Committee Chairperson Ursula Brodowicz reported that the Skalny Scholarship Committee, including Debra Majka, Ange Iwanczyk, Dr. Ed Pawlowski, and Marion Winters, awarded $1,000 scholarships for 2009 to three outstanding applicants:
Natalie Misteravich of Dearborn
Natalie Misteravich of Dearborn, Michigan states that she takes great pride in promoting Polish culture and traditions to the community. Her extensive teaching experience includes instructing Polish folk dance for the Polish Alliance Dancers for seven years, and the Polanie Song and Dance Ensemble for four years. She also conducted ten workshops in Polish folk dance at Wayne State University, and a workshop on the subject to a group in North Dakota. Natalie also tutored students in the Polish language at Wayne State University Success Center. She has studied the Polish language, including Saturday school and four years of Polish language at Wayne State. She has traveled frequently and extensively to Poland, including a focus on the folk arts, and visiting open air and Ethnographic museums. Natalie completed the “4-Letnie Studium Choreograficzne”, renowned Choreographers Course in Rzeszow, which she attended for four summers and wrote a 28 page thesis in Polish. ACPC Affiliate, Friends of Polish Art – Detroit, enjoyed a fine presentation by Natalie on the folk dance Choreographers Course.
Dr. Alina Klin, senior Lecturer in Polish Studies at the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at Wayne State University, writes in a letter of recommendation “It is not very often that I encounter a student who at her age has already developed such a strong commitment to Polish culture.…. Natalie is an excellent student… genuinely interested in Polish issues.” Last December, Natalie graduated from Wayne State University with a BA in Slavic Studies and a concentration in Polish Studies. She will be attending Indiana University as a graduate student in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures in September, where she plans to pursue a master’s degree. Her stated goal is to become a professor of Polish and to dedicate her life to teaching Polish culture, history, and language.
The Skalny Scholarship was presented to Natalie Misteravich on behalf of the ACPC by Caroline Meleski, Pres. Friends of Polish Arts, Detroit, an ACPC Affiliate, at a meeting of the Polish American Congress – Michigan meeting.
L/R: Nicole Pawluskiewicz; Janusz Golubiec
Nicole Pawluskiewicz of Bellevue, Washington is described as a “good and proud ambassador for Polish culture and tradition” in a letter of recommendation from Elzbieta Rodzinski, President of the Polish Ladies Auxiliary in Seattle. Nicole has been involved in the Polonia community of Seattle from an early age and has followed in the footsteps of her family. According to Ms. Rodzinski and John Golubiec, president of the Polish Home Association of Seattle, both her parents and her late uncle have served in leadership capacities in Polonian organizations. Nicole began as a one year old in the “Young Polanie” group, was a Polish Girl Scout, and as a teenager volunteered to assist with various events and fund raisers for the community. In 2004, as a member of the Bellevue Christian High School choir, Nicole suggested and helped facilitate a trip to Krakow to be included in their tour of Europe. The group gave two concerts, visited famous sites, and met socially with Polish youth.
The Seattle students voted their visit to Poland as their favorite among all the countries they visited. Nicole is currently a member of the Polish Home Assoc. and assists in fundraisers and events. A member of the Washington State Women’s Soccer Assoc., Nicole is also an assistant soccer coach at an elementary school. She has worked in various capacities with children and has tutored Polish language and other subjects. Nicole has backpacked throughout Europe for the past four summers, and last year traveled and studied in Australia. She is currently a senior majoring in Intl. Communications at the University of Washington and has consistently made the Dean’s List. Her Polish Studies have included Polish Language, Literature and Slavic. Assoc. Professor of the UW Slavic Dept. Katarzyna Dzwirek writes that Nicole contributed much to the discussions and had well-informed opinions on a variety of topics, and in a class that deals with cultural and linguistic variables in expression of emotions, “Nicole’s sensitivity to cross linguistic variation in emotional concepts was impressive.”
The Skalny Scholarship award was presented to Nicole Pawluszkiewicz on behalf of ACPC by John Golubiec, Pres. Polish Home Assoc. of Seattle.
L/R: Michael Szpindor Watson; Dr. Vivian Walkosz
Michael Szpindor Watson of Schaumberg, Ill. describes himself as “very involved in Polonia, whether socially, academically, politically, or voluntarily… choosing to be Polish means supporting Polonia and exploring my Polish interests.” Michael credits his early involvement in the Polonian community to his mother, Dr. Anne Szpindor. He writes that his mother, herself very active in the Polonian community of Chicago, raised her children learning Polish and about Poland. Michael boasts of over thirteen trips to Poland as the family spent summers visiting there. He has been actively interested in his “Polish roots” since seventh grade, and is involved in various Polonian activities and events in the Chicago area. Since attending Indiana University- Bloomington campus, Michael has become active in Polish activities there as well. He is a founding member and treasurer of the current Polish Cultural Assoc. of Indiana University and has organized various events and fund raising active ties. Michael has attended the Polish Table discussions weekly while at the University.
His Polish Studies courses have included Polish history, literature, film and language. He is the first student in Indiana University’s history who designed his own major in Polish Studies. He is majoring in Interdepartmental Economics and Political Science, Polish Language and Literature with a minor in Russian and Eastern European Institute with Polish Language Certificate. Justyna Beinek, Asst. Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures, writes that Michael “distinguished himself in my classes by showing avid interest in Polish culture, constantly improving his analytical, writing, and oral presentation skills… there is no other student as committed to discussing Polish politics and culture…has a proven academic record and is a leader….”. Michael plans on returning to Chicago to finish his studies.
The Skalny Scholarship was presented to Michael Szpindor Watson on behalf of ACPC at a luncheon event by Dr. Vivian Walkosz, Pres. Polish Arts Club of Chicago, an ACPC Affiliate.