As many amazing students walk through the doors of Lake Forest High School each year, it’s the teachers and staff that help them get through these challenging four years. Many “Lake Forest Staples” of teachers and staff have become very well known and a common name over the course of many years. When these teachers eventually leave, they leave all their positive impacts behind and their memory lives on. During this article, we will dig deeper and find out what amazing historian, Mr. Mark Kuhl, is up to these days.

What do you do now in your free time?

“Well I walk the dogs, cuddle with the kitty,” Mr. Kuhl said but he also very much enjoys taking naps and light traveling on the weekends, especially to the Northwestern vs. Rutgers game this past weekend. He will start to travel internationally after his last daughter, Erica, graduates Ettica College and he can save up his money.

What is something about LFHS or teaching that you miss?

Mr. Kuhl noted that he really misses the happy smiles of the young students. “The positivity is something special at LFHS. The happy vibes and intensity of students spread to the teachers.”

Are you interested in continuing practicing your teaching degree, just not full time?

While Mr. Kuhl didn’t give me a full response to this question, he is taking a college course at CLC called “Script to Screen.” He claims to have a wonderful professor who is also a professional script writer. He says it’s “fun to be student again” and is learning script writing. Mr. Kuhl was also recently asked to sub in January for an Economics class and isn’t too keen on that as he wants to get out of the situation of “time and stress– it’s time to lighten the duty.” He still hasn’t decided if he is going to commit to this.

Any new hobbies you have picked up?

Besides his script writing (which is a mystery about girl finding an important historical document in a cave that claims the land belongs to Native Americans), he also finds himself “taking walks to look at the changing colors of the trees and cleaning the dishes.” He says he is now the trophy husband because Mrs. Kuhl works a lot more.

The teacher sponsors for Scholastic Bowl is now Ariel Landvick & Laura Grigg. Do you have any hopes or recommendations for the club?

“I would like to compliment them!” He first pronounced. “20 years of leading Scholastic Bowl…I wanted to leave the program in the hands of people who care and are clever.” In addition, he added, the club was guy dominant so it’s good to see now that both coaches are women.

Is there anything you want to say to your past students that are still studying at LFHS?

“I’m a lifelong learner,” he started by saying. “Don’t give up on being in a situation where you have the ability to learn new skills.” Mr. Kuhl wishes all his students the best of success but also wants them to have lifelong motivation to learn.

Is there anything you regret not doing at LFHS?

“No, I have had a great career.” Mr. Kuhl said in addition to teaching he coached athletics (basketball, track, and badminton), sponsored Scholastic Bowl, and monitored the weight room. Overall, Mr. Kuhl says he is “proud of my (his) career!”

How are your dogs?

Mr. Kuhl laughed at this question but said he had originally had three dachshunds. Unfortunately, one passed away last year. Overall, his dogs are “kinda mean and just not nice at all” but “don’t tell my wife that!” he added.

Other takeaways:

• Mr. Kuhl’s new word in his vocab is “nap.”
• Mr. Gigiano gave Mr. Kuhl an Intellectual Itches subscription which are college courses on cd’s that Mr. Kuhl now listens to, to better himself.
• Mr. Kuhl’s mom is 81 years old and he spends a lot of time with her and helping her do lawn work.
• The biggest transition for Mr. Kuhl was time. He says the more you move towards retirement, the more time bleeds away.

After sitting with Mr. Kuhl for a good 45 minutes, I was blown away from this man! Sure, many students have had him as a teacher and his rigorous courses were a challenge, but he has always had many great stories to share! Just in the beginning of our conversation, he used the cardboard cutout of Abraham Lincoln in the library to teach me a lesson on journalism. I can assure you that Mr. Kuhl has lived the best of his life at Lake Forest High School and is ready to continue to fulfill his life in this next chapter. Lake Forest wishes you all the best, Mr. Kuhl! Don’t ever be shy to come back for a visit! Your colleagues and students miss you dearly!