Corona administrator takes on new challenge at ASU

A program that provided assistance to families in financial need was one of several initiated under Mark Duplissis' seven-year tenure as an assistant principal at Corona del Sol High School.

And as the longtime Tempe Union High School District administrator prepares to leave for a new job at Arizona State University, Duplissis got emotional when talking about that program.

"I was a product of that. I lost my mother . . . people helped us along the way," said Duplissis, whose voice cracked as he sighed and got teary-eyed. "Programs like that really mean a lot."

Duplissis was a child when his mother died and his father, a custodian at ASU, was left to raise him and his siblings alone. His father's job allowed the children to attend the university on a discounted tuition.

Next week, Duplissis will return to his college alma mater as the executive director for high school relations in ASU's Student Initiatives office. There, he will work with schools and educators to build innovative programs targeting high school seniors in an effort to cultivate support and enrollment for the university.

This is not new territory for Duplissis. While at Corona, he got the ball rolling on a new biotechnology program implemented this year. There were 40 different student clubs when Duplissis arrived at Corona, now there are more than 80, many of which incorporate community service.

Although many years have passed, Duplissis never strayed far from the city and school system in which he was raised. After graduating from Tempe High School in 1988, he earned bachelor's degrees in history and secondary education, a master's degree in administration and recently a doctorate in educational leadership, all from ASU. He taught at Tempe High for seven years before joining Corona in 2001.

Duplissis said he wanted to be a teacher ever since he was a kid. His day job is administrative, but he is part of the faculty for ASU and Grand Canyon University as well.

"I love every moment of teaching. I love education," said Duplissis, who lives in Chandler with his wife Heather and two daughters, ages 4 and 6.

Duplissis credited district superintendent Steve Adolph for encouraging him to continue his education and strive higher. Adolph said that while he is excited for the new opportunity and will still have the chance to work with Duplissis, he regrets what the district would be losing.

"It's hard when you have to say good-bye to good people," Adolph said. "Mark is a fine assistant principal and a wonderful human being. He is a good administrator and a good friend."

Duplissis said he will miss his Corona peers and the district where he spent so many years as a student and employee.

"I feel like a small child that's kind of grown up and leaving the nest. It's sad leaving friends. It's difficult to walk away from that," he said. "Everything in life is about relationships. I learned that from (former longtime Corona principal) Jim Denton. There's always a kinder, gentler way of doing something. It's about how you treat people."