Mark was born and raised in San Diego. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he majored in political science and minored in labor studies. As the university news editor of the Daily Nexus student newspaper, he covered local unionization efforts, student housing shortages and campus leadership — reporting that was awarded Best News Series statewide by the California College Media Association in 2023 and 2024. Mark also has been a contributing writer for Noozhawk and an intern at the Pacific Coast Business Times and The Daily Beast.
