Best Day Ever: Ohio's Teacher of the Year Mark Lowrie
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Ohio's 2024 Teacher of the Year, Mark Lowrie, stands in front of Gahanna Lincoln High School. Photo: Courtesy of Lowrie
Ohio's 2024 teacher of the year is local educator Mark Lowrie.
Driving the news: Lowrie, who teaches broadcast journalism at Gahanna Lincoln High School, has grown the program from 27 to over 130 students. His teaching career spans 22 years.
- For our latest Best Day Ever, here's Lowrie's ideal day both inside and outside the classroom.
🎙️ Music to start your day: I listen to Howard Stern or news radio on the way to school. When I arrive around 6:15am and there's nobody around, I love to jam to REM or Bruce Springsteen.
☕ Breakfast: I've ordered an extra large black coffee from Dunkin' before every single school day for over 20 years. I usually pair it with a Wake-Up Wrap or a breakfast bar.
- At home, I'm happy with a bowl of Grape-Nuts or some eggs.
- When we go out, my wife Celina and I love Cafe Creekside in Gahanna. It's a classic little diner and definitely has a historical small town feel to it. Eggs Benedict is my go-to.
✍🏼 Morning activity: On a school day, I give myself over an hour to get my game face on and get excited for the day. I organize. I grade. I plan.
- On weekends, we like to sip coffee as we walk our three dogs.
🥪 Lunch: I typically pack leftovers or a sandwich so I can spend my lunch periods in the classroom working with kids. That's bonus time to make connections with students.
- On off days, Celina and I like to support local non-chain restaurants. Dakshin and Gahanna Grill are high on the list.
🏟️ Afternoon activity: I'm a huge sports fan and nothing beats going to a Browns or Buckeyes game.
- I've been to 52 Major League stadiums, including all 30 of the current ones, so taking in a Clippers or Guardians game on an overcast, warm day is utopia for me.
🥩 Dinner: The Pearl and Cap City Fine Diner are my favorites, along with the Hickory House and Asian Gourmet. I'm a sucker for a good steak or pork chop, but the meatloaf at Cap City is awfully hard to beat.
🎵 Evening activity: Celina and I love live music and there are three places we love to go: Edison Brewing has the best outdoor scenery in Columbus, Gatsby's has a great vibe on their patio, and the Dolphin Lounge is a classic dive bar — and I mean that in the most affectionate way. They have live music every night and the people are so genuine.