Ms. Joanna Orzechowska: I received the information about the Paderewski Scholarship from the Fund for American Studies, the organization that covered all the costs of my participation in a several-week long summer program in Prague three years ago , and which from that moment has been sending me information about different projects and scientific initiatives conducted at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. I thought that I could try my luck, especially as the scholarship was said to finance full tuition and accommodation fee during one of the summer programs carried out this year at Georgetown University. And so I sent my application and… couple of months later I was informed that I had been given this scholarship!

Q: You’ve come to the U.S. in June, it is for the first time? How long you will stay there and at which University?

A: Yes. It is my first trip to United States. Therefore I am even more excited about this scholarship, as apart from studying, I have a chance to do some sightseeing. The classes are conducted at Georgetown University in Washington, DC and the whole program will last for two months.

Q: What do you expect? What are you studying there?

A: Well, I hope to learn many new things. I remember from the course in Prague, which was mostly carried out by professors from the United States, how professional Americans are about these kind of initiatives. Therefore I am positive that I won’t be let out. But foreign scholarship is not only about studying. It is a great opportunity to meet many people of different cultural backgrounds, to improve learning skills, and to see new places.

As to the major of my studies, I participate in the classes organized within the confines of Engalitcheff Institute on Comparative Political and Economic Systems, known as IPCES.

Q: Reading your C.V. , I learned that this wasn’t the first scholarship you had received. When and where have you been before and what have you learned there?

Q: Yes, till today I managed to study in three foreign countries, each time being awarded a different scholarship. As to my first scholarship, I have already mentioned it. It was a summer Course in Political Economy organized by Georgetown University (Washington, DC) and Charles University (Prague) , held three years ago in the capital of the Czech Republic. Then, I was given a CEEPUS scholarship (Central European Exchange Program for Students) to study in Budapest. Finally, thanks to Socrates/Erasmus scholarship I went to study in Pamplona(Spain). All these scholarships were really fruitful for me. Not only did I learn many new things, but I also had a chance to meet many interesting people, and, what is even more important, I could challenge myself in a totally new surrounding.

Q: Did you work during your studies, in Poland and abroad?

A: Yes, I had a chance to participate in two internships: one in Spain and one in Poland. Now I work part-time for one of the U.S.Senators in Washington.

Q: Was your previous internship time profitable?

A: First and foremost I could challenge my theoretical knowledge in practice. Finally I could see how the work in both local company and in a multinational corporation looks like. These both experiences enabled me to understand what I really would like to do in the future, which direction I would like to follow.

Q: Your “Alma Mater” is the Cracow University of Economics (Poland). Which faculty and what year of study do you follow? What subject do you want to specialize in, and what will be your topic of your MA thesis?

A: I think that it is more accurate to discuss these issues in past tense. When I found out about the possibility of applying for Ignacy Paderewski Scholarship, I was just starting my last year of International Affairs at the Cracow University of Economics. By this time, I had already been writing my MA thesis for more than half a year. I decided to focus on the problem of Basque nationalists, which I had encountered during my studies in Spain. So, when I found out that I had been given this scholarship, I decided to intensify the efforts, and as I result I managed to defend my MA thesis couple of weeks ago.

Q: How do you assess the higher studies in Poland? Are Polish Universities competitive versus other European institutions, providing the higher education?

A: It is really hard for me to compare studies in Poland with the ones abroad. But there’s no question that all the international programs, I took part in, were in every aspect more interesting. However, I am not sure, how far it is due to the very nature of the exchange programs, that are said to be a showcase of every university, and how far it really reflects the real conditions of studying at a foreign university.I am positive that as to the level of teaching and of our professors we can match the best European standards. The only problem of the Polish universities is a lack of adequate funding to finance new initiatives.

Q: Let’s talk about your life now. You’re only 23, what family you come from, who motivated you to study, where did you learn foreign languages?

A: Yes, I am only 23 years old, I was born and raised in Cracow, the ancient capital of Poland and the site of the oldest Polish and one of the oldest European universities - the Jagellonian University (founded in 1400) . This is also where my parents live. All my scholarly interest I derived from home. From my early childhood my parents were inculcating the real hunger for knowledge into me. They themselves decided to stay at the university and to continue their academic work. My mother has a PhD in animal production and she works in a special institute associated with the Agricultural University of Cracow. My father is a professor at the Cracow University of Mining and Metallurgy. And this is mostly because of them why I started studying foreign languages. For as long as I can remember I have been studying English. Mostly, I was attending afternoon classes in many language schools in Cracow. With Spanish, it was a bit different, as I learned it in a way out of necessity, during my scholarship in Spain. However I know that this is just a beginning; I really need to work hard to achieve the level that would meet my expectations. Not even mentioning about other languages, such as German and French, which I hope to learn one day…

Q: What values and predilections did you inherit from your family home? Who was your mentor, your “dream boy or girl”? Are you religious?

A: From my home I derived first and foremost a great passion to knowledge. I still remember my father’s saying that the only value that no one would ever be able to take away from me is what I have in my head (in my mind). I have remembered it really well and, with time, it became my motto. I can’t say, however, who my greatest hero has been and is now. I do admire my parents for their strength and perseverance when fighting all adversities. It is also hard for me to choose one value that, I believe, is the most important in life. But if I had to pick one, it would probably be honesty. I don’t think that anyone could be fully happy without being completely honest with himself and with other people.

Am I religious? Well, I consider myself a believer in God. However, I am not fanatical about religion. It may sound like a truism, but I believe that the most important thing is to implement into life all the values that we believe in, instead of parading them. I don’t like when people talk too much about their religious beliefs, while - in reality - they behave to the contrary.

Q: I look into your C.V. again: you are an outstanding student, but what else? Do you nourish any passions, hobbies, particular predilections? What are your favorite authors?

A: To be honest, I don’t have any great passion. And I’ve always regretted it a bit. There are too many things that I find interesting, too many things that I would really like to devote myself to. Some time ago, my great obsession was dance. For eight years I was attending a ballet school in Cracow. Later – books. I remember devouring novels by Nabokov and Kundera, and going for special lectures about literature of Central Europe. Right now, I am fascinated about the problem of nationalism and its special role in a globalized world. As the result, I dedicated my MA thesis to this topic, and I hope to develop my ideas on this subject in my future PhD thesis.

Q: What do you think about yourself? What woman are you? Does learning and professional ambitions contradict your private life? How could you solve a dilemma: love or a career, family or work? (Let me explain: I know two women, both American ladies, who sacrificed their private life to be on the top in their professional career. Condoleezza Rice and Georgie Anne Geyer are both fine, wonderful and attractive women, but they choose freedom, they never married nor established a family. Would you like to follow their fold, or you have a different “recipe” for a successful professional and private life?)

A : Frankly speaking, I hope I’ll never have to face such a dilemma. I know that I couldn’t devote myself only to a career. And I don’t think that I could fully enjoy my professional life only on my own. So far, I’ve managed to reconcile my career with private life, and I hope it will stay like this.

Q: So, where are you heading? What profession, what kind of work, what career is your ultimate goal? And, besides, do your studies, scholarships, internships abroad lead you to the fulfilment of that goal?

A : I’ve always wanted to work as a diplomat. This is why I decided to study international affairs, that is why I wanted to take part in so many foreign scholarships. However, I am not sure if all these are only my daydreams or real career plans. I am confident, that I will do my best to continue with this direction, and - hopefully one day - I will be working for the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Q : Do you know what was the greatest goal and also the greatest dream of Ignacy Jan Paderewski, an artistic genius, and also an outstanding diplomat and statesman? What was the very essence of his dream about a prosperous future for Poland and the Poles?

A :Ignacy Jan Paderewski was a great Polish patriot. He strongly believed, that freedom and democracy, that we desired for Polish nation, could be furthered through education and arts. For this reason, he spent part of his incomes on funding awards and scholarships.

Q : Who has founded your present scholarship?

A : Yes, the scholarship was funded by the Ambassador and Retired US Army Lt. General, Edward Rowny. General Rowny has already contacted me in Washington. Before my departure, he wrote to me about his life, his connections with Poland and about his great commitment to promoting the ideas of Ignacy Paderewski

Q : As a young Polish woman and a future expert in European affairs, what do you think about a strategic partnership between Poland and the United States? Does this partnership has a significant influence upon the fate of our country? Is there any contradiction between Poland’s membership in the European Union and Poland’s alliance with the U.S.A.?

A : Partnership and cooperation with the United States would be certainly very beneficial for Poland. I have no doubts about it. However, I do not agree with the statement, that our EU membership could somehow harm our alliance with the United States. It would be a great political and economic mistake of Poland to focus only on EU market. I strongly believe, that it is a necessity for us to built and develop the cooperation with non-EU countries, first of all with the United States, as it was our necessity to join the European Union. However, I am not talking here about cooperation “at all cost”, the one that brings about a relation of domination from the side of the stronger country, but about a mutual cooperation of equal partners.

ã David’s Media Agency 2005

david.dastych@neostrada.pl