. “I'm trying to have fun with the kids in class, but there’s a real difference between the ones who are at Science Club and those who aren’t. Those not in the club, they don't have as much fun, they don't smile or laugh as much.”
Marz wants to share his passions with as many people as possible and is proud to see how much these clubs mean to his students. He jokes around by saying that the school only had room for those hobbies. The majority of the clubs that Marz sponsors come from his hobbies such as fishing, but the origin of one club in particular had a bit of a different origin story from the rest.
"I helped Coach Robinson with the Fishing Club one year, then he moved to be closer to home, and I inherited the club," Marz said. "We go on outings to the pier at Washington Park, Trail Creek, and Izaak Walton Lake south of Michigan City. We also compete in the Hoosier Coho Classic on a charter boat on the first weekend in May. The Hoosier Coho Club makes the charter boat trip free for the students. Some of the students had never been fishing before they joined the club."
In 1999, a student of Marz's begged him to go fishing with him, and Marz took the student and his father out on the boat. After that moment, Marz knew that this would be something other students would enjoy and it became a club. He and his students went out on fishing weekends on lakes around Indiana learning about fishing.
“I made a lifelong friend in his dad,” Marz said. “We said, ‘Let's try this fishing thing and see what it’s all about,’ and the rest is history.”
Aside from enjoying his hobbies, Marz does love to do things not related to science, fishing and ping pong. Marz loves to spend time with his wife, Sue, and together they enjoy activities such as gardening and beekeeping. He and Sue have 11 hives which they tend to and harvest honey from.
"In 1999 a student I had become friends with and I decided to try beekeeping," Marz said. "I had become lifetime friends with his father after fishing with them. We said, 'Let's see what this beekeeping thing is all about, and the rest is history.'"
Marz additionally has taken up more hobbies such as magnet fishing, hiking, foraging, fungi growing, and many more. He loves to find new things to do and plans to continue adding things to his life.