LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Maralynn Markano

Position: Language Arts Teacher/Theater Director
School: Arrowhead Union High School
School District: Arrowhead Union High School District
City, State: Hartland, WI

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Music that Describes Maralynn

Maralynn Markano was nominated by an anonymous student.

"The nerd. The geek. The weird one. That's who I am. Growing up, I only wanted to play video games and read. When I was around ten, my aunt introduced me to acting. Sure, I thought it was cool and did more plays and musicals in my childhood, but I never fully planted my feet in this strange world. That is until I started high school," said the student.

"Freshman year was rough. Like really rough. I was failing classes because I wouldn't do my homework. Due to that, I didn't do anything freshman year except join the eSports club, which I am still a part of. The start of my sophomore year went better than the previous year. With that followed an audition for the Arrowhead Drama Department's Les Miserables. And who was at the helm of directing the show? None other than Mrs. Markano," said the student.

"Mrs. Markano is a Language Arts teacher at Arrowhead High School, teaching subjects including English, Speech, and Acting. She is also the director of Arrowhead's Drama Department and a co-director of Arrowhead's Broadway Company, a highly skilled audition musical theater troupe. She can light up a room and a rehearsal with her smile and grand presence," said the student.

"Being a part of the drama department has changed my outlook on what I want to do after high school. Mrs. Markano has sparked a greater love of theater in me than ever before. She seems to be able to do that with every student who comes into the theater feeling skeptical or uneasy about acting on stage. She welcomes every student with open arms into the theater," said the student.

"Since being in the last three Drama Department shows at Arrowhead, I have noticed that when either we go into tech week or close a show, Mrs. Markano is always beaming with the biggest smile. Take our last show, Puffs, for example. Placing every sound cue in the right spot was difficult with so many sound cues in the show. Some other cast members and I had helped her a lot with these. When we finished, we all cried tears of joy and celebrated. Mrs. Markano was smiling ear to ear! 'Thank you. All of you,' she said. Even with the struggles of live theater, Mrs. Markano stays positive and smiles all the way through," said the student.

"Not only that, but she takes time to bond with her cast during a show. She wants to get to know you as a person and as an actor. At the end of each show on closing night, each cast member receives a handwritten card from Mrs. Markano, filled with kind words and memories. She loves every one of her actors and actresses she brings on stage," said the student.

"Mrs. Markano is the perfect teacher and director anyone could ask for. She is caring, loving, understanding, funny, and the list goes on and on," said the student. "Thank you for everything, Mrs. Markano!

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Comments (3)

Alyssa Pon-Franklin Posted over a year ago

I can say without a doubt that Maralynn Markano changed my life. I joined stage crew as a sophomore, and I worked on shows with Markano through my senior year. During that time I struggled with my mental health. The theater was one of the only safe spaces that I had. She created a space where we all felt loved, accepted, and embraced for who we are. She intentionally built community, taking time to build relationships between her students, as well as with her. She taught us well, bringing in wonderful partners to teach us about building the set, doing publicity for a show, and more. She trusted us with important tasks, scaffolding them so that we were set up for success. I learned many life skills through building sets for her shows and working alongside her as she made decisions about what worked and didn't work for a specific production. When we made mistakes, like getting oil-based paint all over the concrete (oops!), she held us accountable AND treated us with grace and patience. During my senior year, I was blessed to be able to do an independent study with her for stage management. I spent every spare moment in the theater, programming lights, making decisions about ways to build the set, and getting the stage ready for various concerts, rehearsals, rentals, and more. I learned so much about the ins and outs of daily theater management and life. We had so many deep conversations, and she really helped me through a tough time. I honestly don't think I would have gotten through high school without her. At a time when I didn't believe in myself, I knew that she believed in me and saw my potential. We stayed in touch after high school, and I struggled to make the transition to college, as many of my friends were still at Arrowhead. She helped me navigate this with compassion and grace, giving me places to help with specific tasks, while still maintaining boundaries and allowing the current students to grow and take advantage of the same opportunities that I had. Even as an alumna, I knew she was watching out for me and encouraging me to find my next community and support system. As an adult, I am grateful to be able to watch Markano at work with her current students. Through the years, I've helped judge auditions, build sets (now that I get to use the saws!), sort costumes, and do other random tasks when I would come to visit. I know that she has continued the same practices with her current students: building community, creating a safe space for students, and allowing everybody to be who they are. I work in education and can say that she truly is one of a kind. I have not seen another teacher that is so well regarded by her students, both in and out of the classroom. I could not recommend her more for this award. She truly has changed my life and the lives of so many others.

Markus Fredenvall Posted over a year ago

I spent one year as an exchange student at arrowhead in the early 2000s. Mrs Markano is still a reason why I call this year one of the best in my life. A great teacher and human being. //Markus F. (Stockholm Sweden.)

Susan Barth Posted over a year ago

I’m a parent with kids who have been involved in Mrs. Markano’s drama program over the past 8 years. (Although she has been spreading her love to her kids for well over 20 years!) I agree 1,000% with the nominator’s statement! These words could have been written by hundreds of her students, including my kids, through the years. She BELIEVES in every one of these kids, and is amazing at creating a nurturing space to discover themselves, what they can do, and develop confidence to reach beyond. The atmosphere she has created at Arrowhead High School has been fundementally important to so many of these teens, and she has made an incredible impact on so many current and past students. With unselfish energy that seemingly has no limits, she shows each of them that they have a place in the drama department and are part of a caring, productive, and creative team! She is SO VERY deserving of this recognition!