Growing up in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, I had a chance to attend Polish Saturday School (PSS) in Minneapolis. I was a student for 13 years at this school, where I studied geography, history, religion, and current events, as well as practiced my Polish language, reading, writing, and grammar.

While attending PSS, I took part in several international competitions regarding Polish history:

• Rocks of Remembrance, through the Institute of National Remembrance (Kamienie Pamieci przez Instytut Pamieci Narodowej), 2012: This project focused on commemorating the lives of soldiers who were condemned by the corrupt government after World War II. My sister and I researched and studied the life of our grandfather, Edmund Jerzy Banasikowski, an officer of the Home Army (Armia Krajowa, AK) who had to flee the country after WWII to escape persecution by the government.
  

• Buckles and Buttons, through the Institute of National Remembrance (Sprzaczki i Guziki przez Instytut Pamieci Narodowej), 2010: In honor of the 72nd anniversary of the Katyn Massacre, a group of my friends and I researched one of the girls' great-grandfathers, who was one of 13,000+ Polish intelligence officials to be murdered in the Katyn Forest of Russia in 1940. We were awarded first place for this project and offered a trip to Poland and Russia that year.

• Victims of Siberia, through the Institute of National Remembrance (Sybiracy przez Instytut Pamieci Narodowej), 2010: This project focused on the emotional journey of my friend's grandmother whose family was taken by the Soviets to Siberia during World War II.

• Finding Your Roots, through the Institute of National Remembrance (Poszukiwanie wlasnych Korzeni przez Instytut Pamieci Narodowej), 2007:  This was my first project I took part in through IPN. It captured my family history through the past 5 generations and told the story of how we came to be here in the United States. I won 2nd place.

Aside from normal classes that were held on the weekends, my school also organized akademia (academic shows about Polish history) which were supplemented with acting, singing, poetry, monologues, instrumental music, and artistic presentation. These events highlighted important events such as the Warsaw Uprising, the Katyn Massacre on Polish intelligensia perpetrated by Soviets in 1940 in Russia, and the fall of communism in 1989. Such presentations were also held in honor of our Polish School's 20th anniversary in 2012 (when the Consulate General came from Chicago to join the celebration) and annual graduation ceremonies.

Annual international Math Kangaroo competitions were held at PSS as well. I took part in every competition from 9th grade until I graduated in 2011, when I placed 16th in the US.

Below are pictures from my Polish folk dance group, Dolina.