Born and raised in the 716, Buffalo native Mark Ahrens grew up in North Buffalo during a time when childhood meant baseball games at Shoshone Park, riding bikes with neighborhood friends until the streetlights came on, and learning life lessons that would shape the man he would become. He attended School 22 and played with the Hertel-North Park Little League, where sports, teamwork, and community became part of his foundation.

At a young age, Mark learned not only the joy of family and friendship, but also the realities of loss, responsibility, faith, and perseverance. Through the influence of devoted parents who served faithfully in their church and community, he developed a strong belief in God, family values, compassion, and helping others. Those early experiences would become guiding principles throughout his life.

When his family moved to Amherst, Mark graduated from Amherst High School before attending University at Buffalo, where he majored in Business with an emphasis in Marketing. While attending college, he balanced academics with long hours working alongside his parents in the family-owned printing business in downtown Buffalo. What began as helping the family business became a 41-year career built on dedication, hard work, relationships, and entrepreneurial spirit.

In high school, Mark met the love of his life, Carol, whom he married after college in 1977. Together they built a beautiful family, raising three children — Kimberly, Richard (“Rico”), and Christopher (“CJ”) — who later blessed them with six grandchildren. Family has always remained at the center of Mark’s life, whether cheering from the sidelines at sporting events, spending time together outdoors, or simply appreciating the moments that pass far too quickly.

A lifelong sports enthusiast and competitor, Mark enjoys tennis, golf, landscaping, music, and especially time with those he loves most. Over the years, he discovered that success is not measured only by business achievements, but by relationships, resilience, faith, and the lessons learned through both victories and hardships.

Those lessons inspired him to write Another Level, not simply as a book, but as a legacy. Through real-life stories, personal experiences, and reflections gathered from business, sports, relationships, and everyday life, Mark hopes to encourage future generations of the Ahrens and Seibert families — and anyone else who reads his words — to continue growing, learning, believing, and striving to reach another level in their own lives.