GAHANNA, Ohio — A Central Ohio teacher is getting recognition for the difference he's making outside the classroom. Mark Lowrie teaches broadcast journalism at Gahanna Lincoln High School, and now he's the 2024 Ohio Teacher of the Year.

What You Need To Know

  • Mark Lowrie is being recognized as the 2024 Ohio Teacher of the Year

  • Lowrie teaches at Gahanna Lincoln High School, where he built a broadcast journalism program with a reputation

  • Lowrie also designed four new courses at Gahanna Lincoln and grew enrollment in the broadcast journalism program from 27 to over 130 students in three years

  • Lowrie and other 2024 state winners will go on to compete for the National Teacher of the Year

"All I could think about just flashed through my mind is all the time and all the kids and just all the effort and all the impact that I've always tried to make,” said Lowrie. "To get honored for something I just naturally love to do is overwhelming."

After working in TV news, Lowrie has now been teaching broadcast journalism for two decades, but in the four years he's been at Gahanna Lincoln, the broadcast journalism program he built holds an impressive reputation: They've won seven national student production awards and 79 regional student production awards. The program has also led the nation with three national awards in 2022, including the best newscast.

As excited as Lowrie is, he gives the students all the credit.

"These kids work tirelessly,” said Lowrie, “They come in before school, they give up their lunch periods. They have strict deadlines, just like a regular TV station would. So, they're getting skills, whether they go into TV or not. They're getting a lot of teamwork skills, technical skills, you know, soft skills by having to interview adults and go up to adults."

Lowrie also designed four new courses at Gahanna Lincoln and grew enrollment in the broadcast journalism program from 27 to over 130 students in three years.

After all he's accomplished, he hopes his passion rubs off on his students: "I just love what I do. You get up every morning. I haven't called in sick in over 12 years because I love what I do. And every day, I look forward to being here."

Lowrie and other state winners will go on to compete for the National Teacher of the Year.