Ms. Anne Marie Blazina is a passionate Business teacher here at North Park Secondary School. She has Croatian roots from her father’s side and Irish from her mother’s, but she was born in Toronto. Ms. Blazina teaches Grade 9 and 10 Business as well as Grade 12 Business Management. She also has an important role in DECA, guiding students as they develop their leadership skills and entrepreneurial spirit. Ms. Blazina loves teaching, especially because of the connections she builds with students.
Her background extends past business. Early in her career, Ms. Blazina taught Math and coached North Park’s Girls Volleyball, until an injury paused her coaching. She was a natural athlete, playing sports in high school including volleyball, curling, baseball, and golf. She also has a creative side, enjoying scrapbooking in her free time. Some of her interests include Irish dancing, in which she competed at the World Championships in Ireland, and music. Her favourite band of all time is Duran Duran. She has seen them live 15 times, but one moment stands out for her. During one of their concerts, the lead singer, Simon Lebon, sang directly to her. Her favourite genres of music are bands from the 80s like The Smiths and Depeche Mode, and some of her preferred modern artists are Shinedown and Luke Combs.
One surprising fact about Ms. Blazina is that she dreamt of becoming an actress and even performed in community theatre after high school. When asked for advice for students, she replied, “Your career choices are not permanent. Don’t stress about those decisions. You can change careers whenever you want, but most importantly, follow your heart.”
THE NORTH STAR 