By Alaina McCarvill – Staff Reporter

Mr. Marko is a vice principal at Jonathan Law. Advocate Staff Reporter Alaina McCarvill interviewed Marko about his career and about how his job has changed over the past year due to COVID-19.

Alaina McCarvill: What is your role at Law as a vice principal?

Mr. Marko: My first role and most difficult is to always keep Mr. Thompson in check.  The rest of my work consists of meeting with teachers and helping them reflect on their own teaching to better their practice, working with Mr. Ragaini on any student issues and working with students to make sure that they are working to their full potential.

AM: Did you always want to teach or be a vice principal?

MM: Not at all.  When I graduated high school, my plan was to go into the business field with a concentration in Accounting.  After taking my first couple of Math classes and shadowing an accountant for the day, I realized that it probably was not the best job for me. My next plan was to become a History teacher, make some money and then go to law school.  That plan changed when I started teaching and fell in love with it.  Ever since those first weeks of teaching, I have known that I chose the correct profession for me.

AM: What do you like and dislike most about the job?

MM: My favorite part of the job is seeing people succeed.  We all take different paths to get to where we eventually want to go. Seeing the joy of students when they reach their goal will always put a smile on my face.There is not much that I dislike about the job but if I have to answer, I would say that it is the paperwork.  It’s probably not my strongest asset and the thing that I usually put off until the end of the day.

AM: Has Law been different from other schools you have worked at?

MM: Law has absolutely been different.  It has been much better.  In reflecting on what makes it so great, I think that it is the people and the sense of community.  No other place can match the spirit or the feeling of the students and the faculty at Law.  It’s hard to describe that feeling to others but when you are here, you can definitely feel it!

AM: How has COVID-19 changed things for you?

MM: COVID has made me less rigid.  During this past year, I have really started to weigh what are the most important things and what kinds of things I can let go.  I think it has made me a better parent (although my children may not agree) and allowed me to remove some of the unneeded stress in my life.