New boat honors Mark Sullivan

From coaching Middle School water polo and Lower School PE to winning an SPC Championship and even stepping in as assistant head of middle school, Mark Sullivan has seen it all.
Each of the 43 years he’s dedicated to St. Mark’s have shaped him just as much as he’s shaped the school. And now, his legacy of service and commitment to the school is being honored with a brand new boat bearing his name. The boat is the newest edition to a fleet consisting of over 12 boats.
“I’m honored that Coach Yandell and the team have chosen to do something like this,” Sullivan said. “I’m sort of speechless, but it’s such an honor.”
The boat itself is a state-of-the-art Hudson Ultimate Shark Predator, with Sullivan’s name emblazoned in blue at the very front. Its 32 feet of carbon fiber slice through the water with every stroke.
While the boat first set sail less than a month ago, high expectations are already being placed on it.
Junior Mateen Mostafavipour was among the first rowers to test out the new boat, and is scheduled to race with it at the 2025 USRowing Central Youth Championships on May 3-4.
“To be a part of a moment like this, and to be given the opportunity to race in a boat like this,” Mostafavipour said. “It’s going to be really special, even more so if we win a medal.”
While Sullivan wishes the boat success in competitions, his experience in the athletic department has taught him that winning isn’t everything.
“Have fun, just go enjoy what you do, and do it with passion. Keep pushing, keep going and have fun doing it,” Sullivan said.
Even before the boat’s christening on April 17, Sullivan’s name is remembered by decades of community members in St. Mark’s history because of his contributions to the athletics department and the school as a whole.
“I’ve been here a long time, and I remember the program when it was just a handful of kids and one quad,” Sullivan said. “So it’s just been really fun to watch that develop over the years. To me, that makes it even more special.”
At its heart, the school hasn’t changed all that much from when Sullivan first arrived on campus, just with the addition of some different buildings. All of the core values that the school expressed in the past have remained critical points of development in each generation of Marksmen.
“While the school itself, physically, has changed pretty dramatically over the years, interestingly, the kids and the faculty, not so much,” Sullivan said. “The faces change. But It’s funny because in kids like you guys, kids your age, I still see the faces of kids that I taught in the Lower School way back in the 80s.”
The school is unique in the profound way it shapes both its students and faculty members, something Sullivan had never experienced before coming here. The school has helped Sullivan become more confident over the years and its environment has propelled him further than he thought was possible.
“No doubt, St. Mark’s has pushed me in many ways. I was a shy, timid individual when I was younger and I didn’t really have a whole lot of self confidence,” Sullivan said. “But people here are pushing each other to be better and bringing it every day. And I wasn’t wired that way when I first came here, but now I’m ready.”
Surprisingly, for something Sullivan has spent the vast majority of his life focused on, athletics weren’t part of his original career path. Out of high school, Sullivan had been planning to try his luck at music. This changed when an opportunity in the North Texas area arose and he hasn’t looked back since.
“I was a music major at the time, but I felt like I wasn’t doing what I really wanted to do. I wanted a change, so I applied to the University of North Texas and met a guy who sparked my interest in physical education,” Sullivan said.
While Sullivan first arrived at St. Mark’s as a specialist in Elementary Physical Education, he quickly broadened his horizons when the Varsity Volleyball team needed a coach on quick notice.
“Speaking of doing something that you’re not that comfortable with, I was asked to coach the varsity volleyball team,” Sullivan said. “I don’t really know that much about volleyball, so I listened to my athletes. They knew more about volleyball, frankly, than I did, so I was fully willing to sit back and let them take control.”
Unexpectedly, the team made a deep run in the SPC tournament at the end of the season. They made it to the finals but a weak start against Fort Worth Country Day almost shattered their hopes of a championship.
“We weren’t really supposed to win it,” Sullivan said. “But those kids were just great. We were down 14 to one, and the kids came back and won the game.”
Helping Sullivan gain confidence as a young coach, this memory became an important milestone in his career. Sullivan fondly remembers the love and passion his players displayed for Volleyball and hopes that he has been able to cement a similar positive attitude towards improvement in each student he’s met.
“You always hope you pass on a love for what you do. I like to have a fun, light-hearted approach to a very serious thing,” Sullivan said. “It all boils down to the statue out front, the courage and honor, the helping young men become better students, athletes and adults.”