For a panel Mark moderated at NCECA in 2005 about apprenticeships, he asked his last two apprentices to reflect on their experiences.
Michael McCarthy wrote about the influence potters working in the same space have on each other.

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For the past three years, I have worked as Mark Shapiro’s apprentice. The arrangement has been simple; in exchange for my labor in the studio, Mark provides me with studio space, materials, and a stipend. But the arrangement goes much deeper than this.
As my mentor, Mark combines encouragement with thoughtfully-placed criticism as he assists me with the development of my own pottery. It is a selfless act, to teach someone in one sentence what may have taken you years to learn. Through this active exchange, Mark continues to influence my work. It is an influence I’m glad to have.

But not all influence exists as an active verbal dialogue. More often than not, the dialogue is between the pot itself and the user. And in my case, I am having this dialogue with Mark’s pottery as it cycles through the studio, from raw clay to finished, wood-fired pot. Mark’s pottery and his work ethic acts as an example. It is inspiring to see your mentor, a person whose pots you already admire, improve their own work. It sets a lifelong example as you realize the optimism of a job never finished and the possibility for unending improvement.

When I began working for Mark, I wasn’t aware of the influences from Sam Taylor and Michael Kline. Although they no longer work in Mark's studio, their presence is still felt. Their pots line the studio rafters and fill his home. How can you not be influenced as you hold their beautiful pots in your hands nearly every day? And many of the studio habits are a collective of the years the three spent working and firing together.

Want to see a trick?” Mark often asks. And then credits whichever of the three developed it.

I am honored to have my pots alongside theirs.

- Michael McCarthy. 2005.