North fifth grade teacher Kathleen Clifford’s students learned first-hand how dreams can be used to succeed when former North student, Alexandra Blaszczuk, spoke about a tragic accident that affected, but didn’t derail her life’s ambitions.
On October 7, 2011, Blaszczuk and her friends were driving from New York City to Vermont for a camping trip to celebrate a recent job offer at a prestigious law firm. They were outside Manhattan when a simple driving mistake by the driver of the car Blaszczuk was riding in resulted in a major accident.
Although she was conscious after the crash, Blaszczuk didn’t realize the extent of her paralysis until after her surgery. A comprehensive therapy program has helped her recover some movement in her arms and shoulders, but the extent of her injury means she’ll always need constant care.
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This set back has not affected her dreams. In fourth grade she decided to be a diplomat. Since then, she graduated with honors from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown. Two years ago she started the law program at Columbia University. Currently, Blaszczuk hopes to return to Columbia in the fall.
