More than two years ago, I first met Mark in Developmental Psychology class. He introduced himself as an undergraduate TA and I instantly experienced how infectious his energy was. He would go on to be the TA for this class semester after semester, never losing his passion and keep adding more responsibilities to his already overfilled plate.

Mark is among the biggest perfectionists I know. He always goes above and beyond. For example, his criteria for class presentations aren’t about making the A or merely checking off the grading rubric. He goes by his own set of standards, one that engages and inspires the audience to think deeper. Having worked with children with autism, Mark has limitless patience and an unyielding passion to serve the underprivileged and underrepresented.

Taking his graduation photos, I felt like such a proud sister. I’m going to miss Mark. He will go to far places (literally across the globe) and I hope our paths will cross again.

Mark, the image I have of you is a guy confident to take on the world with relentless optimism and the strongest work ethic. Keep on keeping on! 🙂