Brian Mazurek is new to Alaska and embracing the change of seasons — something he hasn’t seen often.

As the latest addition to the newsroom, the recent Florida transplant moved to the Kenai Peninsula because he fell in love with the state.

“Actually I had no idea I’d end up working for the Clarion when I moved here,” Mazurek said. “I came up for a few reasons. Mostly I fell in love with Alaska after visiting a few times over the years. Also, I’m fortunate enough to have a big, amazing family unit up here — aunts, uncles and cousins.”

Mazurek said he misses his family in Florida, but after finishing his degree at Florida State University he grew tired of the Sunshine State and decided to move north. His family is large, with more cousins than he can keep track of.

“We’re spread out all over the country, from here to California to Florida and most places in between,” he said. “My mom and dad still live in Florida, but they read the E-edition of the Clarion every day and having their support from so far away means the world.”

Outside of the newsroom, Mazurek loves to listen to live music, stay up to date on political philosophy and play Dungeons and Dragons. He also speaks four languages: English, Spanish, Arabic and Mandarin.

“I’m by no means fluent in any of these (probably including English) but if you dropped me off in Beijing or Beirut or Barcelona tomorrow I could probably get around OK,” he said (in English).

In the newsroom, Mazurek is the public safety reporter, meaning he compiles police dispatches and court reports. He’ll also check the criminal charges to keep tabs on crime.

Outside of the world of crime, Mazurek also enjoys covering community events such a chamber of commerce luncheons.

“I consider public safety a pretty broad term, so I have a lot of freedom in choosing what I get to write about,” he said.

As for his first summer in Alaska, Mazurek said he isn’t necessarily a planner but hopes to explore the state he now calls home.

“I’ve still really only seen what’s on the peninsula, Anchorage and Denali, so there’s a lot left on the list,” he said. “I’m looking forward to experiencing all of the seasonal changes. Florida really only has two seasons, summer and “winter,” so watching all the snow melt and all the birds come back and all the moose grazing along the highways has been very cool for me. There’s nothing like an Alaskan winter to give you a whole new sense of appreciation for this time of year.”