Faces of GNBVT- Mark Waters

Meet Mr. Mark Waters. He has been a history teacher for twenty-four years. He started teaching in Los Angeles and after eleven years in California, he moved back to the Greater New Bedford area to teach at New Bedford high school for two more years. Now, he has been teaching at GNBVT for eleven years. Mr. Waters started teaching because of his family. His grandmother was a prolific educator, who graduated college in 1921. When women of color would not nor- mally be able to go to school, she was a pioneer. His father and his aunts also became teach- ers. He felt teaching was a natural step to take. Teaching in this capacity has made Mr. Waters a much more patient instructor.

During his time in the Marine Corps, he learned to do everything with perfection, speed, and efficiency, with no tolerance for laziness, lethargy, and failure. As a teacher, he needed to acknowledge that “the students are not Marines.” He’s learned to become more patient and realistic with his expectations of students. Mr. Waters hopes that through his classes students gain an appreciation for those who have come before us, to understand the contributions that people have made for the development and prosperity of our country, along with the obstacles many had to endure and overcome to achieve it. He wants his students to realize that it took every- one, all joining together, to create the most prosperous, wealthy, and well-respected country in the world, the United States of America.

Before becoming a teacher, Mr. Waters was a well-respected and distinguished Captain in theUnited States Marine Corps. He was thrust into a leadership role at the age of 23 when the Colonel handed him a map of Kuwait, he said “Lieutenant, take us to the war.” He was a convoy commander and had over 100 vehicles and over 1000 troops directly under his command. He marched them all up through Saudi Arabia and into Kuwait, taking on gunfire and attacks from the edge of Baghdad to the edge of Iraq. That is an experience he will never forget; it made him confident in everything he does, gave him a greater appreciation for life, and made him feel lucky for everything he has more than ever. “The Marine Corps. has made me a better man.”

Article and Picture by: Zachary Botelho, Senior Media Technology