Alumni Interview: Five Things That Matter with Mark Slade '02

Mark Slade ’02 always knew that the Northshire would be his home. Despite being drawn to travel and adventure, Mark never questioned whether or not he would make Manchester the place he chose to live, work, and raise his family. Mark’s mother, Bonnie Baird Oulette Slade is a 1967 graduate of Burr and Burton, and Mark married his high school sweetheart, Kate (Coniglio) Slade ’02. You might say that Burr and Burton runs through Mark’s veins, as he and Kate have four children, and their oldest is currently a ninth-grader at Burr and Burton. 

Mark’s deeply-held belief of living a life of service is evident in all he does. He is the General Manager for the Northshire Civic Center and serves on local youth athletic boards, including Equinox Football, Equinox Lacrosse, and Northshire Hockey. Mark also gives back to Burr and Burton as the Boys Varsity Hockey Coach, a job he has performed with passion for the past eight years. 

During his time as a student at Burr and Burton, Mark’s life took a turn that he and his peers couldn’t have anticipated. The impact of 9/11 changed the trajectory of his life forever, prompting him to join the military and find a way to serve his country. He joined the Vermont Army National Guard as an Infantryman in 2003 and deployed to Kuwait in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2010. Mark continues to serve as a full-time soldier in the National Guard and finds that the confluence of his work in the military, as a volunteer, coach, mentor, and community leader have a common thread: Live to learn. Live to teach. Live to serve. 

My senior year at Burr and Burton was the year of 9/11. There were a bunch of us who in that moment decided, ‘We’re going to join the military to do our part.’ I assume it was a similar effect to when Pearl Harbor was bombed (at the beginning of the U.S. involvement in WW2). Before 9/11, I wasn’t thinking of a military career. It was a life-changing moment for many people in my generation. Of my main group of friends (in high school) six out of eight of us joined the military after 9/11. Between us, we have about 20 years of deployments. 

I joined in 2003, almost a year after I graduated. I went back and forth - do I go on active duty in the Army or Marines, or do I go into the Army National Guard? I ended up choosing the Army National Guard because I got to do everything I wanted to do in the military, but also live my life here. I joined the infantry - I wanted to be at the forefront of what was happening. I was deployed to Kuwait in 2005 in a security role. We provided security for a transient base in Kuwait for troops coming in to go to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They would come to our base first and acclimate for two weeks - to the weather, they’d learn how to maneuver in the desert. I deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 with the rest of the Vermont National Guard on a scout/sniper team. We were on the Pakistani border in a province called Paktia. Most of the fighting in Afghanistan at that time was in RC East (Regional Command East) or down in Helmand Province. My infantry battalion controlled Paktia, which is about the size of Rhode Island, and we had 800 people spread out across the province. We helped with security and fighting the Taliban. We helped build new roads, schools, and town centers. A lot of the time there, my role was ‘overwatch,’ which meant we’d hide in the mountains and watch an area to pick up various pieces of intelligence and report that back to the people who needed it. 

(After the United States pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021, I experienced) a wide range of emotions from anger and sadness to feeling kind of hopeless. The area in Afghanistan where I was didn’t allow for girls to be educated (before US troops were there). And, while we were there, they were able to have an education, and now they don’t get that opportunity anymore. I have two daughters now, and it’s hard to think that girls in Afghanistan won’t get the same opportunities that my girls will have. There is also some anger because I’ve had a few friends killed in action over there, or they have taken their own lives since we’ve been back, and it can certainly feel like that was for nothing for a lot of people. But, I always bring myself back to the thought that maybe we helped give them (Afghanis) a little hope, and maybe one day, they can have more opportunities again. 

I am still full-time in the military working with transfers for the Vermont Army National Guard. For those who are transferring into the Vermont National Guard from another state, and for those who are moving out of the state. I handle their transfer and coordinate with the other state.  

I wasn’t exactly the best student when I was at Burr and Burton. The main takeaway that I got from a lot of my teachers was to keep learning throughout my lifetime. Maybe it didn’t click then, but those same teachers stayed in my life. They still check in. We still have conversations. That is the difference - not only are (Burr and Burton teachers) pushing their students to be lifelong learners, but they are also lifelong teachers and mentors. Even those who have retired stay connected - (Bill) Muench is still asking what I’m doing and providing feedback. Mr. Sanders was my advisor, and he’s still a guy that I look up to. As a veteran himself, he would always evoke questions (he would station himself in town with questions or words of encouragement on signs). I would stop and chat with him, and he always pushed me to explore and ask questions. If not for people like that in my life, I don’t know where I would be. They taught me to be a lifelong learner, continue to ask questions, continue to explore, and ultimately give back. Now it’s time for me to give back to the next generation of students, provide guidance, be a mentor, ask them questions, and hold them to high standards. 

I always wanted to stay here. This is home. I love to travel, but it’s always nice to come back here. And, I think that a lot of the alumni from my generation are finding that out. They can see that this is a great place to raise a family. They are moving back specifically so their kids can go to BBA, which is pretty powerful. It speaks volumes about the community at large that it can provide a place like this for kids to grow. 

As a coach, I have a “jersey book” for each athlete’s number. There is a page listing all of the people who have worn that jersey number and the last page simply asks, ‘What will your legacy be?’ I want (athletes) to know, these are the guys who have worn the jersey before you, the are the jersey that you’re wearing. You are borrowing it, so it’s your job to make them proud. (Former players) come back and sure, they’re watching the team, but they’re really watching their number. So, it’s kind of grown into a thing where we’re connecting alumni with current players.

Also, I may coach a lot and have administrative roles in youth sports, but my wife is the driving force in recruiting kids (to local youth sports). She’s the energetic person who all the kids want to be around. She’s a magnet. And, she is a great coach. And, she’s a great athlete. (During her time at BBA, Kathleen) played on a town team for hockey, because there wasn’t girls hockey at BBA then. She played a little soccer, she joined the theater program with Mr. Sanders. And, her real sport was lacrosse, and she won a few championships here with Dave Miceli as coach. 

We’ll see you soon - stay connected. We’re always here for you. No matter where you go, or how far you travel, we’re always here. If you need help, we’re only a phone call or text away. One person can’t do it all. It takes an entire village to raise (students). I think it’s evident everywhere in this community - we work together and we take care of each other. Go out, be confident, and see what you can do!