Next month, as the Class of 2018 gathers to celebrate their achievements, their Commencement will mark not one but many fresh beginnings. They will soon apply the skills they have honed at St. Mark’s to new experiences. And, as freshly minted alumni, they will start to connect with St. Mark’s in different ways, as so many Marksmen have done before them.

 

As an institution, St. Mark’s draws on the strength and commitment of its community. For generations, alumni have demonstrated their leadership and support for the School and its mission in countless ways. They return to campus each year for Alumni Weekend to catch up with classmates and mentors and reflect on their defining years at St. Mark’s. They also give back through their commitments of time—speaking about their careers to students on campus, advising recent graduates, serving on the Board of Trustees and Alumni Board, hosting Reunions, and volunteering as St. Mark’s Fund Class Agents. And, the School ensures that the more than 5,400 alumni worldwide stay connected through regional gatherings and special events.

  

Alumni also generously support St. Mark’s financially. Alumni participation in the St. Mark’s Fund is four times the annual fund national average; last year over half of all Marksmen contributed $2.3 million to the St. Mark’s Fund total of more than $4 million. Not surprising, alumni have been tremendous supporters of the Science Center Project, which will give the faculty even more ways to enhance an already exceptional science curriculum.

 

“I am very happy to give back to the School that gave me so much,” said Craig Levering ’75. Like many alumni, he credits his alma mater with helping to shape the person he became. “St. Mark’s taught me to manage my time efficiently between school work, sports, and outside activities while always striving for excellence,” he said. “Those learned organizational skills and habits have served me well through college, my professional career, and even today.”

 

Mason King ’94, meanwhile, said he appreciates “the way in which subjects were taught with a focus on using critical thought to build a better academic foundation.” That approach helped him enter the next stage of his education incredibly well prepared.

 

The School’s commitment to graduating great scholars and achievers left an imprint on George Spencer ’81 as well. “St. Mark’s drove us to compete and really pushed us in a way that I don’t think a lot of other schools do. We worked hard, and they gave us chances to succeed and chances to fail in the classroom, and it was reinforced by both sports and extracurricular activities,” said George, who represented the School in football, golf, and debate. As a venture capitalist who finances software companies, George knows firsthand about the need to develop scholars who can tackle engineering challenges, and he hopes the new Science Center will help the School continue to produce exceptional leaders in math and science.

All those years ago, the idea of Marksmen studying cutting-edge technologies like robotics and DNA science on campus could have seemed like science fiction, but that story will soon be a reality. It will be one that launches scientific explorations by current Marksmen and the future students they themselves will one day support through the enduring cycle of alumni leadership at St. Mark’s.