ASP - American School of Paris

14/special featureMeetingMark...An Interview with Mark E. Ulfers, our New Head of Schoolby ASP Senior Sietse Goffardl Welcome to ASP! Firstly, how are youand your family settling into your life inParis?Life is good, and we’re settling in very well!My wife Wendy and I began moving intoour new home in June, and that has beengoing smoothly. Our two children, Adamand Lara, no longer live at home but aredefinitely very enthusiastic about us beingin Paris. Adam is 28 and is in business inSan Francisco. Lara, is 25 and a cancerresearcher in Denver, Colorado.l Do you have any pets coming with youto Paris as well?No pets. I would really like to have adog someday, but living in Paris, we’reprobably better waiting. We have a cabinin Colorado, up in the mountains at about8,500ft, and I suppose if we retire to aplace like that then we would have plenty ofspace for pets.l Could you tell us about yourchildhood? Where did you grow up?What type of student were you?I grew up in the very heart of the USA, inthe state of Iowa. I lived in a little city calledCedar Rapids and can only describe it asa pretty ideal childhood in which I rode mybike to school and had a lot of good friends,many of whom I am still in contact with.At school, I like to think I was pretty diligent.I took my studies seriously and was anHonor Roll student. My main interest wasThe Aspect - October 2010life sciences, so I took my first universitydegree in a combination of biology andbotany. Later, I took a second degreein literacy learning, specifically reading,writing, and speaking with youngerstudents. I then took my Masters Degreein educational leadership at Iowa StateUniversity with graduate work at UCLA andthe University of Colorado.l At what point did you becomeinterested in school education andadministration?I had known a long time that I wanted tobe a teacher, and I’m proud to say that.I spent many vacations during myformative years teaching at a boy’s campin northern Wisconsin and it was there that‘‘That is whatI hope for anybody- that they can tapinto their interest,passion andexpertise.I realized how interested I was in teachingas a career. It was more than an interest; itbecame a passion. Actually, I thought I waseven pretty good at it!That is what I hope for anybody – thatthey can tap their interest, passion,and expertise. It was a truly importantexperience for me. I had some exceptionalmentors who introduced me to tremendousteaching opportunities. From there, havingtaught younger students as well as APBiology, I went on to administration. I feltthat I could hopefully bring a bit more reasonand goodness to education through takingon some leadership roles.l Where did you work and live beforecoming to Paris?I started teaching in the US. I took my firstrole as principal in a rural school in Iowa,where I also served as curriculum director,bus driver, and instructional leader! It wasterrific training, and I really experiencedschools from every direction. I then led alarge school in Colorado before moving onto Singapore – my first overseas post. Atthe Singapore American School, I was theLower and Middle School Head with about1400 students. From there, I went on toopen up the first American school on theisland of Cyprus. Next, I moved to Taiwanand became the Head of School for 12years at the Taipei American School, where▼ ▼▼