It’s no wonder Mark Rowzee can relate to his students. The Naperville North High School physics teacher sat in the same classroom he teaches in now before graduating as a proud Huskie in 1989.
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It was during chemistry his sophomore year, Rowzee said, that he decided he’d one day be a teacher.
“I had (now retired teacher) Lee Marek and he was totally inspirational,” Rowzee said. “He was the guy that would go on ‘The David Letterman Show’ and blow stuff up, and that is how he did his class. I knew he was an engineer for a number of years before becoming a teacher, and that’s what I wanted to emulate.”
Rowzee headed to Iowa State University for “the best six years of his life,” and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering. After working as an engineer for 10 years, he returned to school to get his teaching certificate and the rest is history.
“I work harder than I did before for less money than I did before, and I love (my job) more than I ever did before,” Rowzee said.
We sat down with him to learn more.
What and where do you teach? I teach physics and a STEM capstone course at Naperville North High School in Naperville.
How long have you been teaching? 12 years
What degrees do you have? Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, master’s degree in environmental engineering and a provisional certificate from Benedictine University.
Did you always want to be a teacher? I knew I wanted to be a teacher in high school. When I was working as an engineer, my wife (who is also a teacher) said, “You might as well do it since you always talked about doing it.”
You said Lee Marek inspired you. Did you ever tell him that? Yes, I have actually seen him at various chemistry teacher meetings and I have told him that.
What is it like to teach with people at Naperville North who were your teachers? Ten years ago my answer would be very different, but I can say it is strange to call your teacher by their first name.
Looking back at high school, what would you have done differently? I coasted sometimes when I shouldn’t have. Also, regrettably I can look back at a couple of instances when I was unkind to someone, and I may have apologized to them, but you don’t really get that back.
What do you enjoy most about teaching? I always wanted variety in my work. It’s not that every day is different, it’s that every class every day is different. Certain classes have certain personalities and you have to treat each class differently.
Any advice you would give a new teacher? You have to let students know you care before you can teach them anything. That is the only way to teach.
What do you enjoy doing in the summer? I love backpacking, camping and riding my motorcycle, which is a recent development. I crashed a motorcycle when I was 17, and there was a necessary gap there of about 30 years before I started riding again.
Three words that best describe you: Outgoing, caring, and more sensitive than you would believe.
Something people would be surprised to learn about you: I met my wife, Krista, in room 144, which is the same room I teach in. She was a year behind me in school, and she turned me down three times before she agreed to go out with me. I am the epitome of persistence.
Jane Donahue is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.