Auburn College of Education graduate devotes life to student learning, receives 2025 Auburn Black Alumni Award

Mark Marshall has a motto when it comes to education, and he says it fits Auburn University’s College of Education perfectly. 

“My motto is that a quality education can unlock any door or break down any barrier,” said Marshall, the superintendent of the Los Banos Unified School District in Los Banos, California. 

Marshall, who received his Doctor of Education degree from Auburn’s College of Education in 1999, said he has seen many times how education has vastly improved lives. He most recently was recognized for his accomplishments in the field of education by being selected as one of Auburn’s 2025 Black Alumni Award recipients. Marshall will be honored with the award during Black Alumni Weekend celebrations on April 4. Marshall also was named in February to Auburn’s College of Education ENGAGE (Educate, Network, Grow, Advocate, Give, Empower) Council.  

Marshall said a lot has happened since his time at Auburn. 

“When I started the doctoral program at Auburn, I was just hired as an Assistant Principal at Auburn High School in Auburn City Schools,” he said. “Since graduation, I have served as a principal, a district office administrator, and a superintendent in two school districts.”

Today, Marshall oversees all aspects of the Los Banos Unified School District, which includes nearly 11,000 students. It’s a role he’s served in for the nearly eight years. Prior to joining Los Banos, Marshall served as the superintendent for the Eastside Union School District in Lancaster, California, for more than five years.

Since his arrival in Los Banos, Marshall has worked diligently to improve learning opportunities for students. He reorganized the Education Services Department to strengthen the instructional focus and devised an Interim Facilities Plan to accommodate the steady growth in student enrollment that Los Banos has experienced. Consistent with this, Marshall was instrumental in facilitating the passage of Measure X, a local bond measure designed to improve Los Banos’ school facilities by helping fund the construction of new schools.

Marshall received his Specialist in Education, Educational Leadership and Administration degree from the University of West Georgia. From there, he turned his sights to Auburn’s College of Education.

“At that time, Auburn was focusing on the Community of Learners Model,” he said. “The information and insights that I gained afforded me a solid foundation for my career endeavors.”

Marshall said his experience at Auburn was wonderful. He said he has fond memories of his cohort members, the courses he took, the faculty he learned from and his overall campus experience. He said he still recalls some of his favorite teachers — Bill Spencer, who “was instrumental in guiding me through the application process for the doctoral program” and Cindy Reed, who “really assisted me in the latter stages of the process.”

Marshall said he loved the sense of community at Auburn the most, adding that “It is truly a welcoming place.” 

He said he is excited at the opportunity to again return to campus, most recently as a member of the College of Education’s ENGAGE Council, which is comprised of 15 College of Education alumni and friends and is focused on alumni engagement. 

“I have enjoyed my return to the university; I see ENGAGE as a way to give back to the institution that has been so good to me,” he said.

And part of giving back is found in the advice he now gives to Auburn students. 

“Auburn is a great university; the College of Education has a stellar reputation,” he said. “My advice to students is to get the most out of the experience.”