Mark McGough, an educator and school administrator with three decades of experience across four continents, has landed on Vashon ready to take the reigns as the new head of school for Harbor School and Carpe Diem Primary.

“This is such a beautiful part of the world,” McGough — who has had a great deal to compare it to — said. “It’s a good place to put down some roots, and I’m excited to get to know everybody and start anew.”

Born in Britain, McGough (pronounced McGuff) became a full-fledged world traveler at the tender age of 6 weeks old when his parents moved to Kenya. He studied at an international school in Munich, Germany, as a student growing up, and it wasn’t until it was time for his post-secondary education that he went back to the United Kingdom, where he initially studied archeology.

“I’ve always had the travel bug,” McGough said, “so my first work experience was at a school in Tanzania. I had been thinking about becoming a teacher, but wasn’t actually qualified to teach, so they asked me what I could do. I was 21 years old and played some guitar … so I taught music and helped with the soccer team.”

Of that experience, he said that working with the kids felt “right,” and that solidified his decision to become a fully qualified teacher. So he made his way back to England where he obtained his teaching credentials, including a master’s degree in international education. His first teaching job landed him at the same international school in Munich where he went to school as a boy.

He worked as a primary school teacher and continued his work-travel experiences, including a stint in Malaysia. It was a job in Namibia that ultimately moved him to the administrative side of things — which he continued at schools in both Italy and most recently, Vancouver, Washington. And while it might seem out of place on such an international list, McGough took the job as head of school at Vancouver’s Gardner School of Arts & Sciences to be closer to his children, who were living in Portland.

“It seemed like a good base; it feels like home,” he said of the Pacific Northwest, as compared to some of the more exotic locales he’s lived in. “And the school spoke to me. It’s location, the environment … kids getting out and getting dirty.”

Not to mention the challenge, upon which McGough said he thrives. After taking the position at the independent and private Gardner at the height of the recession in 2008, he was faced with the unenvieable task of keeping the school afloat financially, as well trying to boost enrollment. Fast-forward eight years later, and McGough noted that Gardner is now stable financially and has enrollment numbers that are “through the roof.” Combine that with the fact that his children are now mostly grown, with one attending Seattle University, one who has been working in New York City and one still in Portland, it seemed like the right time to move on.

Initially thinking he might jet away again, the position at Harbor School/Carpe Diem came up, and he was hooked.

“The school and this community brought me here; it’s an incredibly interesting place,” he explained. “I like to be challenged, but your work has to be rewarding and good, and the place you reside in should be exciting, challenging and engaging.”

These are all qualities McGough believes his new position, and Vashon, have to offer.

From his experiences visiting hundreds of schools all over the world, McGough said he can “tell the heart of a place” within a short period of time on a campus, and Harbor School was no exception. When he came to the island for his in-person interviews, he remembered it was dark and raining, and some kids were at school early talking with their teachers.

“The first few moments of watching those interactions were impressive,” he said. “They (the interactions) spoke to me as something I wanted from a school … where students and teachers are respected and valued. The heart of a school is in how they interact with each other.”

McGough was also impressed by the school’s travel-study program.

“The great value of something like that is that the students get to go out and put themselves in someone else’s shoes for a while,” he said. “That is why I travel — I want to experience the world from others’ perspectives. You really want that for your graduates, too.”

Jake Guadnola, Harbor School/Carpe Diem board member and chair of the head of school search committee, said that while the committee had what he described as “an embarrassment of riches” when it came to applicants for the position, McGough stood out to be the unanimous choice.

“Here is this man, who has worked internationally with wide-ranging curriculums in a wide range of settings, and he is really focused on the children,” he said, elaborating on the committee’s choice. “He values experiential learning, who we are as human beings, who we are in the world. … His care, thoughtfulness, patience and reflectiveness was astounding.”

The committee narrowed down a well-qualified field of 25 to 30 applicants to three outstanding finalists, Guadnola said, but it was McGough’s personality that won the day.

Looking ahead, McGough said he is excited about helping the school grow and become integral in the community, involved with nonprofits and have a solid place in what happens on the island. The immediate challenge, he noted, will be helping to steer the newly combined middle and primary schools through the transition into one.

Ultimately, though, it’s all about the work.

“Every time I get to the point where I think about taking a break, I can’t really envision myself doing anything different, or not doing what I do,” he said. “I’ve always found it to be ‘good work.’ … It’s stuff that’s important, developing young people into well-rounded people. And I enjoy my work.”