Libertyville High School physics teacher Mark Buesing has added another accomplishment to his repertoire: Mr. Buesing has been nominated for the Illinois State Board of Education’s annual “Those Who Excel” educator recognition program, one of eleven nominees.

   “Having a teacher nominated from Libertyville makes sense. I am just the symbol, or spokesperson, for all the great teachers here at LHS,” said Mr. Buesing of his nomination.

Mr. Buesing, who has been teaching at LHS since 1995, has long received recognition for various reasons. Mr. Buesing was a great cyclist, winning Illinois Rider of the Year twice, and rode in the 1992 Olympic time trials. This past spring, Mr. Buesing traveled with NASA for Operation IceBridge. The program aimed to collect data on the last remaining sea ice and continental ice sheets, which are in Antarctica and Greenland. The program accomplished this by keying in on specific glaciers and monitoring them closely.

Mr. Buesing is very involved in the school’s activities. As a coach for the boys cross country team, Mr. Buesing was nominated for Brooks Sports Nation’s 25 Most Inspiring High School Running Coaches in 2012. “Mr. Mark”, as he is commonly called among students and faculty, also coaches the academic decathlon here at LHS.

Mr. Buesing was nominated by Dr. Marina Scott for the prestigious honor.

“As an instructor, his knowledge base and teaching style are exemplary.  His instruction is influenced by student needs and feedback.  He puts students in the driver’s seat and creates an environment where he can facilitate and they discover,” said Dr. Scott.

The honor, while tremendous for Mr. Buesing, reflects on the school as a whole, too.

“This nomination is recognition of all the hard work that teachers, that all who work in support of teachers from secretaries to maintenance, do,” said the humble Mr. Buesing.

After starting his teaching career as an interim teacher, Mr. Buesing has grown into one of the most respected and admired teachers at LHS. His first teaching job was as a filler for another teacher who quit. His admiration from students, even early in the year, is profound.

“He’s a great teacher. You’re never bored in his class because he always has something to do. He knows how to keep class fun, while also getting us all the information,” said junior Ryan Pacholski, a member of Buesing’s physics class.