Terry Blesso came from Mitchell Middle School, where he had been happily teaching for 10 years. However, when the opportunity to come to Vista, it was an offer he couldn’t refuse.

Blesso went to UCLA for his bachelor’s degree, and then to UC Davis for his master’s. He was determined to become a P.E teacher because he wanted to give back to the kids in the best way that he could–by giving them knowledge and a way to stay fit.

Blesso’s own teachers inspired him to become a teacher when he was growing up. “My 6th grade teacher, AP history teacher and Economics teacher in college had the biggest impact in my education,” said Blesso.

He also wanted summers off of work so he could spend time doing the things he loves, like mountain biking, lake boarding, paddle boarding, traveling and Cross Fit.

Here’s a Blesso fun fact: he’s had about 20 jobs throughout his life. “I have worked since I was 14 and through college,” he said. His first job before teaching in high school was as a financial analyst at Intel.

Blesso was very impressed by Vista’s school spirit. “Lots of people are involved during the spirit days,” he said.

Freshman Hayley Fitzpatrick has Blesso second block and her favorite thing about him is that he is always happy. “Even when he is yelling at us, he is happy. He always has a smile across his face.”

Just as important, Fitzpatrick believes that Blesso really knows what he’s doing. “He seems to have a good understanding of how to challenge us and how to get us to work hard during class.”

Blesso said that he would like to be viewed as likable, yet at the same time tough enough to improve their physical skills through practice.  He wants his students to enjoy class and have fun participating in the activities. “I also want them to learn about more than sports, so I try to educate them about fitness models and nutrition.”

Because he’s forward thinking, he has students participate with different training modalities so that he can engage more students. “I want them to view my class as difficult but rewarding,” he said.

The students at Vista have taught Blesso a lot, from how to discipline to what they enjoy most.

Blesso has really found his place here and the students support him.