kosciuszko foundation THE AMERICAN CENTER OF POLISH CULTURE NEWSLETTER Fall 2013 Volume LXII, No. 3 ISSN 1081-2776 Inside... Message from 2 President Alex Storozynski Poland’s Economy 3 Hailed as a “Phenomenon” 4 Bridges to Poland 5 Click Here to Apply 6 KF Washington DC Gala It’s easier than ever to apply 7 Debutantes Invited for a scholarship. See page 5. 9 PHOTO: Ewa R. Nowakowska Cultural Events 8 at the KF 9 How to Make a The Kosciuszko Foundation Smart Gift to the KF SAVE The Teaching 10 English in Poland Program BALL 11 The Bryzinski Fund THE DATE Saturday, April 26, 2014 Establishing a Legacy 12 of Love for Poland Chopin and 13 Moniuszko Competitions Exchange 14 Fellowships and Grants 17 Award Winners Scholarships 18 and Grants for Americans 25 KF Chapters 27 Giving to the KF 28 Calendar of Events PROGRESS AT THE KOSCIUSZKO FOUNDATION by Alex Storozynski, President of the Kosciuszko Foundation Dear Members, This will speed up the application process, allow more students to apply, thus making our scholarships more competitive. It Change is always difficult, especially will also save money. We want to assure you, our members, with an organization that is 88 years that we are doing our best to be efficient in the way the old. I’ve worked hard to modernize Kosciuszko Foundation operates. the Kosciuszko Foundation, while being true to the vision of From Guttenberg’s printing press in 1450 and the world’s our founder, Harvard-educated first pencil in 1560, to the first personal computers in the economist Stephen Mizwa, whose 1960s and 70s, and the smart phones of today, technology focus was on improving relations has changed the way humans communicate and do business. between Poland and the United Stephen Mizwa These days, laptops and smart phones are the preferred States, and educating as many Poles as medium of communication, and that’s why we must use these possible. tools to reach the generations of today and tomorrow to keep their interest in Polish language and culture. But we have to walk a fine line to balance between the past, present, and future. For decades, the Kosciuszko Foundation was known for its English-Polish dictionary. But with book Take our application process for grants and scholarships. Not publishing going the way of the dinosaurs, everyone was happy when I said that we’d be moving to an we’re trying to raise funds to create an electronic application process, away from the voluminous app for smart phones that will reach paper applications that arrived here in large envelopes. By younger generations and keep the the time we made copies to distribute to our scholarship Polish language alive in their committee, they looked like stacks of phone books. Something pockets. It will cost us about had to change. $100,000 to do this, but we are applying for grants to government agencies, foundations and businesses that might be willing to help fund this new medium for our dictionary. We also have a dynamic new Membership Manager Kasia Prorok who is streamlining out database. The program that the Kosciuszko Foundation had been using dates back to the 1980s. Over the next few months, we will be installing a new program that will allow us to better track your donations and follow your interests in Polish culture. There will be mistakes as we enter new information into our system, so please It’s been two decades since students first began applying for be patient, and help us college online, and since 2001, nine out of 10 colleges have update your information by accepted electronic applications, rather than hard copies. So sending us your address up- over the summer, our new Officer for Grants from Poland, dates, birthday, email, and Krzysztof Haranczyk, and his brother Grzegorz spent several donations so that we can weeks moving our scholarship application process online. better serve your interests. 2 THE K O S CIUS ZKO FOUN D ATION POLAND’S ECONOMY HAILED AS A “PHENOMENON” BY STANDARD & POOR’S, CITIBANK, AND ANALYSTS AT KOSCIUSZKO FOUNDATION ECONOMIC CONFERENCE resident of the National Bank of Poland Marek Belka says that Poland’s balanced and P less risky approach is the secret to the resilience of his country’s economy. This has helped Poland to attract foreign capital, Belka said, adding, “When we compare ourselves to The bricks and mortar of the other European powerhouses, our exports have risen the fastest.” Kosciuszko Foundation headquarters are also undergoing a facelift. Over Mr. Belka spoke at an economic conference at the the summer, our new Maintenance Kosciuszko Foundation in New York. The conference Manager Robert Karauda, was busy featured panel discussions, one led by President of putting a fresh coat of paint on Standard & Poor’s Rating Agency Douglas Peterson, the rotunda, basement, stairways, who said, “There is a Polish phenomenon of a growing reception room, and the black metal dynamic country that did not go through any recession railings outside. He also pulled up like the rest of the European zone countries over the the old carpet in the reception room Marek Belka, President of the last five or six years. Poland is a very dynamic country,” and polished and stained the wooden National Bank of Poland Peterson said. floors that were underneath. Peterson added, “S&P has an office of 40 people in Poland which And in an effort to continue being includes PhDs in mathematics, economics, data analytics and Polonia’s most effective organization, physics.” we held an Economic Conference Pawel Graniewski, VP of the Warsaw Stock Exchange’s management on Sept. 27th with the President of board, said the Warsaw stock exchange was first established in 1817 the National Bank of Poland, Marek and active until 1939, when Poland was invaded by Nazi Germany Belka. Thanks to the hard work of and the Soviet Union. In 1991, when it was reestablished, the our Project Manager Ewa Zadworna, stock market was ironically located in the former Communist Party we were able to secure a grant from headquarters. Since then, there has been strong growth in sectors Douglas Peterson, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of such as banking, food processing, high-tech, biotech and the energy Poland to fund this event which President, Standard sector. & Poor’s received a great deal of attention from Standard & Poor’s and Wall Head of Global Emerging Markets Multinationals at Citigroup Robert Snell said, “Poland is Street investment banks. It generated more of an emerged market, than an emerging market.” reports in the financial media about One reason for Poland’s superior growth was explained by Paul Fogo, Treasurer of the the phenomenon of Poland’s growing American Chamber of Commerce in Poland, who said it is easier for foreign companies to economy, mentioning that this set up business in Poland and benefit from being a EU entity than for foreign companies to event was held at the Kosciuszko set up business in the United States. Foundation. “Poland is an excellent gateway to the European Union,” Fogo said. “That’s why more than I often ask myself, what would 700 U.S. companies are doing business in Poland.” our founder Mizwa do? Being that he set up the initial KF Beata Stelmach, Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland, said that board with the help of bankers Poland has a “safe and transparent banking sector” and that the government has been cutting and business people who could bureaucratic red tape to make it easier to do business in Poland. help raise money to educate Kosciuszko Foundation President Alex Storozynski said, “More than 100 people from Poles, something tells me Mizwa Wall Street and business, including investment bankers, financial analysts, and business would approve. ! journalists, gathered to discuss Poland’s economy, which shows the incredible interest in this island of stability in the center Europe which is facing economic turmoil.” ! 3 GES TO POLA ID ND BR The Kosciuszko Foundation Receives a $30,000 Grant From The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland to Expand its Scholarship Program We are pleased to announce that Alexandra Chinchilla – student of Natasha Pedzik – a graduate student thanks to a grant received from the International Politics and Security of Social Work at Adelphi University, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland, at Georgetown University, Garden City, NY the Kosciuszko Foundation awarded Washington, D.C. “I enjoyed my trip to Krakow for the Kosciuszko “Bridges to Stephanie Siwiec – 20 special scholarships to gifted Polish- Katarzyna Czerniak – Poland” scholarship tremen- a graduate student American students to study Polish a graduate student of Liberal dously. It was a welcome op- in History at SUNY, language and culture this summer in Arts at the University of portunity to immerse myself in Buffalo, NY Krakow and Lublin, Poland. Polish language and culture. St. Thomas, Houston, TX It gave me the chance to get to Thomas A. Snape – Bridges to Poland – a new KF scholarship Katrina Gabryluk – Industrial know a new city – Krakow – Accounting/ Engineering student at a vibrant place that is alive Finance student at program was established to distribute day and night.” the grant. Each scholarship covered University of Pittsburgh, PA JULIAN KLOSOWIAK, Indiana University, NORTHWESTERN Bloomington, IN program fees of a three-week intensive Troy A. Gawlak – student of UNIVERSITY, CHICAGO, IL summer program at the History at Kent Cynthia Sularz – School of Polish Language “My trip to Krakow this sum- State University, Kent, OH Diaplomacy and International Relations mer ended up being one of the and Culture at the most memorable experiences Natalie Grochowski – student at Seton Hall University, Jagiellonian University of my life.