Testimonials from UT Students


No one can speak to the value of the Polish Studies program at UT like the students who have participated in it. Below, they share their stories and explain how taking Polish courses has been of benefit to them:

 

My name is Katya Cotey, and I am a PhD student and Assistant Instructor at UT in Austin. When I was growing  up in Almaty, Kazakhstan, I became familiar with Polish culture due to the significant  presence of the Polish  nationals, exiled to this region during Stalin’s repressions. I have always been interested in  the history of the  Russian-Polish relations, so the knowledge of Polish has given me access to a more diverse body of literary texts  and historic documents necessary for my academic research.

In April 2010, I was awarded a summer scholarship (FLAS) through the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (at UT Austin). I took a first-year Polish course at Summer Workshop in Slavic, East European and Central Asian Languages at the University of Indiana, Bloomington. Upon return to UT, I enrolled in the Second-Year Polish taught by Bernadeta Kaminska. Due to her excellent instruction, I considerably improved my language skills in Polish. Currently I am taking Third-Year Polish, and I am very concerned that Polish instruction at UT may be discontinued.

I strongly believe that Polish language is useful not only to the students in humanities but also to those majoring in business, economics, and international relations. It enables the heritage speakers to stay in touch with their roots, but it is equally valuable to the students without any Polish background. Knowledge of one Slavic language greatly facilitates learning other Slavic languages. Knowing Polish, it is much easier to learn Russian, Czech, or Ukrainian, so it is perfect for cross-training in Slavic languages.
- Katya Cotey, PhD candidate

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Like many UT students and graduates, I was born and raised in Texas. I wouldn’t call myself a cowboy, but I am proud to call myself a Texan.  My father’s side of the family is of purebred Polish descent, and although no one speaks the language anymore, everyone is proud of their roots. When I was a child, we would sing Polish birthday and holiday songs, cook Polish food, and listen to Polka music when the occasion was right. The funny thing was that no one knew what the songs meant, or how to pronounce the names of the dishes we cooked. So I decided that it was time someone in the family did a little research.

I started taking Polish language classes in Fall of 2007 at UT, and right away I fell in love with the language. It was unlike any other language I had studied before. It’s hard to explain why exactly, but it just struck a chord with me. My professors were great, the classes were small enough for students to get individual attention, and I really felt good about exploring my ethnicity. So after a year of study at UT, I decided to spend a semester learning Polish in the cultural capital of Poland: Kraków. To say the least, it was fantastic. When I returned to UT the following spring, I started exploring my options to return to Kraków. I found out that the Jagiellonian University (UJ) offered a 2-year European studies masters program in English for foreign students. I immediately applied, was accepted, and as soon as I graduated from UT in spring 2009, I packed my bags and skipped across the pond.

In short, I have been living here ever since. I got my MA in European studies in fall of 2011, my Polish has reached a level of fluency that I never imagined, and I have been teaching English from the start to support myself. Not to mention, I have put the Polish language back in my family and have given relatives an excuse to come over here and see Poland for themselves. Doubtless there are other folks in Texas, cowboys or otherwise, who are curious about their Polish roots or about Poland in general; and UT is one of the few places in Texas that offers a chance to explore those things. Had it not been for the classes I took there, I would never be where I am now.
- Jack Zagorski, Class of 2009

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I took Polish for 5 semesters- both fall and spring Freshman and Sophomore years, and then fall of my junior year. I decided to take Polish to fulfill my language credits because my dad’s side of the family is Polish. They can speak Polish and I wanted to be able to speak with them. Taking Polish has been of immense benefit to me. I have gained a greater appreciation and understanding for Poland and its culture. The small class size allows for more one-on-one help. At the time that I took Polish, there was one graduate student in the class who was taking it simply because they wanted to have a better proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing Polish.

My grandparents and great-grandparents on my dad’s side of the family were living in Poland during World War II. My family’s connection to the war particularly interests me. This semester I am in the Normandy Scholar’s program. This program, through the history department, provides an in-depth look at different aspects of World War II. Throughout history Poland has been, and still is, an important country in Europe.
Personally, I believe that the course offerings in Polish enhance the educational experience at the University of Texas and are important to the study of languages, culture, and history.
– Ali Dzienkowski
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My name is Konrad Zarnowski and I’ve been taking Polish classes at UT since my freshman year. I am a heritage speaker and knew a limited amount of  Polish before I began. Since then, the classes have helped increase my knowledge of the language, as well as helping me read and write in Polish. I am currently in the process of applying to study abroad at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, and I hope to one day work for a company that does business between the U.S. and Poland. I believe these Polish classes have greatly helped me in reaching my goal.
- Konrad Zarnowski

 

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My name is Agnes Sekowski and I am a graduate of UT with a dual Master’s in Russian, East European, Eurasian Studies and Public Affairs (M.A./M.P.Aff.). I took Polish Studies classes at CREEES in order to continue the education of Polish history and culture that began at home, as a first generation American of Polish parents, and in the Polish community in Houston. These courses ended up being of immense benefit to me, as I have been able to apply them to many of my college and career experiences since. In 2009, I went to Siberia and met Polish exiles from Stalinist times. Later, I was offered an internship with the Krakow Post during the fall of 2010 in Poland and subsequently wrote my thesis on a protected areas dispute in Poland. As a native Texan and Polish citizen, I can’t fathom why the state with the first Polish settlement in the U.S. would agree to lose the only Polish Studies program available at a state school. That’s why I am working to find funding solutions to the budget cuts that have put this program in jeopardy.
- Agnes Sekowski, M.A./M.P.Aff.

 

Did you take Polish classes at UT? Tell us your story! Send your information to agnes.sekowski@gmail.com.