Music
Matthew and The Keys
In addition to being a teacher, Matthew Akplu is a pop/rock singer-songwriter who created the Matthew and The Keys project. As part of this project, Akplu recently released a six-song EP. The album’s lead single “Take It” reached number three on the Queer Canadian Music Chart. Akplu had previously released a full-length album called Victory in 2021.
Matthew Akplu
Shauna May Seneca School, Edmonton
mathekeys.com
@mathekeys
youtube.com/mathekeys
Sport and Recreation
Marathon Runner
When he’s not teaching, junior high teacher Daylan Wizniuk is often found running. Wizniuk has been a marathon and ultra runner for 10 years, taking on everything from flat road races to up and over mountains for more than 100 kilometres. When it comes to his running, he enjoys being consistent—he has run at least a mile every day since November 2016—and continuing to get faster and stronger at a variety of race formats.
Daylan Wizniuk
École Charlie Killam School, Camrose
@wizniukruns
Books
Haunted by Words Left Unspoken
Anna Marie Buonomo recently published a self-help book, Haunted by Words Left Unspoken: How Speaking Your Truth Can Set Your Past Free. Her book explores the complex weight of regret and invites readers to confront their truths, release emotional burdens, and move toward healing and self-compassion. It is deeply personal work that encourages growth through vulnerability and reflection. After launching the book, Buonomo held five Indigo book signings to share her story.
ANNA MARIE BUONOMO
St. Elizabeth Seton School, Calgary
@annamariebuonomo
annamariebuonomo.com
FriesenPress
The Sad Book
eacher, author and mother of two boys—one here and one in heaven. Her journey through grief inspired her to write The Sad Book and later The Mad Book, stories that help children understand and work through sadness and anger. These books encourage emotional awareness and resilience, offering tools to process big feelings rather than push them away. The stories remind readers that it’s okay not to be okay, and that even the hardest emotions have something valuable to teach us.
Carla Shafer
Substitute teacher, Calgary School Division
WestBow Press
St. Rose of Lima Junior High School, Calgary
matteoshaferlegacy.com
