Professional Development
Testimonials:
So excellent! Depth, story and practical application to change our educational paradigms!”
Jason Luke
STEM Director at Kalamazoo RESA
Thank you for all of your work to change the college/career paradigm.”
Robert Smith
CTE Director at Van Buren ISD
I love that he came around before his presentation to introduce himself. Great mix of knowledge and personal skills. Mark was awesome! He completely gets what education is and should be all about.”
Scott Wills
Work Based Learning Coordinator at KRESA
This session was incredibly engaging and renewed my passion for the field of CTE.”
Dawn Anton
CTE Health Science Instructor
Mind shift on how to interact with the youth of today. Transferable skills taught today. What Mark presented were not just skills for my profession but for my parenting and interactions with community.”
Heidi Vissia
Math Instructor at NCCTC-NCRESA
Thank you for recognizing how truly motivated our young people are when we speak their language.”
Kristen Dogan
Culinary Arts & Hospitality Mgmt at Branch Area Career Center
What a dynamic speaker. Very thought provoking and inspirational. Helped this Gen X understand how to help Gen Y&Z.”
Melissa Springsteen
5th Year Early/Middle College Coordinator at Berrien RESA
Excellent — great info and great energy.”
Kris Doenges
Careerline Tech Center
Outstanding presentation providing impactful messages delivered with great humor.”
Paul Galbenski
Dean at Oakland Schools
Great speech, very inspiring but also practical.”
Daniel Yowell
Teacher at Livonia Public Schools CTC
You have made a difference. My 18 year old son is like your son Nick, without the light yet.”
Herb Henderson
CTE Law/Public Safety at Sault Area Career Center
Practical, brilliant, engaging, pertinent!”
Winifred Green
Dearborn Public Schools
Real talk, related to us! Make kids career ready, with professional skills.”
Kathy Vantil
Teacher at MACTC
Enjoyed meeting you and hearing all your passion. The ability to move the needle for students in this country is the ability to set the world on fire. Young people today just need to be given the match out of the right box.”
Mikki Spagnoli
Director of CTE and Post Secondary Options at Lewis Cass ISD
Loved the story about your son. Many of our high school kids are right there, it really is relatable.”
Reda Biniecki
Administrative Assistant at Monroe Public Schools
Passion and power for CTE and what is right for kids and their future. Career ready!”
Ryan Graham
Principal at Kent Career Tech Center
A whole mindshift!”
Cindy Goss
Student Services Coordinator at Kalamazoo RESA
Very encouraging message, all levels of education can benefit from and utilize immediately.”
Alyse Hoyt
Niles Community Schools CTE
Very outgoing, to the point and very interesting.”
Pamela Ehrke
Teacher at WW Tower High School
Engaging and inspiring presentation with refreshing perspectives from the viewpoint of an educator.”
Kari Parkin
Teacher at Carman-Ainsworth High School
Mark has a definite understanding of the Y&Z generations.”
Michelle Kelenske
Academic Advisor at Ferris State University
Mark’s analysis of college and career provides me with much needed talking points.”
Brian Pyles
State Director at Michigan Dept of Education
Best ever. I wish I could have you at our schools. Retired twice, but still working for and to help young students.”
F. Malin Wagner
Consultant at L&M Educational Support LLC
Well done, lots of food for thought!”
Mark Johnson
Teacher at WMISD CTC
Real world smarts to engage our youth.”
Ed Domke
CTE Director at Hastings High School
Great structure/organization to put words to the natural changes that are occurring in our world now, but with a systemic common language. Wonderful, incredible passion and energy. Loved the vulnerability and personal stories and connections.”
Amy DiMaggio
Director of Counseling/District Team Leader at Portage Public Schools
High energy, engaging! Excellent presentation.”
Anna Hunt
Teacher at Carman-Ainsworth High School
Mark’s presentation can create important change in education.”
Lesley Murphy
Teacher at St. Clair County Tech Education Center
Message was relevant, engaging and energizing.”
Krista Bierbaum
Counselor
Great focus keeping a purpose in education to drive passion in education to lifestyle and choice for careers.”
Cory Champion
Teacher at Bronson Community Schools
Very motivating and re-energizing! Gave great hope for the future of education.”
Nicole Richardson
Counselor at Cadillac Innovation High School
The most impactful quote — when the student gets the want to, the how to will come.”
Michelle Tyner
Dual Enrollment Specialist at Southwestern Michigan College
Very motivational, thanks!”
David Ladd
Career Development Facilitator at Ohawa Area Inter. School District
The ideas in the presentation just made sense. I’m walking away with new ideas on how to broach conversations with K-12 students, but also with my 11 year old son. Thank you.”
Nicole Millsap
Pathway Navigator at Lansing School District
Useful information and career focused.”
Sue Roche
Associate Dean at Delta College
I loved Mark’s passion on Education with Purpose and his honesty regarding his personal story.”
Joanne Fairbanks
Student Career Business Liaison at Fordson High School
Great presentation and extremely motivational as we prepare to get our students career ready and prepared to make a difference in the future.”
Kellie Greener
Sault Area Career Center
This was a fantastic presentation. Mark is someone who genuinely gets it.”
Trevor Paulus
Construction Tech Instructor at Sault Area Career Center
Real, right on target.”
Karen Robyn
Program Administrator CTE at Kalamazoo RESA
In a career that pushes preparing students for college and careers, learning strategies for this was extremely beneficial.”
Kim Davis
Teacher at Quincy Community Schools
I love the idea of making the connections with the younger generations, it’s a no brainer, yet quickly forgotten. It’s a great reminder to take away.”
Hannah Sanderson
CTE Consultant at Char-Em ISD
Engaging and informative.”
Gini Beran
Director, CLEP Outreach
Love the visual example of tunnel and tree branch. Great examples to share with my students.”
Anne Smith
Career Readiness Coordinator at Kalamazoo RESA
As a Social Studies teacher it was inspiring to think how I can better support student success by building that connection in the classroom.”
Amanda Webb
Teacher at Quincy High School
Thank you for breaking things down for me to better reach others.”
Kyle Feibig
Principal at Muskegon Area Career Tech Center
Excellent!”
Matt Rajda
Ironworkers Local 25 Training Coordinator at Ironworkers Local 25
Real life stories, examples, clearly stated purpose, engaging humor. Excellent presentation.”
JoAnne Lussier
Director CTE at Sault Area Career Center
Loved the personal stories, great strategy for engagement.”
Jennifer Fettig
Admin at Holly Area Schools
Truly eye opening — makes you self reflect on your practices and has you committed.”
Tiffany Cox
Assistant Principal at Detroit Public Schools Community District
Solidified the mindset and beliefs about our students that I have been trying to shift in our district. Our purpose is to help kids find purpose.”
Shaina Biller
Director of Accountability at Cadillac Area Public Schools
Our focus in education should be to give students skills for success in their future. Thank you Mark for talking about what kids need from us as we work to hold them up and prepare for their future.”
Ryan Biller
HS Principal at McBain Rural Agricultural Schools
Very helpful and motivational, thank you!”
Shelly Vandermeulen
Career Facilitator at MiWorks
Engaging and purposeful.”
Theresa Hessling
Assistant Principal at Huron Area Technical Center
Loved Education with Purpose.”
Michelle Claybaugh
Teacher at Dayton-Kalamazoo Central High School
Love the Career Tree and focusing on lifestyle.”
Lauren Liebler
Teacher at Petoskey High School
The for-now conversation was very powerful. I have a son with a similar experience as your Nick. Thank you for sharing. Fantastic energy and meaningful, actionable ways to facilitate change.”
Jaime Ratliff
STEM Coordinator at Lapeer Community Schools
Thank you for the inspiration!”
Tina Ponessa
Instructor at St. Clair TEC RESA
I love the Career Tree model for helping students identify their career interests. I absolutely love Mark’s commitment to helping support students’ passion, purpose and experience.”
Nick Beaudry
Career & College Consultant at St. Clair TEC RESA
Thank you so much for being real and relatable.”
Laura Hoehn
Career & College Readiness Coordinator a Livingston Educational Service Agency
Very powerful and very important to me and I related to it.”
Demetrius Marble
Teacher at College Career Institute