Face-to-Face with Marie Asuncion

Marie is a 25-year-old musician and English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher from Toronto. As a teenager, Marie became unorganized in school and began to hear voices telling her what to do. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 15, but doesn’t let her illness define her. With the help of medication, family support and her faith, Marie has been running towards her goals and has hit her stride – she was even chosen as a Torch Runner for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. She graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Music and has a private music studio teaching piano and harp. She also performs harp at weddings and events around Toronto. In addition to teaching harp and ESL to students, Marie is active in the Filipino community and volunteers across the province raising awareness and talking to youth and their families about schizophrenia and psychosis. She has also been featured in documentaries, radio ads and newspaper articles for her advocacy efforts. For Marie, giving back is something that comes naturally. For Marie, Recovery is Possible.