By Tim Saari
“It’s a rather improbable kind of story, a twist of fate you might say,” commented Mark Bender (MMath 1965) on his 4,604 km journey from rural Ontario to Norrköping, Sweden. His story begins in a closely-knit Mennonite community in Zurich, Ontario where, as a teen, he grew interested in mathematics and teaching. In his first step to becoming a teacher, Mark completed a Bachelor of Mathematics and Physics degree in 1964 at Western University. After graduating from Western, Mark began a one-year master’s degree in Math at the University of Waterloo. Mark lived at Grebel during his graduate studies and found it provided a haven, a connection to the Mennonite community he was raised in.
Mark saw Grebel grow from the ground up. When he arrived in the fall term of 1964, the residence building had just opened to students—despite requiring a few finishing touches. “My room didn’t have a door during my first night at Grebel; they were still working on the residence building!” he laughed. Beyond the installation of doors in dorm rooms, Mark has noticed many changes to Grebel since his time as a resident. “There were fewer formal activities and only two courses were offered,” said Mark. After reading a recent issue of Grebel Now, he was struck by the variety of music ensembles, courses offered, and overall increased activity at Grebel.
Read the full story from Conrad Grebel to learn more.