Catholic School Champion: This Dad Shows Up

For Mark Kocovski, supporting Catholic schools goes beyond his commitment as an ACE teacher: he wants to ensure a strong learning foundation for his children.
 
People eagerly camp out for concert tickets or great holiday sales; why not something as vital as your child’s moral formation?  When it came time to enroll his first child in school, Mark wanted to guarantee his daughter a spot in the brand new Catholic school opened by his parish in Granger, Indiana. His was the first car in the St. Pius parking lot at 5:30 am, long before anyone else arrived for the 8:30 registration call. The result: Mary Kate Kocovski became the first preschooler at St. Pius X Catholic School.
 
In the three years following, Mark has shown that same level of commitment to supporting his children (2 now attend) and their teachers through his regular volunteering and participation in their school. The kindergarten class is used to seeing Mary Kate's dad along with other class moms help out with centers; the preschoolers have welcomed him for such activities as Thanksgiving harvests and classroom fiestas. Mark's love for learning in the context of faith, strengthened by his two years as a middle school teacher in ACE, continues to grow and find more avenues for development with his children (Mary Kate, 6, Caroline, 4, and Luke 18 mos).
 
"Eruditio et fides," learning and faith, reads the brick donated to St. Pius by Mark and his wife, MJ. Every one of Mark's 21 years of education have been in classrooms of Catholic institutions, from kindergarten through law school. His professional life has led him back to his alma mater to continue the Catholic mission of the University of Notre Dame through his leadership in the office of Human Resources.  “Catholic schools,” Kocovski says, “can be an option for everyone. It’s about where you put your priorities.” His are clear. He and his wife work to make sure their kids can enjoy the Catholic school advantage. Their children will always attend Catholic schools, the couple says, and Mark will do all he can to make sure those schools are excellent in every way.