Thirty Years of Opening the Door to a World of Opportunities

by Kate Engstrom

Whether crawling through wires or paddling against a current, Mark Burkholz has been dedicated to the learning potential in the environments he has come to love, both in and outside the classroom. As of June, Mr. Burkholz has concluded his career at Lawrence Academy after 30 years of teaching math and computer science, 25 years as director of technology, and 19 years as co-leader of the outdoors program. In his tenure, LA’s use of technology has grown and changed with the times, and countless students have furthered their connection to the natural world thanks to Mark’s hard work, commitment, and passion for learning.

After a decade that included teaching high school math in Australia and New York City, and work as a software engineer at AT&T Bell Laboratories in North Andover, Mark came to LA in 1991 as a math teacher who knew about computers. When he arrived, he recalls, “there were only four stand-alone computers, no network, and no email. The internet was unknown.” After his first five years of working alone, Mark helped bring a reliable network to campus thanks to the expertise of his network administrators: first, Kyle Jones, and for the last 10 years, Austin Bradstreet. The contributions of department members Ken Berg and Paul Beauchamp have also been vital to the smooth functioning of technology on campus.

In Mark’s mind, a solid network was the key to the success of technology in the classroom, and then, what “changed everything,” he says, “was getting a laptop program.” Time that he had spent uploading software and maintaining computers across campus could be devoted to integrating technology in the classroom. As an educator first, Mark was able to support history teachers in connecting with people in Afghanistan and Iraq and guide his department to an alternative way of teaching math. As Mark says, “You need teachers to talk to teachers.”

Mark particularly enjoyed his work in the computer science classroom, where he could employ a project-based approach to learning with his students. The same creative process that helped develop such projects drove Mark’s work in the math department as he introduced the concept of the flipped classroom. He then guided his colleagues in recording lectures so they could be watched at home, allowing them more time to teach experientially in the classroom. Fellow math teacher and longtime colleague Krista Collins says, “Without him, we would not have been as prepared as we were to make the transition to remote teaching due to COVID.”

In looking back, Mark finds it gratifying to reflect on “the kids whom he has affected with computer science and math.” Some went on to careers in the field, and others walked away with lessons they could apply to any path in life.

Winterim also stands out to Mark as one of the most memorable parts of working at LA. From 2006 to 2018, he led 12 consecutive kayaking trips in Central America with his wife, Sheara Friend. In addition to camping and being at the mercy of the weather, his student groups had incredible opportunities in nature: observing gray whales in Mexico, exploring Mayan caves in Belize, and more. These immersion experiences tested participants’ stamina and opened their eyes to the wonders of the world.

Though he has officially retired, Mark is currently teaching, remotely, one computer science class. With the rest of his time, he plans to continue the tradition of Winterim with trips to Mexico and the Virgin Islands. When he is not traveling, he can be found enjoying his home by a lake in New Hampshire with Sheara. He will also continue with one of his most important hobbies: karate, in which he is a fifthdegree black belt. As he steps into the next phase of his journey, Mark takes great satisfaction in all of the opportunities he provided for students and teachers alike and will revel in the many more experiences that lie ahead.

Mark and his wife Sheara Friend