A published playwright whose day job is battling blazes will speak to a room of Blazers Wednesday morning at Blue Chip Casino Hotel Spa’s Stardust Room. 

Thirty years after receiving his diploma from Marquette Catholic High School, Zach Mark ’96 returns as the school’s alumni commencement speaker. Mark will share his wisdom with the 53 graduating members of Marquette’s Class of 2026 hours before the seniors turn their tassels.

Mark, who currently serves as chief of the Centre Township Fire Department in South Bend, was hired as a firefighter in 2010. He worked his way up the ladder, having held ranks of lieutenant, captain, and battalion chief before earning his promotion to fire chief in 2026.

His passion extends beyond his duties as fire chief and EMT. Mark is an author and a proud member of the Dramatist Guild of America. In 2018, his play Second Glance was published, and its first production took place in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2021. Second Glance made its Michigan City debut this past March at the Holdcraft Performing Arts Center. As of this writing, Mark has published five plays that have been produced in 20 states, Canada, India, and New Zealand. In addition to Second Glance, Mark has penned The Trail’s Creek, Baby by Number, A Factually Inaccurate Conversation, The Comfort of Concrete, and Ascending the Folded Loop.

This past year, The Hundredth Hill in Bloomington, Indiana, awarded Mark a fully-funded residency.

Mark is part of a multi-generational St. Mary’s/Marquette family. Three of his grandparents graduated from St. Mary’s: Alice (Bendix) Kintzele ’49, James Kintzele, Sr. ’50, and Francis Mark ’51. His parents, Tim ‘72 and Mary Kay ’73, both returned to 10th Street, where they served as directors of facilities and academic affairs, respectively, until 2019 and 2021. 

Zach is the middle of three children. His older sister, Cara (Mark) Smith, graduated from Marquette in 1994, while his younger sister, Kellie (Mark) Duncan, graduated in 1999. Zach’s wife, Angela (Stahoviak) Mark, is a 1995 grad. They reside in North Liberty, along with their three children: Maggie (23), Elliot (21), and Sam (18).

Marquette will celebrate its Class of 2026 Wednesday with a 5 p.m. baccalaureate Mass inside St. Mary, the Immaculate Conception, followed by the commencement ceremony in the Richard & Louise Scholl Student Center at 6:30 p.m.