What do you do at LBCC and in your professional career?
I am one of two full-time Speech Communication faculty members at LBCC. I teach Public Speaking and Argument and Critical Discourse. I also advise the Civil Discourse Program and co-lead LBCC’s Cornerstone Project and Heterodox Academy Campus Community.
Why did you choose teaching?
When I was in college I knew I wanted to do something that involved working with people, particularly helping young people struggling to improve their lives. I had been thinking about counseling or something in law and advocacy. At a summer barbecue during my junior year, my debate coach laid out a compelling case for why I would be a great community college instructor and shared the steps I would need to take to become one. I decided to achieve that goal and have never regretted my decision.
How has your upbringing affected your teaching and outlook on life today?
I think most professionals are heavily influenced by their life experiences. I was a total screw-up in high school and dropped out when I was 17. After living on my own for a few years, I was forced to mature and take responsibility for my decisions and actions. There were a few moments during that period where I hit what felt like rock bottom. Each time, I looked myself in the mirror and asked, “Mark, what role did you play in creating this situation?” As tempting as it was to blame someone else or some system, I knew the truth was that I had the most influence in shaping where I was and how I was feeling. Once I made the decision to hold myself accountable, my life began to change for the better. I still have this mindset today and encourage my students to practice it as well.
You mentioned that you dropped out of high school. What made you enroll in El Camino Community College?
I was playing video games with a buddy. At some point, he looked at the clock and said something like, “Oh shit, I’m supposed to register for classes at El Camino right now.” I drove with him to the college, took a placement test that I was unprepared for, and signed up for two classes.
What do you do outside of being a communications professor and advisor for the civil discourse program?
I hang out with my wife and daughter who’s about to turn four years old. The weekends totally belong to them. We enjoy working on house projects and spending time outdoors. Having quality one-on-one time with each of them is very important to me. I’m always on the lookout for fun daddy-and-daughter dates. My wife and I don’t get much time alone but when we do, we enjoy going for walks at Bald Hill or watching something on Netflix together.
What are some memorable times when you impacted your students?
There’s no specific instance that stands out to me. Usually, it’s a really good debate that happens in class and an open discussion afterward where students speak honestly and authentically. It’s also enjoyable to watch a student who’s been struggling or has been quiet all term dominate an assignment and speak in a way that captivates the entire class. Knowing that I played a role in shaping the conditions that contributed to these successes is gratifying.
Has there been an impactful event or experience that changed your life’s trajectory?
I’ve thought about this quite a bit, and aside from my buddy driving me to the placement test at El Camino, there isn’t one moment that stands out. There are, however, a collection of sequential moments. Looking back, if any of them had not occurred, it could have totally shifted the path that I was on.
My first term at El Camino, I was enrolled in English Composition and First Aid. About halfway through the term, I dislocated my knee. Before the injury, I had missed several assignments in my writing class because I just wasn’t doing the work. But now that I was stuck at home and unable to do my job at a sports bar, I had plenty of time and a little more motivation to complete the assignments. I ended up barely passing the writing class with a C. In my first aid class, I had done enough where I was on the cusp of earning a C or B. The teacher told me on the final day that if I were willing to play the role of a victim as all of the students came in for their tests, he would bump me up to a B. I thought it was so cool that I could be an actor pretending to have some kind of condition to get a better grade, that it made me want to sign up for more classes the next term.
All of these little moments added up and provided me with momentum. Once I was ready to immerse myself in the college experience, I discovered a ridiculous amount of opportunities to get involved with high-quality programs. I did a couple of one-act plays with El Camino’s theater department, joined student government, and became a competitive member of the college’s nationally ranked speech and debate team. Each activity helped me become a more engaged student, significantly contributed to my development, and oriented my life toward a purpose-driven future.
Do you have any role models or people you look up to?
Yeah, there’s two in particular. The first is Edward McCrary III, a Psychology professor I took a class with when I was 20 years old. Over the years we developed a dialogical relationship similar to the one Will and Sean have in one of my favorite movies, Good Will Hunting. I could be honest and vulnerable with him. Despite our generational and racial differences, we shared an intellectual connection and similar outlook on what constitutes a good life. Professor McCrary was not only a mentor, but a good friend and dare I say a father figure. Usually, when I had gaps between classes, I would visit him to banter or grapple with political and philosophical subjects. But I think what made him an incredibly impactful role model was that he had high standards of excellence that forced me to work harder than I ever had as a student. I remember the first day of his class, he said that his psychology course transferred directly to UCLA and that he was going to be teaching the class at the same standard and with the same rigor that UCLA has. Several classmates were intimidated by that, but I loved the challenge. Also, I thought it showed a lot of respect for his students because he believed we were all capable of reaching that standard.
I remember earning C’s on some of his tests early on in the term and being incredibly frustrated. I thought, “No, I’m putting in all this time and effort I should be getting a higher score.” When I talked to him, he just looked at me and said, “You need to study harder and you need to study better.” And then he pointed me in the direction of resources trusting I could figure out what needed to be done. This forced me to be disciplined, creative, and resilient in a way nothing else had ever had. Throughout my K-12 experiences, it felt like I was just checking boxes in this cookie cutter one size fits all system that apparently was supposed to make you educated. Professor McCrary’s class made me focus on improving weaknesses I had in life and helped me appreciate that education is not just about earning a degree so you can go out and get a job. It’s an opportunity to participate in something that is transformational, that changes who you are for the better. It’s kind of like someone who realizes they’re undisciplined and disorganized, so they join the military for structure. His class was my boot camp: I was someone who was pretty immature and had trouble fulfilling basic responsibilities when I started. I left as a person who was goal-oriented with a strong locus of control.
The other professor who had a huge impact on me was Dr. Mark Crossman. He was my speech and debate coach and the first professional who seemed like the older version of the person I was striving to become. Mark invited me to try out for the forensics team, an experience that totally transformed my life because it got me into a group with a number of highly successful individuals who had concrete goals; something I didn’t have at the time. At that point in my life, I had learned a very important lesson: the people you spend the most time with are going to heavily influence how you think and behave. Mark created a program with high standards and a collection of diverse students who were competitive and willing to do whatever it took to help each other succeed. He also created an environment that was a lot of fun to be a part of.
You mentioned the debate team. Why did you join that and when did that occur in your college career?
Well, I’ve always been intrigued by what back in my day we called social studies. I also grew up in a household with a Republican father and a Democrat mother who often argued about politics. Most people who know me well will tell you that I’m not afraid to share my opinion and enjoy thinking deeply about complex challenges. The speech and debate team provided an ideal extracurricular activity that both suited my interests and helped me develop my talents. The team gave me opportunities to participate in tournaments with students from other colleges and universities in the greater Los Angeles area. Some of those experiences completely transformed how I viewed myself as a person and student. I remember my first term, my partner and I went up against a team from UCLA and beat them. Remember, I’m a high school dropout at this time. So the fact that we went to a college debate tournament and defeated two UCLA students was incredibly empowering for my self-concept. My self-worth shot up as a student and I realized, you know, I think I can actually be highly successful in academia.
What about after El Camino Community College, where did you go and what made you want to take those steps?
I transferred to UC Berkeley. One of the reasons why I transferred to Cal was because I was intrigued by the challenge. Berkeley has the reputation of being an incredibly competitive school with a long, rich tradition of excellence. I also liked the fact that it was in Northern California. NorCal and Southern California might as well be different states. They’re culturally very different. As someone who was born and raised in Los Angeles, I wanted to escape the environment I had spent most of my life in and try something new.
You often mention your love for Community College, why do you view it in such a positive light?
I absolutely loved being at El Camino. It’s a community college that serves as a hub for the greater Los Angeles area. I had classmates from the inner city, the barrio, the beach cities, and wealthy areas. Being in a classroom with this kind of diversity and discussing a social problem like poverty created a fascinating environment that challenged my perceptions and helped me gain a deep appreciation for viewpoint diversity. It made me realize that community colleges are incredibly unique because they have a student body composition that more accurately represents society than what you’d find at other colleges and universities. As a teacher, I take advantage of that. The classroom provides a special and precious context where people who normally would never come into contact with each other can start to discuss and understand different perspectives about complex topics and issues.
Community colleges also allow students and teachers to develop a relationship with each other that is challenging to create in a university setting, like OSU. Many professors at universities need to focus on research. They don’t have much time to devote themselves to the growth and development of undergrads, even though some may genuinely want to. Fortunately, at a community college, our primary responsibilities involve working directly with students and being excellent teachers in the classroom. My classes are capped at 20 students and I know each of their names. There’s no way I could be the kind of teacher I am if I were in a forum with 100 plus students and depended on graduate students to work with them.
You have a fellowship at UC Berkeley, do you mind elaborating on that?
UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center uses evidence-based practices to produce wellness in society. One specific program they have is called Bridging Differences that focuses on improving the ability to have civil discourse and to develop healthy relationships between people who are ideological opposites. The center’s director learned about our Civil Discourse Program and invited me to participate in a project-based cohort where I’m now creating a playbook for our co-curricular program. It will provide more information to students and employees at LBCC and can also be used by faculty and staff at other colleges who want to develop similar programs.
You do a lot outside of just being a professor, what keeps you passionate about the communications field and civil discourse field?
This work is a labor of love. When I see results, when I see wins, when I see students thriving, that fuels me and makes me want to see more. That’s just my personality. I have a lot of energy and am driven to achieve.
Would you like to share anything else?
I deeply believe that education is something that’s supposed to be personal and transformational. I was incredibly blessed to have a community college in my hometown that provided students with educational experiences that rival what less accessible colleges and universities offer. It seems harder for community college students to have these experiences today. However, it’s not impossible. Seize the opportunities that are currently available. If they don’t exist, then get to work building them.
