If Anna Maria Barsanti’s life story was turned into a movie, Cher would play her part. She resembles the famous singer and, on more than one occasion, delighted students with I Got You Babe pantomimes.

The movie would open with shots of Sault Ste. Marie where Barsanti grew up in an extended Italian family. Her parents ran a restaurant, and at a young age, the future high school principal was expected to help out. By the time she was 18, she and a cousin were running the place.

When Barsanti was eight, her mother died. She took over the mothering role in her family as well as a chunk of the responsibility. “My mother was my greatest teacher; by not being there.” She became a teacher “because I wanted to give everyone the mother I never had,” she says.

Teaching has allowed her to do all the things she is interested in, including coaching sports, developing creative ideas, mentoring young people, performing, writing, marketing, and working in administration. Her job also allowed her to be a life-long learner.

After attending Wilfred Laurier University, she got her education degree from Lakehead University. She taught in the Sault before moving to Sudbury.

During her time with the Sudbury public board of education, Barsanti was promoted to vice-principal at Lasalle Secondary School, and then named principal at Northeastern Secondary School. For four years she was the Student Success and Learning to 18 leader with the Rainbow District School Board. Her colleagues say she was an inspiration to both staff and students.

"I was married to my job," she says. It was the love of her life. No regrets.

Barsanti retired from the English public board in 2008, but she hasn't stopped working. She is currently the Provincial Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy (PAVIS) education co-ordinator with the Greater Sudbury Police Service, a youth outreach program that aims to reduce drug use and gangs, and she is mentoring future teachers. She is a pre-practicum placement consultant with Laurentian University's School of Education.

Barsanti was surprised to learn she had won a Community Builders Award. She didn't even know she was nominated. Her nomination package came with a stack of support letters.

“Why me?” she asks. This is what her colleagues say:

“Anna was the idea person, and the driving force, behind the (Rainbow) board’s Principal for a Day program.”

“Anna developed a partnership between Lo- Ellen Park Secondary School and Science North which directly benefited successive years of LEP students and provided a template for other school/community partnerships.”

Her “abilities led to promotions as vice-principal, principal and the Student Success leader...”

“She empowered students by co-ordinating the Students Leading Students Conference with students and staff from Sudbury Secondary School.”

“She instituted the Native Successful Choices Committee to better meet the needs of aboriginal students.”

“This summer, she chaired the Lockerby 50th anniversary reunion committee.”

Barsanti has won numerous awards including the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation Award and the Regional Municipality of Sudbury Appreciation Award. She was also the recipient of the Association of Science & Technology Centre’s Honour Roll of Teachers Award.

Her rewards are many. She has made a positive difference in thousands of students’ lives during her 30 years in education, “and every student has had an impact on me,” she says.

How would the Anna Maria Barsanti movie end?

The woman who wanted to mother everyone but who never married nor had her own children, finds herself running after a toddler. She is looking after her niece’s child, Leila, and loving every minute of it. And that story is another movie: perhaps one starring Cher.