Contest for Students of Polish Descent

 Zoe Pasek, a 6th grade student at St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy in Maspeth, Queens, recently won a global essay-writing contest with a big prize: in July, she and her family will get to travel all-expenses paid to Poland from July 4-10 and even meet the president of Poland, Andrzej Sebastian Duda. Zoe and her family will stay in Poland to visit their extended family of grandparents and aunts, uncles and cousins. 

Pasek attends extracurricular classes at John Paul II Polish Supplementary School of Maspeth, which offers Polish-language education to help students connect with Polish history and culture.

 

Pasek’s teacher at John Paul II invited her to enter the essay contest, which is organized by the Polish government and is open worldwide to children of Polish descent. This year, 1,250 students entered the competition, and the top 50 essays were awarded prizes.

 

Pasek wrote her essay about the Wieliczka Salt Mine, a unique underground art and history site in Krakow that is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Due to its incredible preservation of mining techniques dating back to the 13th Century and its astounding artistic sculptures, the mine is visited by over 2 million people each year.

 

“In my essay, I wrote about the similarities and differences between Poland and America, since both of these countries are good at cultivating traditions,” said Pasek. “As a prize, I am awarded a trip to Poland, where I will visit many cities with a group of contest winners and a tour guide. Our trip will end with a gala at the Royal Castle in Warsaw. I am really excited to have this opportunity because I will be able to meet the president of Poland.”

 

Pasek was born in New York, but her parents are both from Poland and have instilled a great love and respect for Polish culture in their family, including speaking Polish at home and celebrating Polish holidays and traditions.

 

“Many St. Stan’s students come from Polish families who are very proud of their heritage, so they attend a Polish-language program at Maspeth on Saturdays that is completely separate from our academy in order to learn more about Polish culture. The Paseks are a wonderful family and Zoe is an excellent student, so we are proud to celebrate her writing skills and her interest in exploring Polish history!” said Catherine Mangone, Principal at St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy.