Below is a message from Sławomir Męczyński, a graduate of Lower Secondary School No. 4, now Primary School No. 5 in Bolesławiec:
Good morning, my younger friends,
my name is Sławek and I graduated from Municipal Lower Secondary School No. 4 in the 2018/19 school year, now Primary School No. 5 in Bolesławiec. I would like to encourage all of you to search independently and pursue your dreams. To seek beauty in learning and experience it!When I was still attending lower secondary school, I began pursuing a place in the FLEX program, or Future Leaders Exchange Program. It is a year-long student exchange program for secondary-school students, fully funded by the U.S. Department of State. Its aim is to promote mutual respect and understanding between citizens of the United States and people from other countries. After two years of effort, my greatest dreams came true—I flew from Warsaw to America, ready to pursue my American Dream.
Every participant is placed with a host family. These are carefully vetted people who are open to learning about another culture and fully prepared for a “new family member.” In the event of any problems, every FLEX participant has their own local coordinator.
My host family lived in the picturesque state of Michigan. In keeping with our tradition—when visiting someone—I brought a souvenir from Poland, something from my home town of Bolesławiec. You can probably guess that it was our famous pottery. I also had the opportunity to introduce my hosts to Polish cuisine, silently thanking my mother for what she had taught me! The family was very warm and organized many attractions for me. Among other things, we went camping and visited a huge amusement park. One of my favorite activities was repairing cars with a former rally driver and fishing! After all, I was staying in the beautiful Great Lakes region. On Sundays, I attended a youth-group Mass at church, where I heard guitars and drums instead of an organ. It was also surprising to me that 14-year-olds drove me there in their own cars.
American school is very different from ours. My high school was new and had anti-terrorism security measures. I was assigned to the oldest grade, I could choose my own subjects, and I had a computer for classwork and homework. Lessons lasted one full hour, and in the middle of the day there was a lunch break [lunch], when most students ate “fast food.” I traveled to school by yellow bus, and my favorite classes were music ensemble, U.S. history, and public speaking, where I had to give lectures—even ones lasting several minutes—in front of the class for a grade. It was a great challenge for me. I had to do it in English, which was a major barrier during the first few months. My image of American society as friendly proved correct. People in the United States are very open. I had no problem making friends. It gave me great joy to answer the questions of what turned out to be my future friends: “What is Poland?” and “Do you have cars and the Internet there?” Talking about Poland was a remedy for homesickness. I believe that the friendships formed during my stay in the United States will remain with me for life.
Why do I believe that education is connected with experiencing beauty, as Friedrich von Schiller stated? During the exchange, I had the opportunity to learn in many different ways. After classes, I joined an award-winning marching band, with which we played in stadiums, including Ford Field, a 60,000-seat stadium in Detroit. I also played in a jazz ensemble and in a musical. On weekends, I took part in many events—for example, I won a chess tournament and qualified for state competitions in both duet and solo trumpet. I completed many projects, including a presentation about Poland, an interview with a citizen of India, an interview with a Vietnam War veteran that included spending a night aboard a submarine, more than one hundred hours of volunteer work, and over 20 hours of work experience in an architectural and IT office. Thanks to this, I earned the title of FLEX Student of the Month.
My unexpected success was being accepted to the Civic Education Workshops in Washington. The sponsor—the Department of State—arranged many meetings for me at government institutions, including the Capitol. During half-hour individual meetings with senators, I had the opportunity to freely ask questions that concerned me. They were also interested in asking me about Poland. Thanks to their business cards and passes to the parliamentary chamber, I witnessed many votes by American lawmakers.
During that year, I also worked with other exchange students, practically from every continent. I visited 11 states, tried the world’s hottest sauce in New Orleans, went on a cruise among crocodiles in Louisiana, rode horses, and walked along the Mississippi. The unforgettable experiences of my first landing in Chicago, the school dance, and a music concert, along with many other wonderful moments, will remain in my memories forever.
With the FLEX program, you will experience real American life, not life as it appears in films. To apply to the program, your English does not have to be “perfect”—after all, this is a scholarship for teenagers—but you do need to know the basics. When you return to Poland, you will find that your English has improved tremendously! During the several-day pre-departure training, participants are not allowed to speak Polish. They are given problems to solve in groups and information about how to behave in unforeseen situations. A major advantage of completing the program is greater independence, developed by solving problems without the help of loved ones. I think I flew to the United States as a teenage child and returned completely changed, having turned “eighteen.”
Finally, I would like to offer my thanks. My dream would not have come true without the help of my teacher, Ms. Aneta Skowron, who helped me during the recruitment process. I would therefore like to thank her warmly!
I encourage students to take an interest in this wonderful, free program for learning about American culture. Learning will be beautiful if you make it so!
Best regards,
Sławomir Męczyński