The child of a sailor and a freight auditor, Blaizen was raised to value community and advocate for their values. Although born in St. Cloud, MN, Blaizen has called Chesapeake their home for as long as they can remember, living right around the corner from G.A. Treakle Elementary. Blaizen has been a firm advocate for our community, having publicly fought for policies to improve our City and support the hard-working families of Chesapeake since the end of 2017.
However, through their years of advocacy Blaizen has abstained from the major political parties that are the Democrats and Republicans. Instead, Blaizen believes that the interests of the community should be front and center in local government, not those of big money and special interests groups located in Richmond and Washington D.C. This is why Blaizen has been proud of their history of fiercely resisting major housing developments that have overcrowded our schools and increased the burden on our roads all while chipping away at the rural roots of our city.
Outside of their activism, Blaizen has continued to find ways to give back to our community and those who call our city home. Some weekends you’ll find Blaizen out joining neighbors in cleaning up litter on the streets where we and our families live, work, and play. Other times, when finances allow, Blaizen is quick to provide monetary relief to individuals and organizations struck by unfortunate and unforeseen circumstances, or otherwise trying to improve the community. It has been through this community work that Blaizen has received honors and recognitions, although none more notable than the President’s Volunteer Service Award in 2018.
In their personal life, Blaizen enjoys spending time with their closest friends and family, including their two younger brothers, by eating out and supporting our local businesses or staying home and playing family board games. In their free time, Blaizen enjoys streaming the latest content uploaded to Disney+ or YouTube while tucked away on the couch or in bed. Outside of that, Blaizen loves the outdoors and is an avid runner who enjoys traversing the local area with their two feet and especially loves hiking the beautiful Appalachian Mountains whenever they get the chance to take a break.
Academically Blaizen has excelled, graduating from Deep Creek High School and the Science and Medicine Academy near the top of their class with a 4.94 GPA in 2021. Now, Blaizen attends Old Dominion University where they study Ocean and Earth Sciences with the goal of helping preserve our natural environment for generations to come. Although involved in many co-curriculars, Blaizen most enjoys participating in ODU’s Model United Nations Society where they continue to develop their skills in leadership and negotiation.
Motivated to run by the failures of our current School Board, Blaizen believes that the key to solving the most pressing issues facing our School District is to increase transparency and include those most impacted in the decision making. Whether it be addressing the staff shortages that have crippled our school system or addressing the mental wellness of our students only made worse by the Covid-19 Pandemic, Blaizen believes that this approach of collaboration and cooperation will only strengthen our schools. This is why Blaizen has repeatedly called on the current School Board to solicit more feedback through surveys and focus groups as well as establish advisory boards composed of you, the stakeholders and community members, for over the past year.
Besides their years of work in the community and their advocacy efforts in City Hall and the School Administration Building, Blaizen has worked tirelessly to ensure that they have the skills needed to lead our city forward. This is why Blaizen was accepted to be one of the founding fellows in 2020 at Civics Unplugged, an organization dedicated to training our young leaders to protect our democracy. It is also why Blaizen helped form and co-lead the Virginia chapter of State of the Students, a non-partisan, youth-led organization dedicated to engaging young people with the government by connecting them with public officials and informing them of the inner workings of our democracy.
Blaizen looks forward to your support on November 8th, 2022 to ensure that we the people are represented in our local government by a strong and proven community leader.
Authorized by Friends of Blaizen Buckshot Bloom
Hosting Paid for by Hampton Roads Green Party