Serving with Mr. Winters on the Committee are: Mrs. Anna-Mae Maglaty, MS Ed; Mrs. Deborah M. Majka, MS; Mrs. Carolyn Meleski, MS; and Mr. Peter Obst, MA. As in past years, the Committee found that the large number of applications from bright and talented students of Polish heritage across the U.S. made the selection process most challenging. All of the applicants displayed superior scholastic achievements and outstanding records of volunteer services in their communities.
The Committee awarded $5,000 scholarships to each of the following students.
Anne Marie Choike of Ann Arbor, MI. Since applying for this scholarship, Ms. Choike graduated and received a Juris Doctor and a Masters in Urban Planning degrees from the University of Michigan (UM).
L/R – Carolyn Meleski; Anne Marie Choike
A professor at MU rated Anne Marie’s paper on the impact of a migrant reintegration program very highly and asked her permission to use it as a model for future classes as to what a great paper should look like. Her professor in the Law School at the University wrote, “she is a very strong student, a joy to have in class, and a wonderful contributor to the life of the Law School and the larger University.”
Summer time employment with law firms over the past couple of years earned Anne Marie an offer for permanent employment as a full-time associate after graduation. In the summer of 2005, she successfully completed five credit hours in Intensive Polish Language at the Jagiellonian Univ. in Krakow. That same year she was a recipient of the F.C. Woods Fellowship for Undergraduate Research in Europe and the Tomaszkiewicz-Florio Scholarship for Polish Language and Cultural Study.
Despite carrying a full workload in a dual graduate degree program, Anne Marie managed to devote a surprising amount of time to the community over the past few years. She maintained active membership in the Women’s Law Student Assoc., the Univ. of MI Polish Club, and the Friends of Polish Art – Detroit (an ACPC Affiliate), and a Cornell Univ. music group, which performed musical pieces during weekly trips to elderly care facilities.
Anna Marie also served as a tutor at the UM Academic Services Center, and raised $1,600 as a finisher in marathons in Chicago (2007) and Detroit (2006) for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training. Incredibly, she also found time to participate in sports and exercise activities that included bowling and serving as an instructor at a rock climbing gym.
Agnes Sekowski of Austin, Texas is a graduate student in her second year of study at the University of Texas (UT) working toward a Master in Urban Planning degree as well as an MA with a major in Russian, Eastern European & Eurasian Studies. Her professional experience over the past several years includes serving as an Intern for the Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution at the UT School of Law, a Policy Research Member in the Congressional Research Service at Austin, a Marketing Manager/Hiring Coordinator for Ad lucent, LLC, and Sr. Student Asst. to Summer Programs at the Center for Intl. Business Education & Research. In the latter position, she presented summer study abroad information sessions and organized activities and company visits for summer classes of business schools in Brazil and China. She also has had notable overseas experience, having studied summers in Cracow (2001), Vienna (2003), and spent summers working in Ukraine (2003) and Berlin (2004). This summer, Agnes will be participating in an extremely selective, albeit, unpaid summer internship with the U.S. Dept. of State in the Public Affairs Office at the Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia. The Pulaski scholarship grant will help cover some of the expenses involved and also permit engaging in academic research and thesis development during the next academic year.
L/R – Barbara Martin; Valerie Grace; Agnes Sekowski; Mary Gawron; Beata Gmurowski
A professor with whom Agnes studied Slavic Languages writes that he found her to be a serious, highly talented and ambitious student preparing for a career in public service and he expects “only good things from her in the future.” In the professor’s course on Contemporary Polish History & Culture, Agnes submitted a final paper on the music of Polish composer Henryk Gorecki, which the professor deemed “a fine piece of work which brings many strands together into a seamless package…a work Agnes Sekowski can be proud of.” During her sophomore year as an undergraduate at the Univ. of Texas, Agnes was one of the founding members of the Polonia-Austin Club at the University.
The honoree was presented her $5,000 award on behalf of the American Council for Polish Culture at her residence in Austin by ACPC member Mrs. Valerie Grace who is regarded as “a powerful force in the central Texas Polish Community for more than 30 years.”
Along with the check, Mrs. Grace added a gift of a dozen striking Texas yellow roses and a bottle of champagne that was served at a Polish luncheon prepared by Ms. Sekowski’s mother. Joining Mrs. Grace in the presentation was Mrs. Beata Gmurowski, President of the Austin Polish Society. Expressing her delight at having an Austin student chosen for this prestigious award, Mrs. Gmurowski added “the Austin Polish Society, a relatively young Polish organization in the Austin area, is proud to participate in this special celebration for a young Polish Texan.”
The Society may be young, but it already boasts a yearlong schedule of Polish films, holiday gatherings, festivals, lectures and special Polish guest presentations as part of a forward-thinking agenda designed to educate Texans about the rich cultural heritage of Poland.
Application information on the Pulaski Scholarships for the year 2010 may be obtained after Nov. 1, 2009 by visiting www.polishcultureacpc.org or by contacting Mr. Winters at [email protected] or (508) 949-0160.