He’s garnered accolades like Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and Album of the Year and has appeared on ABC’s 20/20, Extreme Home Makeover, and CNN’s Morning Edition. But Mark would say that all of that pales in comparison to the honor of getting to share his own story of adoption with an audience. Mark was adopted when he was two weeks old and raised by loving parents. And, though he’s never met her, he’s grateful to his birth mother for giving him life. “She’ll always be a hero to me,” he says with a smile and tears in his eyes.

Mark’s hit single, “Everything to Me,” a song about his life and gratitude to his birth mother, was the centerpiece for Bethany Christian Services ministry to expectant mothers. “I wanted to write a song for birth mothers, so that they could hear how grateful I am to my own birth mom and how she made the choice to give me life.” Mark has a passion for benefit concerts because it’s a chance to tell his story and to give back to the very organizations that helped save his life. 

Mark and his wife Kate, who had two boys, Ryan and Gus, adopted their daughter, Maia Mae. “It’s amazing for me to be on this side of adoption,” says Schultz. “This love that I have for my daughter is like nothing else I’ve ever experienced. She and I have a very special bond.” Schultz and his daughter share the same initials, MMS. Most recently Mark and Kate adopted Ebby Lou who was adopted from the same adoption center that Mark was adopted from.  “And one day when both girls get a little older, I’ll be able to share my adoption story with them, too.”