On Thursday August 21, the recipients of this year’s Polish American Congress – Michigan Division scholarships left the Polish Village Café $2,000 richer, elated and very grateful to the organization.
“Invest in the Future” was the theme of the annual dinner during which eleven scholarships were presented. The evening was emceed by Mark A. Ozog, who welcomed the guests and introduced the officers of the Michigan PAC Scholarship Fund, who later in the evening presented each of the scholarship awardees with a check, a certificate, a commemorative dollar coin and a Polish-themed cookie.
The Invocation before the dinner was said by the Reverend Bogdan Milosz, pastor of St. Faustina Catholic Church in Warren and the PAC Chaplain.
The focus of the evening was the celebration of the scholarship recipients, therefore the remarks by Stella Szczesny (President of the Michigan PAC Scholarship Fund, Inc.) and Jolanta Hałaczkiewicz (Chairman of the Board) were brief. They reflected both the joy and pride that we have these bright and talented young Polish Americans in our community, as well as hope and some subtle encouragement that they would become (or stay) active in the community.
It was an upbeat evening, with beaming students and proud families, with a lot of good cheer and laughter, especially when the excited announcers unwittingly exaggerated the grade point average (GPA) of two of the recipients (from close to four to nonexistent ten in one case).
The awardees felt welcomed, proud and excited that they were noticed and appreciated by the community. In their short thank-you speeches they expressed their sincere gratitude and often pledged commitment to the Polish community, which elevated the tenor of the evening even higher.
Scholarships are not only about the money. The money most certainly helps with the cost of education (the checks were issued to the schools the students attend) but equally they are about appreciation, encouragement and making the recipients feel a part of the community, a community which cares about them, values them and supports them.
The recipients of the 2025 PAC of Michigan scholarships are:
– Gabriela Andrzejewska, who is a year away from finishing her medical studies at Central Michigan University. She received the Polish American Congress Grant.
– Karol Andrzejewski, who like his sister, studies at Central Michigan University. He plans to be an automotive designer, hopefully for General Motors. Karol received the Dana Witkowski Grant.
– Magdalena Gregorek-Berisha, who studies nursing at Xavier University and is the recipient of the John and Victoria Kushel Grant. The reward was accepted by her mother.
– Julie Gurne, who studies chemical engineering at the University of Michigan and is very active in the Polish Scouting Organization. She received the Eugene Kreska Grant.
– Paulina Kowalczyk, a Madonna University student in Health Science Informatics, a Polish folk-dance choreographer, very well known in the community for her passion for Polish dancing. She received the Wallace and Joann Ozog Grant. The award was accepted by Paulina’s parents.
– Bernadetta Luzinski, a Michigan State University student, with a remarkable 3.95 GPA, studying Supply Chain Management and Business. Bernadetta holds the Michigan Seal of Biliteracy in English and Polish. She received the Jozef and Regina Marciniec Grant.
– Maria Maciąg, an Oakland University pre-med student in biology, with a minor in French, an active member of the Our lady of Czestochowa Youth Group, where she advocates for parish teens. In her thank-you Maria included words of appreciation for Jolanta Gmurowska for all the years she spent in the Polish language school. Maria is the recipient of the Dr. Stanley A. Ozog Grant.
– Andrew Saunders is a master’s degree student in Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, with an impressive record as an activist in a campus organization addressing excessive drinking on campus. He is the recipient of the Michael and Helen Bednarczyk Grant.
– Jessica Sauders, a younger sister of Andrew, is a student at DePaul University majoring in Public Relations and Advertising with a minor in Art Studies. Like her brother, she is a graduate of Zajączek Dance Ensemble. Last year Jessica was instrumental in bringing Friends of Polish Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Design Detroit together for an International Art Exhibit. This summer she volunteered at the Polish Museum in Chicago which she sees as a part of her linear path of involvement with her Polish heritage. Jessica is the recipient of the Frank and Sophia Filipek Grant.
– Caroline Warda studies Forensic Science at Madonna College, where, among others, she successfully presented the country of Poland at the International Festival. Caroline is the recipient of the Czechowski Grant. The award was accepted by her parents.
– Benjamin Westphal is a master’s degree student at Boston College in Educational Leadership and Policy. He maintains an impressive GPA of 3.9 while teaching English full time at De La Salle Collegiate High School in Warren. Benjamin likes to bring his students to historical Detroit Polish churches to perform community service. He is the recipient of the Polish American Scholarship Grant.
The officers of the Michigan PAC Scholarship Fund, Inc. are: Jolanta Hałaczkiewicz (Chairman of the Board), Stella Szczesny (President), Krzysztof Adamczyk (Vice President), Wallace Ozog (President Emeritus), Robert Bielenda (Treasurer) and Karrie Westphal (Recording Secretary).
The Polish Weekly congratulates the recipients of the 2025 PAC Michigan scholarships and thanks PAC-MI for their significant investment in the future of Polonia! Well done! Serdecznie gratulujemy!
Text & Photos: Alina Klin
