By Journalism students Zoey and Addy
New Life Academy’s newest hire, Dr. Mawk, has kept busy throughout his life. This includes his experience becoming a neurosurgeon, serving in the Navy, being a lawyer, and now teaching in a science classroom. Dr. Mawk grew up in San Antonio, Texas. When talking about his hometown Dr. Mawk said, “When you are walking on the streets you try to walk from shadow to shadow.” The heat was so harsh where he grew up that he took these measures to stay cool.
The education was not the best where he went to school. While in school, he remembers his teachers showing him videos of the Cold War. These videos consisted of cities exploding in flames, which encouraged Mawk to make something out of himself so he could better our world and country. He joined the Navy. When asked why he wanted to become a neurosurgeon, his answer was straightforward. There was a heart surgeon in the family and Mawk wanted to strive for something more difficult than this family member. Obviously, he is an extremely competitive man. He says that to do his best, it’s better to have someone to compete against to reach a goal. He brought up the race to the moon and said without the competition against Russia, there was no one to beat and that made things less exciting.
Mawk strives for excellence in everything he does. He says, “I don’t know what tomorrow’s paper has for a headline,” which shows that he is always ready and prepared for what life gives him. Along with his accomplishment of becoming a neurosurgeon, he also has experience as a practicing lawyer. Mawk never stopped and always wanted to push himself to learn more. His experiences and drive show not only how accomplished he is, but also how determined he is to always do more. He never stops trying to better himself and those around him.
Dr. Mawk is now retired from neurosurgery and serves as a science teacher at New Life Academy. He wants to teach as many students about science as he can. He picked New Life because the foundation of faith and the mission that New Life has is something Mawk appreciates. Mawk wants to make science fun, rather than a task you have to get through in school. He brings excitement and passion to his work at school and helps to better the lives of the students he teaches.