The Faces of Suwanee — Meet Kevin Blankenship, Teacher
Kevin Blankenship — better known as “Mr. B” by NGHS students and staff — is an AP World History teacher at North Gwinnett High School with 28 years of classroom experience. A Miami native, Blankenship lived in Prague, Czech Republic, for four summers, studying Central European History at Charles University through Florida International University, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He moved to Georgia in 2007 and has taught classes on Holocaust Studies, Religious Thought, and AP World History, but he is most proud of being recognized by the College Board for having the most Latino kids in the world pass AP World History on the 2006 and 2007 exams. A three-time Teacher of the Year recipient, Blankenship extends his classroom beyond its walls by leading summer study trips abroad to Europe and Africa, giving students the chance to experience the history he teaches firsthand. So far, he’s completed 25 trips, with another planned for summer 2026.
PLEASE TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR FAMILY: I’m Cuban American. My mom is from Cuba (can’t thank her enough for coming to the U.S. with nothing to create a new life). My dad was a salt-of-the-earth guy from Appalachia, West Virginia, who taught me that when you give your word that you will do something, you honor that commitment no matter what. My wife, Alix, is Colombian. She’s smart, beautiful, young, sparky, and she teaches at World Language Academy in Hall County. I am lucky to have found such an amazing wife and mother. (I want it known for the record that she asked ME out first!) Zoey is my beautiful daughter, and I am definitely a “girl-dad”. She’s full of energy and has a heart of gold. She is currently earning her master’s degree at FIT so she can counsel children with autism. My son Adrian is the ultimate joker — he definitely takes after me. He is in his second year at UGA , studying geographic information systems. I love that he has always had such a passion for weather and is so driven. He basically wants to drive into tornadoes and study them.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR CURRENT AND PAST CAREER. WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT IT? I taught for nine years in Miami and have been teaching AP World History in Gwinnett County for the last 19 years. The most memorable moment in Miami was bringing a Holocaust survivor who was part of Dr. Mengele experiments to talk to the students. Those were very emotional days at school. I started taking students to Holocaust sites in Europe beginning in 2001. Being able to teach that and then take kids to Auschwitz is surreal. On one of my first summer trips, I had a student who found the barracks in Auschwitz where his grandmother and grandfather were during the Holocaust. They both survived, but he was literally on his hands and knees, crying. One of the most powerful moments in my life!
WHAT ARE A COUPLE OF YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANTS IN OUR COMMUNITY? Ippolito’s. Their 3-pound garlic rolls are my favorite, and they’re only 32,000 calories!
HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED OR WORKED HERE? I moved here in 2007, so 19 years. I think I came to Suwanee in October of 2006, and there was something almost magical about this place. It was Suwanee Fest, and they had the pumpkin patch, the community was welcoming, and Town Center was beautiful. Before I knew it, I was moving my whole family here.
WHAT CURRENT OR FORMER BUSINESS, OR PLACE, MAKES YOU FEEL THE MOST
NOSTALGIC ABOUT THIS AREA? The Suwanee Sky Zone. I’d go there with my kids to celebrate their birthdays a lot. Not to brag, but I got really good at winning those dodgeball games. For some reason, I never got a medal or any recognition. So, Sky Zone, I am at North Gwinnett High School, room 309, if you want to mail those to me. I would appreciate it.
IF YOU COULD TAKE ANYONE TO LUNCH, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD THAT BE? The Dalai Lama, because the guy’s always smiling — even with all the chaos in the world, he is so positive. I’d love for him to share the secret to enjoying every minute of being alive.
WHERE WOULD YOU TAKE HIM TO EAT? Chick-fil-A, because everybody’s going to be as happy and smiley as he is. I guess I would have to pay because I do not see any pockets on his clothes.
WHERE IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE YOU HAVE EVER BEEN? Prague by far. I’ve lived and studied there, and nothing even comes close.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST MOVIE YOU REMEMBER SEEING IN A THEATRE? Star Wars: A New Hope back in ’77.
TELL US SOMETHING THAT’S ON YOUR BUCKET LIST. I need two more continents to reach all seven — Australia and Antarctica. I’d love to visit those places, but as time goes on, I’m contemplating sending someone to Antarctica to bring me back some glacier ice and meeting them in Australia so I could kill two birds with one stone. That would count, right?
WHO IS THE MOST INTERESTING PERSON YOU’VE EVER MET? I met the President of the Czech Republic, Václav Havel. He’s best known for bringing an end to communism in Czechoslovakia. He came to FIU in Miami to speak, and I was in charge of escorting him from his limo to the auditorium. Of course, I spoke to him in Czech and then made the mistake of putting my arm around him like we were friends — his bodyguards didn’t react well to that. That is also free advice, never just put your arm around a Head of State.
WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO ? Salsa, merengue, old-school reggae, and reggaeton.
TELL US SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW. When I was in 8th grade, I got a certificate from my PE coach that says I’m “athletic.” (I’m currently averaging 800 steps a day.)
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A CROWD OF PEOPLE? Laugh. Be kind to others. And watch out for the fountains at Town Center Park — they might just look like little drains in the ground, but when you bend down to look in the hole, water comes out and hits you in the face. That’s free advice. ■