Guest Blogger: Melissa Barnosky, Class of 2019
This is an interview conducted, written and submitted by Melissa Barnosky. Melissa is a Senior at Albion High School. Her mother, Amy Dermody Barnosky, is a Class of 1991 Albion Alum. Melissa won the NYS Oratorical Contest this past spring and represented NY at the National contest. Melissa is currently working with Sue Starkweather Miller as an intern and one of her current projects is interviewing a few retired teachers and writing about them. Melissa wants to ultimately become a political correspondent.
This is the third in the series of interviews with retired teachers by Miss Barnosky!
Here is the result of her interview with Mark Chamberlain:
From his time as an Albion High School science teacher to his post retirement pursuits, Mark Chamberlain has always lived life to its fullest.
A 1961 graduate of Belfast High School, Chamberlain continued his education at Houghton College where he majored in chemistry and minored in math and German.
“Teaching is my family profession,” Chamberlain said of his decision to become a teacher. His mother, uncles, sister, and brother all held careers as educators.
Chamberlain said his favorite aspects of teaching chemistry were the demonstrations and the amount of participation required in the subject.
“Science is hands on,” he explained. “Kids get a chance to get engaged.”
Since retiring from Albion in 1999, Chamberlain has remained involved in many areas. He most notably served as the Barre Town Supervisor for almost twenty years. During that time, the Barre town hall was built, the town inherited a cornfield, and improvements were made to the salt storage building.
Chamberlain has also done a lot of traveling throughout the years.
In 1994, he was a chaperon on the Latin Club’s trip to Italy, and in 2012, he and his wife spent two months in London, calling it “a fascinating city.”
Chamberlain and his wife have also been on a cruise on the Mediterranean, hitting ten cities, including Barcelona, Rome, and Venice.
Last summer, Chamberlain volunteered to go on a mission trip through the Free Methodist Church to Bulgaria to conduct a Bible study.
“I really wanted to go,” he said of the trip. “It was a lot of fun.”
Other places he has traveled to include various cities in Ireland, Scotland, and France.
Aside from traveling, Chamberlain most recently volunteered to be a driver for the VA. The process of becoming certified began in September of 2018. He was required to fill out paperwork, get fingerprinted, TB tested, and pass a hearing test and a physical.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” Chamberlain said while reflecting on his teaching, traveling, and involvement throughout the years.
“I’ve had a full life,” he concluded, “and it feels good to be remembered.”
