P.K. Subban's sisters, Nastassia and Natasha, make their own mark
They may only be known to most people as NHL star P.K. Subban's sisters, but Nastassia and Natasha Subban are focused on blazing a trail of their own in an effort to give back to the community.
Along with brothers Malcolm and Jordan, who have also been drafted into the National Hockey League, the two sisters are part of a Toronto family that strives to have an impact in their community.
Nastassia is the eldest. She's a teacher in the Jane and Finch area and helps out with the school's hot lunch program, providing nutritious meals to students who do not have one.
Initially, she wanted to help children and their parents by working in family law, but quickly found that wasn't the job for her.
"I went to Old City Hall to do a field trip for law and I was like, 'ugh, this isn't for me at all,' because there was no interaction with the kids. It was just all paperwork," Nastassia told CBC News, adding that teaching was "a perfect fit."
Younger sister, Natasha, also went into teaching, and shares her expertise in art with her students at Elmbank Middle Junior School.
"I love them, and you know what? It's very rewarding for me as a teacher because I just feel like if I can come into a school and make a difference with one kid, or one student, whoever it is, then I know I've done my job," Natasha said.
Nastassia is also in charge of improving literacy at her school after tests showed students were struggling.
"Kids are not reading. They're having a lot of difficulties in all subject areas because of the literacy issues. And I strongly believe that if students are more literate, they'll be able to be more successful in all those classrooms," she said.
The sisters have followed their father, Karl, into the profession. He is a retired school principal who came to Canada from Jamaica and taught in some of Toronto's most at-risk communities. He used to bring his young children with him to work during his career.
Maria, the mother of five, hails from the Caribbean country of Montserrat. The couple encouraged their children to focus on their own strengths.
The sisters also played a key role in helping P.K. make his $10-million donation to the Montreal Children's Hospital in September, which was then described by the health-care facility as "the biggest philanthropic commitment by a sports figure in Canadian history."
But as great as P.K. may be in the eyes of many for his work on and off the ice, big sister Nastassia said he's no match for her on the basketball court.
"He said in an article that he beat me," Nastassia said with a laugh. "That is not true."
