The Article below was published in Vol. 136, Issue 7 of the Lake Forest College Stentor on April 2, 2021.
Jovana Jovanovska ’23
Staff Writer
First-year Wiktoria Pedryc ’24 is an international student from Poland. A psychology and philosophy major with a minor in economics on the Health Professions Program pathway, Pedryc is also considering the pre-law program. When she’s not busy being an active member of the campus community, she enjoys any kind of sports, including dancing, sailing, and running.
Stentor: Why did you decide to pursue your combination of majors and minors?
Pedryc: I decided to pursue psychology, philosophy, and economics because they combine my general interests and I think that these three fields are core to understanding today’s world and to bring multiple layers of understanding, as well as reflection. And for economics, we live in a capitalistic, materialist world that is money-oriented, so it’s good to have the awareness of what’s happening around you.
Stentor: What is your personal motto and why?
Pedryc: I don’t think I have one. Maybe something is that experience cannot be bad—it’s on me to interpret it and decide whether it will define who I am or I will learn from it, reflect, and move on. Regardless of what it is, it’s an experience. It’s all what you take out of it.
Stentor: If you could have any superpower what would it be?
Pedryc: I don’t know if it’s a superpower, but probably not getting tired so I could do more things throughout the day. It would be the possibility of only having my usual five to six hours of sleep and then not being tired at all. I used to have chronic fatigue syndrome, so now I eventually get tired during the day and sometimes that doesn’t go according to my plans.
Stentor: What’s the biggest culture shock you’ve experienced since you came to the United States? What’s the main difference between Poland and the U.S.?
Pedryc: The first one would be Americans boiling tea in the microwave, and then the second and more important one is social segregation. Poland is not a very diverse country culturally, whereas the U.S. is very diverse. I’m not surprised people here connect based on their identities, and it’s not necessarily based on culture and identity, but people stay in their comfort zone and don’t explore other points of view. I feel that in that way people are stuck in one point and then they’re unable to explore their full potential and empathy in understanding the world. I like to take most of each experience so I try not to be exclusive.
Stentor: What is your favorite extracurricular activity on campus and why?
Pedryc: I don’t have a favorite one. I love working at the Gates Center and [in] the Mailroom. Each of them has something special. I get to see different people, it’s really good for my personal growth, and I get to learn more about the College and how it works. Slavic Ancestry Organization is also great—this might go against what I said earlier, but we’re not exclusive, Slavic people are very open so we’re welcoming to everyone and it’s nice to have something familiar. Then also It’s On Us and Title IX—I feel extremely passionate about this due to personal circumstances. I feel the urge to be active here, especially because of the events that happened during First-Year Student Orientation this year and the lack of maturity from people. This is something I really enjoy and I met great people who are serious about this topic so we started creating great initiatives. Lastly, Student Government is great for communication, improving the campus community, and creating a safer place for all of us.
Stentor: Do you think it’s important to be involved on campus? What kind of difference can you make?
Pedryc: I think you should fight for what you believe is right. I’m an action-oriented person and I speak up and send emails whenever I want to do something. It doesn’t take that much to make these minor changes that can make a difference on campus. Taking part in organizations, Student Government, or individual projects contributes to the atmosphere of the College. It’s important to be involved so you can express and develop yourself, meet new people, break the comfort zone, and become less exclusive.
Stentor: Can you share your most exciting memory from the spring semester so far?
Pedryc: My semester was full of exciting events. I guess if I could choose one it would be going for a trip with my friends to Wisconsin. It’s also how welcoming the campus community is for freshmen students and how I feel comfortable even in this short amount of time, which is amazing to me. Some of my friends that go to other schools struggle to make friends and I already have a good friend group, which I really appreciate and I’m thankful for having them. The most exciting thing is being appreciated because [Lake Forest College] really appreciates students. I’ve never seen so much kindness previously and [it] gives me a lot of motivation for future initiatives.
Stentor: Do you have anything you want to share with the other students?
Pedryc: These are weird times but it is what it is. We didn’t choose for this to happen but we also can’t change it. We need to embrace it, as time passes by quickly. We have to enjoy what we have, like a pretty campus, good food, [and] so many opportunities. Please don’t complain. People can come from such harsh conditions, and it’s a privilege to be able to complain about what we have right now. Keep your eyes open and be thankful for what you have.
