«Back to Wild Things
12th March 2009
I’ve been a great fan of sixteen-year-old Alex Kozlowski’s weekly
A shy person, Alex is an animal lover, that’s her Schnauzer Bruno in the pic, and a vegetarian. Presently in grade 11, she was top student of her grade ten class last year. Not shy of good marks, she’s been top student before.
Alex curls, plays guitar, and draws. She’s taking Outers this year, an outdoor program unique to the Atikokan High School, which teaches groups of students to canoe, snowshoe, and hike on day, overnight, and week long trips in Quetico Park. Participants also undergo a three day solo camp, a right of passage for many.
At present, Alex’s future career choices include the medical, veterinarian, and art fields. But first a bit of traveling in Europe after graduation.
When it comes to her cartoon strip Alex says, ‘I get a lot of help coming up with ideas from my friends and family…’
We can only hope that no matter what Alex does, she keeps on with her comics, bringing much needed laughter to the people. Good fortunes, Alex.
In 2006, Mike McKinnon, Editor of the Atikokan Progress wrote the following article highlighting Alias Alex’s cartoonist beginnings:
Atikokan Progress:
From the Editor’s Desk
Mike McKinnon
12th June 2006
Alexandra Kozlowski (Alias Alex) has been creating cartoons for this page [editorial] for the past six months.
She
is a grade eight student at St. Patrick School, and will
turn 14 this summer. Alex was born in Kenora, and came to
Atikokan with her family in 1996. They decamped for a year
in southern Ontario (Alex did parts of grade six and seven
in Brantford), but found they far preferred the Northwest,
and returned over a year ago.
Alex always liked
to draw, and her personal interest tends toward fashion
design. She plans on taking art at AHS next year.
Her other activities include
pottery (she’s a regular at Moreen Cox’s pottery classes at
the Art Centre) and caring for her miniature Schnauzer,
Bruno.
In 2007, when Alex was nominated for an Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Award, Michael McKinnon wrote:
From the Editor’s Desk
Mike McKinnon
26th February 2007
Progress readers know Alexandra Kozlowski, 14—under her ‘Alias Alex’ pen name, she is a regular contributor of cartoons to this newspaper. ‘She is developing well as a cartoonist, and gaining independence. We’re proud to have her aboard!’ wrote the Progress editor in his supporting nomination.
Alexandra
was an exceptionally quiet child—so quiet, in fact, that
her teachers (lead nominator Doug Ribey among them) were
concerned that it was affecting her development. They
needn’t have worried on that latter score—Alex was named
‘top girl’ at St. Patrick School last year for her academic
achievements in grade eight.
In many ways, art has been a key part of her emergence from
that early shell. A successful exhibition helped give her
the courage to come looking for work at the Progress, in
late 2005. As that school year developed, she got involved
in intramural sports and became an academic leader in her
class.
‘She has grown as an individual and community member more
than any person I know,’ wrote Ribey.
«Back to Wild Things