Someone 2 Know: AnnaMarie Bezick

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Our Someone 2 Know is a native Nevadan, who is so loyal to the Silver State - she spends her days teaching the next generation how to be better citizens.

Our Someone 2 Know is a native Nevadan, who is so loyal to the Silver State - she spends her days teaching the next generation how to be better citizens.

AnnaMarie Bezick's first grade class at Brown Elementary in South Reno just completed their unit on economic principles - and put the lessons into practice with a lemonade stand. So, quarters in hand, we showed up for the afternoon sale, where we’re greeted by very excited six-year-olds and a very happy teacher.

Before the mouth-watering cups of lemonade could be sold - and enjoyed - these first graders had to learn about the basics of business.

"About the economics," explains Bezick, "So we've been practicing goods versus services and really diving into all the community members that help the world go round."

AnnaMarie Bezic, known as "Ms. B" to her students, thinks it's never too early to teach kids about real-world practices. "You know they have all of these really great ideas, and so I wanted them to know what would happen if we put it to use, if we started to apply those thoughts and really make something of these big ideas."

Like buying and selling things.

"The kids have been running their own little mini stores in the classroom and it's really led up to this moment of them being able to put these principles to use in the real world."

With a real lemonade stand, and paying customers - lots of them.

Student, parents, police officers, fire fighters and even Ms. B's family showed up.

Co-workers say that's because Ms. B is truly special.

"She gives her whole heart, this truly fills her own bucket and she gets so much joy from these children," enthuses Brown's school secretary, Tiffani Allison, "You see it, you feel it, and these children are joyful!"

Bezick says it was the lessons she learned as a kid that changed her life.

"I was born and raised in Reno and it was actually my first grade teacher who made me want to be another teacher, and here I am in first grade."

Ms. B still fondly remembers "Ms. Z."

"Yeah, Mrs. Zunini," Bezick recalls with a huge smile, "Yeah."

At the lemonade stand, Ms. B's class staffed the tables, managed the money and handed out cold cups - like champs. "I'm excited to see what they accomplished and I'm excited for them to see what they accomplished!"

Ms. Allison, who has a son in Mrs. Bezick's class, says she's grateful to have her as a co-worker and teache.; "I think Ms. B is just wonderful and Brown Elementary is lucky to have her."

The feeling is mutual.

"I just really love my job. I know it sound a little, you know, corny, but it's true I could not be happier as a teacher."

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This is AnnaMarie Bezick's fifth year as a teacher and her third year teaching "lemonade economics" to first graders.

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Currently in Reno

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