Exploring Hidden Gifts

ATHLETICS

Sixteen varsity sports and multiple extracurricular athletic opportunities help Marksmen foster a collective identity, understand limitations and how to push past them and create enduring bonds shaped through competition.

JOURNALISM

Nationally recognized student publications covering daily student life, literature, athletics, science, business and important social topics.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION

From sixth grade through the summer before their freshman year, Marksmen participate in the wilderness program, learning to cope with uncertainty, gain self-confidence and develop self-reliance.

STUDENT TRAVEL & INTERNATIONAL STUDY PROGRAMS

Broaden global perspectives, build relationships, practice skills and apply knowledge beyond the confines of campus.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Fifteen hours of service per year for Upper School students help raise social awareness, develop the ability to communicate respectfully and teach sound leadership values and skills.

THE ARTS

Nationally recognized programs in photography, ceramics, woodworking, choir, drama, painting and drawing, debate, band and orchestra.

STEM

State of the art facilities like the Makerspace and planetarium and a yearly STEM conference that brings industry professionals to campus to promote understanding and stoke passions in various scientific fields.

CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES

Over 80 clubs and co-curricular activities that help students explore interests, practice leadership and build new relationships.

A better understanding of self often requires confronting preconceptions and embracing new experiences. At 10600 Preston Road, Marksmen are challenged with curricula designed to inspire, motivate and stretch. Students often ‘discover’ hidden talents and interests by taking diverse areas of study, being exposed to unique life experiences and following the sage advice of faculty. A gifted athlete with a knack for acting or a science scholar who is also a talented fine artist is common on campus. IT’S A PRODUCT OF EDUCATING THE ‘WHOLE BOY.’

Tomek Marczewski ’22 had always considered himself a “STEM kid” with a solid background in woodworking that was strictly pragmatic and functional.

“My creations existed to serve a purpose, and their form mattered little as long as they fulfilled that purpose,” Marczewski said. That perspective was challenged in wood and metal class as part of his fine arts requirement. “The whole idea of being creative scared me, and I didn’t think I had it in me to make an artistic statement.”

The course involved critiquing professional artists, which allowed students to understand why artists made the decisions they did and how students might apply these concepts to their own works. Form started to find its way into Marczewski’s work, which began to garner recognition and accolades. Last year, Marczewski’s large sculpture proposal was chosen to be built and displayed on campus. This past spring, Marczewski was also selected as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts, one of only 56 student artists recognized nationwide.

“Art is something I do for enjoyment, but I would never have pursued it to the extent I have if it wasn’t so easily accessible,” he said. “That multidisciplinary nature of my education has made me more well-rounded as a person, but it also influences my thinking when approaching more regimented disciplines like engineering.” A multi-sport star athlete, Samuel Eluemunoh ’22 did not fully appreciate the power of the spoken word until one day in ninth grade English class. Students had to memorize and recite a poem for the schools Poetry Out Loud recitation competition. The poem was Blade, Unplugged by Tim Seibles, and Eluemunoh found a deep connection to its content.

“It was a moment of realization,” he said. “I realized the power of words. Words can be the cause of disaster, bloodshed, or war, a weapon against humanity; yet, it can be a doctor, a therapist, a caring mother or father, something that will always be there to comfort you.”

Eluemenoh applied his newfound understanding to future poetry recitations. During his junior year, Eluemunoh qualified for the state Poetry Out Loud recitation competition held by the Texas Commission on the Arts and won—the first Marksman to ever achieve this feat. He was then asked to narrate the promotional video for the 2022 International Boys’ Schools Coalition (IBSC) conference, which was held here in June.

“If one’s vision is to be the best athlete one can be and become a celebrated painter, it can be done,” Eluemunoh said. “If one’s vision is to place in the highest level of competition math and star in the fall drama play, it can be done. The greatest lesson I learned at St. Mark’s is that there is no limit.”

Marczewski and his sculpture of “a big stack of blocks”

Eluemunoh competing in the state Poetry Out Loud recitation competition.

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