Student of Distinction
SPONSORED BY
Karolina Niepokoj
February 2019
The Mary Louis Academy
Jamaica Estates, NY
Education is a tool that allows
for greater understanding of the
world. The brightest pass this
tool to others, ensuring education
continues and endures. Karolina, a
senior at The Mary Louis Academy,
is among our brightest whose endeavors
shine the light of education
on many.
The desire to help others began
during her youth. Karolina’s
parents emigrated from Poland
and placed their children in Polish
supplementary school, at which
they became conversant in Polish.
Although attending school six days
weekly wasn’t a child’s dream,
attendance there had a profound
effect on Karolina.
She refl ects, “I realized that
just as the teachers conveyed their
knowledge about their language to
us, I could do the same. This came
to pass through Caritas Polska
organization during one of our
annual family trips to Poland. While
there I saw children who didn’t
have the same opportunities as I
had and I was faced with a longing
to offer my help.”
Caritas is the largest charity
organization in Poland. It provides
international aid and supports
victims of natural disasters and
armed confl icts. While our youth
are not always capable of extending
monetary aid, they are capable
of positively impacting others by
volunteering time and knowledge.
My is
Karolina’s gift was the gift of education.
“I decided to teach children without
parents who were supported
by Caritas. I would teach my
homeland’s language – English,”
she states. “Seeing the children
repeating the English words such
as “love” and “kind” allowed me to
fi nd the sense of my education.”
According to Bodgav Janik of
Caritas, “Karolina’s dedication of
time and utilizing her ethnic background
to help underprivileged children
discover a different world – a
world of knowledge and opportunities
– was a tremendous gift. She
taught children not only the English
language, but also about American
culture. The stories told of a life in a
different country opened their eyes
to the wider world.”
Furthering her interest in Poland,
Karolina is among the thousands
of volunteers digitizing important
documents for the Jozef Pilsudski
Institute of America, which is an archive,
museum, and research center
dedicated to the preservation of
Polish history. The Institute houses
early 20th century documents from
the Polish State and provides insight
to Poland’s history. Included among
the documents scanned are: original
documents portraying battles of
the Polish army; formal reports from
the establishment of the Second Polish
Republic’s border; and unique
pieces, such as the original order
for the Battle of Warsaw; as well
as activities of Polish people who
migrated to America.
The project of the Institute is
indeed near and dear to Karolina’s
heart. She explains, “I was able to
appreciate the value of the country’s
history and how important it
was for subsequent generations to
have accurate sources readily available
to them in order to keep the
culture alive. Among the digitalization
projects I participated in was
for the Archives of the Commander
in Chief, containing Jozef Pilsudski’s
personal and offi cial documents.”
Commitment to the Polish community
in Queens is also evident.
Karolina writes for a local Polish
newspaper, which allows her to examine
what she hopes will become
her focus and passion in life: issues
with immigration. She hopes one
day to be an immigration lawyer
who helps others navigate their
"#$%
road to citizenship.
Supporting others is a natural
gift according to Joanne Connolly
McGrath, English Department
Chairperson. “Karolina’s membership
since freshman year on our
highly acclaimed and awarded
Speech and Debate Team has
supported her in developing her
stentorian voice in this regards,”
she states. “Her participation for
three years in our Service Homeroom
program supports her concern
for the rights of others.”
Supporting others is also notable
by her position as Vice President
National Honor Executive Board.
Social Studies Chairperson, Kathryn
Bruen, enthuses, “She is a leader
in the National Honor Society
where she runs many of the school’s
functions. In addition, she balances
her experiences with participating
in several of the schools extracurricular
activities. Among these are
holding the position of newspaper
editor, and participation in the Forensics
Club. What I fi nd amazing
is her ability to balance all of the
above and be an excellent athlete
as well. She is a valued member of
both the Varsity Track and Swimming
teams.”
The education of Karolina
seems to have come full circle in
her young life — from receiving to
processing to giving. A daughter of
hard-working, productive immigrants,
Karolina uses her academic
experiences to help further the
dreams of future newcomers.
!
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