AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR POLISH CULTURE
$5,000 PULASKI SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

Five winners of the 23nd annual $5,000 Brig. Gen. Casimir Pulaski Scholarships were announced recently by the ACPC's Pulaski Scholarship for Advanced Studies Committee. Many applications (13) were received this year. The scholarship program was initiated 23 years ago as a result of a sizeable endowment by the Conrad R. Walas family with the continuing support from Polonia.

Serving on the 2023 Pulaski Scholarship Committee are Dr. Stephen E. Medvec, Chairman; Deborah M. Majka; Patricia Malski; Carolyn Meleski and Peter J. Obst. The exceptional qualities of schoolwork and research plus dedicated community services performed by the applicants made the final selection process very difficult. The Committee felt that most of the applicants deserved recognition for their outstanding achievements and honestly wished that funding was available which could have allowed for several more scholarship awards.

The Pulaski Scholarships Committee wishes these five outstanding students continuing success and is confident that they will attain their career objectives fully. The Committee trusts that they will honor their heritage by ultimately remaining close to the Polish community wherever possible during their careers.

	Kinga Dabek A native of Wallington, New Jersey, Kinga is pursuing a D.M.D. at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine. She received a bachelor's degree in Biology from the New Jersey Institute of Technology through an accelerated program in conjunction with the Albert Dorman Honors College and Rutgers School of Dental Medicine. She is fluent in English and Polish with certified 99 percent proficiency from the Catholic University of Lublin. Kinga has published research in the topics of regenerative endodontics and the genetics of orofacial pain. She has participated in track & field, the Guitar and Mandolin Orchestra, and Diversity Alliance at the Bergen County Academy. Throughout her career she has worked as a waitress, medical scribe, urgent care manager, and dental assistant. Post-graduation, Kinga wants to advance expertise in contemporary subsets of dentistry including minimally invasive techniques, digital dentistry, and dental implants. While at RSDM, she co-founded a 501(c)3 non-profit, "Smiles of Solidarity", with her brother to focus on advancing oral healthcare. Through this organization she has made several humanitarian trips to Ukraine to distribute medical and dental materials to war-stricken communities. She is currently organizing an educational oral health program to implement in Polish schools in the tri-state area to bolster the positive effect of preventative dentistry in immigrant communities.
	Jakub Jarmula A native of Chicago, Illinois, Jakub has a BA in Biology with Concentration in Neurobiology from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He is currently enrolled in a dual degree program at the Cleveland Clinic, Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University to pursue a career in neuro-oncology for brain tumors, especially for immigrant communities. Jakub has performed small-animal surgeries to study exosome therapies for heart failure. He has participated in school plays and folk-dance groups, including in Krynica-Zdroj, Poland. He has been an altar boy and reader at Polish masses, also a volunteer at the local museum, including decorating a Polish-style Christmas tree. He has had two college courses in Polish.
	Olivia Lesiczka A native of New York City (Greenpoint), Olivia has her BS in Biology from Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, Pre-Dental Track, Minor in Medical Humanities, at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) degree at the New York University College of Dentistry, anticipated in May 2025. Olivia has educated Boston College students through social media posts, presentations and on-campus interactive activities about empowering the less fortunate in their fight for equal access to healthcare, education and a safe home. She has collected medical supplies through various student-led, on-campus events that supplied four different communities in Riobamba, Ecuador, also in Cusco, Peru. Olivia has been a long-distance and cross-country runner, passionate traveler, intermediate-level piano player, singer to the homeless, "Chopin and Friends." She also has fostered and trained dogs from local rescues. She won Miss Polonia in Maspeth, New York in 2015.
	Hannah Sliwa A native of Lemont, Illinois, Hannah has her BA in Psychology from the University of Michigan (2022). She is currently a Master of Social Work student at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, expected to graduate in December 2023. Her focus is on Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Use, and plans to work one day with adults experiencing substance use disorders. This stems from her aunt's struggle with substance use disorder and bipolar disorder. She currently works as a Social Work Intern in the Adult Inpatient Psychiatric Unit of Michigan Medicine. Hannah has previously served as President, Secretary, and Social Chair of the Polish Student Association at the University of Michigan. She organized a silent auction for the annual Wolverine Charity Ball and assisted with sponsoring the annual Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival with the Polish American Congress.
	Anna Turlej A native of Springfield, Massachusetts, Anna holds her BS in Biology with Neuroscience Emphasis from the University of Georgia, Magna Cum Laude. She is at present a third-year medical student in the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University (Athens campus, AU/UGA Medical Partnership). She is an active participant in extracurriculars (research, free clinic, and student volunteer organizations) and maintains involvement in the Polish American community and culture. Anna has published articles on adult vaccinations in free clinics, and on high-energy density diets that can trigger microbiota dysbiosis and inflammation. She is fluent in English and Polish and studies French. Her favorite composer is Frederic Chopin, and she also plays the piano at concerts.

The Pulaski Scholarships for Advanced Studies Committee wishes these five outstanding students continuing success and is confident that they will attain their career objectives fully. The Committee trusts that they will honor their heritage by ultimately remaining close to the Polish community wherever possible during their careers.