Mark Chance serves as the Fifth and Sixth Grade Latin Teacher and Eighth Grade English Language Arts teacher. He holds a B.A. in history with a minor in English, philosophy, and theology from the University of St. Thomas. In addition to serving as a classroom teacher, Mark facilitates 'Ludi Fabularum: Games of Stories,’ an extracurricular school club that meets during the lunch/recess period. Prior to teaching, Mark served eight years in the U.S. Army. He has taught in both public and private schools for more than 20 years.

Q: What is special about working at an all-boys school?

A: In single-gender peer groups, children behave differently. A group of boys tends toward rambunctiousness, competitiveness, noisiness. Regis embraces these tendencies. We don't expect boys to behave like the model student, who in a co-ed school always seems to be a girl. At the same time, we're not content to let boys be boys because we aim to form young men who are both gentlemen and scholars.

Q: If you were given a superlative by the boys here at Regis, what would it be?

A: That's a tough one. I don't want to fall into wishful thinking, imagining that the answer would be "the best" or "most awesome". I want to be somewhere between "uncompromising" and "forgiving" because I try to maintain high expectations for my students while at the same time realizing that we all fall short of the mark at least some of the time.

Q: What do you love most about Regis?

A: The students. I am a better man because of the students here at Regis.

Q: How would you describe your teaching style?

A: On my best days, my teaching style acknowledges that I'm not the one here trying to make it to the next grade level, and so the burden of working hard and being challenged intellectually belongs to the students, not to me. So, I strive to present challenges in a way that guides my students to seeing that they all have the ability to achieve the goals I've set for them.

Q: What was the best advice you ever received?

A: From First Lieutenant Daniel J. Freehill, the first company executive officer I served under with the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii, I learned to never ask my men to do something that I'm not willing to do.

Q: If you could pass on any wisdom to your students, what would you share?

A: It would be something like this: Gentlemen, your education is not the most important thing. When all is said and done, what is most important that you are a good man who loves his family and who uses his God-given talents to guide others to Heaven.

Q: What is your “trapped on a desert island” book or movie?

A: I guess since I teach at a Catholic school, I'm supposed to say something like the Bible or a book written by some saint. That's probably not true. So, I'll borrow G. K. Chesterton's answer. If I was trapped on a desert island, I'd want a copy of "Thomas’ Guide to Practical Shipbuilding."

Q: What song do you know all the words to?

A: That depends on what you mean by "know." If you mean what song do I know so well that I could sing it right now, then it'd have to be something simple like the "ABC Song" or "Happy Birthday". If you mean sing along with, I'd go for something fun like "September" by Earth, Wind, and Fire or the theme song from the old TV show "Flipper". Flipper is such a great show.

Q: What would students be surprised to find out about you?

A: When I was a very young Mr. Chance, I tied my blanket around my neck like a cape and jumped from the top stair of our house so that I could fly like Superman. It didn't work.

Q: Describe your dream vacation.

A: My dream vacation? Getting to spend two weeks with my lovely wife, Katrina, traveling Italy from Turin in the northwest to Rome to Reggio down in the Italy’s toes and then north along the Adriatic coast to Venice. And, of course, it would all be paid for by someone else.