Every Year on a Different Continent. an 18 Year-Old from Gdańsk in Elite Schools in the USA and Jordan

Every year on a different continent. An 18 year-old from Gdańsk in elite schools in the USA and Jordan

By Dorota Karaś

I had American roommates, ate breakfast with a friend from India, took Arabic lessons with a boy from Sudan, took swimming lessons with a girl from Jamaica, and sat with a Fin at dinner. During the schoolyear we celebrated Christmas, Hanukkah, Chinese New Year and Diwali.

Dorota Karaś: – I heard you went to dinner with the King of Jordan recently? Alicja Borzyszkowska*: – It was a unique event, organised to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the school in Jordan which I am now attending. King’s Academy in the city of Madaba was founded by the current King, Abd Allah II ibn Hussein. As part of the anniversary celebrations an official dinner with the prime minister, alumni, donors and the Royal Family took place. It was like a movie scene – I will never forget seeing the helicopter from which His Highness waved to us, or the bulletproof land rovers which carried the Prince and the Ministers.

How did you end up there? – Select final year students were invited to participate in the dinner. Our role was to serve over 700 guests. I was lucky to be assigned the table where the Royal Family, country representatives and school founders were sitting. What did they have for dinner? – For starters traditional Arabic mamul cookies with dates and dolma wrapped in vine leaves with special rice inside. The main course was beef steak with grilled vegetables. I served it to a professor from India who turned out to be vegetarian – thankfully my friends saved me and handed me the right plate. The dinner took six hours and at the end I had the opportunity to introduce myself to the Royal couple, talk briefly about Poland and was ensured we would soon have more time to talk.

How does the Jordanian education system differ from the Polish one? – The school I attend follows the American system. High school lasts four years and students are encouraged to explore various disciplines. Every year we pick subjects at an elementary, intermediate or college level. This year I am taking seven classes, including three at college level – comparative political studies, biology and English literature. I also take Arabic two hours a day, as I am taking part in the Arabic Year programme which includes learning about Arabic culture and travelling around the region. I often spend weekends in Wadi Rum.

You started travelling as a child? – All thanks to my parents who wanted to teach me and my two siblings about the world through travelling. We used our savings and always travelled together. Initially we went to Turkey, Tunisia, Egypt and the Canary Islands, all places where a family with children could safely travel.

You saved up for travels instead of new toys? – And I never regretted it! My favorite childhood book was “In Desert and Wilderness”. I wanted to discover the world like the main characters, and spent many nights poring over maps and National Geographic magazines. I often wonder where my interest in travel comes from. I attribute it to the atmosphere of Gdańsk: its history, Germanic influences, international tourists and the sailing community I am involved in.

In a wildlife reserve in Botswana.

You were a young teenager when you went volunteering to Africa on your own. – I first went to Kenya at 11. My mother bought cheap flight tickets and we went to Africa as a family. When my siblings grew up a bit, our travels became more expedition-like and we swapped hotels for camping in the wild. We started learning about the countries we visited like locals. At 15 I went to Africa on my own for the first time. My parents were busy with work and I dreamed of visiting the continent I had fallen in love with. I applied for an interventional volunteering project in environmental protection in Botswana and South Africa. The trip was quite expensive, and I spent all my savings on it. My parents and grandparents pitched in and I became the youngest volunteer in the organisation’s history.

Weren’t you afraid to go on your own? – I was so overwhelmed that I lost my passport at Gdansk airport and found it at the last moment before boarding! I flew to Johanessburg via Munich and then took a small 15-seat plane. There was a woman with a crate full of chickens on-board. I was picked up at the airport and taken over the border into Botswana, and taken into the reservation by a guard.

What did life look like there? – We slept in army tents. Lions and other wild animals roamed the reservation freely. Armed soldiers looked after our safety. In two days, I went from a large European city to the middle of the savannah. We had no electricity, running water or cell coverage. We used solar energy and satellite phones. Initially I felt quite lonely, but that’s what I needed at the time. What did you learn? – I changed and matured significantly over those three weeks. It was hard physical work laying down roads, saving animals hunted by poachers. I also carried out research into the declining population of the white rhinoceros. This influenced my interest in environmental conservation. To this day I receive reports from the reservation and I’m in touch with its employees.

When did you start your foundation, which provides educational opportunities for children in Africa? – Two years ago. While travelling Africa with my parents I saw many local schools with no running water, seats, blackboards. Few children has shoes. It was a difficult sight. I was 15 and decided to act. I didn’t want to just send money through Western NGO’s to the developing countries in the southern hemisphere. I started a programme which fosters partnership between schools all around the world – “Schools on the Equator”. I travelled Poland talking to schools about my project, everything was starting to develop. However, I soon left for the USA and couldn’t focus on the project as much, but I am now finally restarting again.

A school in Africa How did a pupil from your public high school end up in a private American school which counts the US President’s sons among its alumni? – I never planned to study in the USA for financial reasons. When I was a sophomore, preparing to enter the IB programme, the school organised a series of meetings about opportunities to study abroad. It was there that I learned about the ASSIST programme, which sends over 100 teenagers every year to a selection of over 90 private American high schools. I decided to apply and was invited to the final interviews in Warsaw. I still couldn’t believe I could get the scholarship. It was only in the train to Warsaw that I began to wonder what would happen if I did.

Leaving home for a year for the other side of the world is not something you can prepare for.

What did the interviews look like? – The stakes were high. The interviews took place in Warsaw’s Intercontinental Hotel. The Americans interviewed 4 people at a time, and this wasn’t a typical test of knowledge. They asked us to work as a team to decide whom we would take on a flight into space to start life on a new planet. We had to choose between a doctor, a woman with a child and a farmer. It was incredible!

When did you find out you won the scholarship?

– I found out via email after 2 months. A month later an envelope with congratulations and a welcome letter from The Hill School arrived, and I cried reading it. My mom then took me to my favourite café to read all the information and brochures about the school.

Three other people from Poland were awarded scholarships.

What does an American private school look like? – The location itself is incredible. The Hill School in Pottstown, PA i san impressive campus of redbrick buildings. The school was founded in 1851 and became coeducational in the early 90s. There are tennis courts, swimming pools, a hockey rink, and other athletic facilities on campus. The most important aspect for me was the international atmosphere and new friendships.

We had classes six days a week and multiple breaks during the year. I managed to visit 14 states, and visited a friend in Colombia. I welcomed the New Year in New York’s Times Square. And how come you moved to Jordan after a year in the States? – In the States I started learning Arabic intensively. At the end of the year a teacher from the King’s Academy in Jordan visited our school as part of the King’s official tour of the States. He told us about the school and I felt that this was my chance. I couldn’t stay in the States, as the scholarship was only a year long and tuition fees were 60 000$ a year.

After class I spoke to the Jordanian teacher and he suggested I apply to the school. I sent all necessary paperwork within a week and spend the whole night on essays. I knew that only a full scholarship could make my dream a reality,

I was in Istanbul when I received the news that I had been admitted as a senior. I was working with Syrian refugees at the time. I had three weeks to pack my bags again and fly to the Middle East.

King’s Academy Jordan 10th anniversary dinner

You’ve gone to school on a different continent every year. What’s next for you? – A year in the States and in Jordan have opened many doors for me. I don’’ feel pressured to choose a university. I might study in the Middle East, as I’m very interested in this part of the world, or choose to return to the States. I would like to study international politics, journalism and human rights. I’m also considering a gap year after these intense and demanding schoolyears. If I decide to take a gap year, I’ll spend it in Africa, photographing and developing “Schools on the Equator”.

* Alicja Borzyszkowska – is 18 years old, grew up in Gdańsk. Attended III LO in Gdańsk, The Hill School in the USA and King’s Academy in Jordanii. Founder of “Schools on the Equator”