Mark Blethen

Mark Blethen

I have been aware of my personal career hero for as long as I can remember because he is not only my hero, but my dad. When I was younger I knew what my dad did, but I never understood why he would purposely put himself back in a school setting. As I grew up, I realized that his real passion is passing on knowledge to the next generation and teaching is just one way to do that. One thing that attracts me about what my dad does and how he does it is the amount of satisfaction he gets from when his students/athletes grasp the concept he is teaching/coaching him and that's not even why he does what he does. He works at Saddleback College and coaches Track and Field. He Also teaches kinesiology. Another thing that attracts me to what my dad does is being able to lead a group of people who expect you to lead them in the best way and them buying in and trusting you. Coming from a supportive family he was always encouraged to chase his passion no matter the money he would be making or the circumstances it would put him in and it shows in his work when he puts hard work in or extra hours at work because what he does is his passion. He encourages me to do the same and I realize that what I want to do is pass on knowledge to the generation below me and do it through sports and in the classroom as well.

If a teacher/coach only does the minimum, then I believe that your students/players will only perform to the minimum for you and that does not reflect well. When you are teacher in the classroom, you should go over and beyond when creating power points, homework, and projects so your students can make the best out of all the work and score well on tests. You should not just teach curriculum, but teach life lessons and other lessons as they come up in class. To become a high school teacher you must get your bachelor's degree and get your teachers credential in one curriculum. If you want to be elementary school teacher you must get a different credential then a high school teacher because you need to be sufficient in all parts of school (ie; math,English, art, science, social studies, etc.). According to what my dad has told me he makes $120,000 per year and according to the occupational outlook handbook teaching jobs are hard to come by because of the fact that salaries are on the rise for that profession and that is a major reason for the amount of competition in the field.. A similar career to being a college professor is being a high school teach or any type of informative job.

Mark C. Blethen was born in Vicenza, Italy on a U.S Military Base. When he was three his family moved back to the states to Detroit, Michigan. Then when he was nine, his family moved to Los Angeles and he went to 5 different schools by the time he had finished elementary school. Finally, they moved into a house in Palos Verdes Estates, California. My dad was a very smart young man, but when it came to applying it to school he didn't really start putting in hard work until he got into high school. He was always involved in any sports and since he was a tough kid he would always play pick-up games of baseball or football with kids older than him. My Dad's side of the family is very close and his older cousins would always protect him. He attended Rolling Hills High School in Palos Verdes Estates, California. He ran track and played football. His senior year, he was a national Merit scholar and decided that he would go to the University of California at Los Angeles, more commonly known as UCLA, and majored in scientific engineering. After his freshman year, he took a break from school for a couple years and then decided to attend California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo. He majored in physical education after originally majoring in Forestry. After graduating he coached water polo at the local high school with a friend who he started Straight Down Apparel with which is now a multi-million dollar company. His friend bought him out of his share of the company because my dad didn't want to work in clothing anymore. After popping through many jobs he took the head coaching job for track and field and cross country at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo and that is where he has worked for the last fifteen years. Now I see him every day before he goes to work and he is genuinely happy with his work and he is proud of what he does.

Matt Sherman, my dad's assistant head coach for fifteen years, said, "He is a determined coach and great leader but a better man". This shows that, even though my dad is a great coach and a great leader of his team, the most important thing for him is his producing athletes who can be productive in society. He wants his athletes to mature during their time at Saddleback College. Also, in the classroom he is passing on knowledge he has learned over time through text books. He does not only teach them lessons through curriculum, but he also teaches them life lessons that he has learned throughout his life so they don't make the same mistake. One of my Dad's old athletes who is now a coach and teacher just like my dad told me, "Your dad is the reason I do what I do today. Your dad is the reason I am the man I am today. Your dad is the reason I can provide for my family. He changed my life and for that I will be forever grateful". That was the day I realized why my dad does what he does. Of course he wants a title, but mostly for the fact that he gets the gratitude of watching young men and women mature into who they will be for the rest of their lives.

I will try to live up to the way my dad did things as well as I can, but at the same time I want to take my own path to the goals that I have. I will be able to perform my job better if understood how I got there and I will work better because of the fact that I would cherish the job more. I plan to keep going with sports and to keep good grades, so I can go to the school of my choice. I would like to go to a school in a major sports conference and good physical education program. Hopefully, I will be able to either play football or lacrosse in college on a scholarship. I would like to major in physical education with a minor in business administration, just in case I want to become an athletic director after my teaching/coaching career. A couple schools I would consider are UCLA, Syracuse, or Arizona because those are great schools and have good sports programs. I am inspired every day by what my dad does and how he does it. Not just because he and my mom are able to provide for a family of five with two kids in college and 5 cars plus a mortgage, but because he enjoys what he does every day he goes to work and that's why I want follow in his footsteps. I will be successful as an adult because I share many of the same traits that make my dad successful in the real world. I may want to follow in my Dad's footsteps, but I want to do it in my own special way so I can learn the value of the job that will potentially be my career.