Polish Native Excited to Join Wabash Staff

When Polish-native Agata Szczeszak-Brewer is asked why she became interested in Wabash, she doesn’t have to think too hard.

"I was attracted to the sense of community and tradition," says BKT Assistant Professor of English Szczeszak-Brewer.  She discovered, after extensive research, how much the school has to offer its students.  "For being all-male and small, there is so much diversity.

"From the Muslim Students Association to the Wabash Christian Men to ‘shOUT there is so much offered."  It is the same diversity that Agata believes she has found at Wabash that drove her to seek out America in the first place.

"Poland," she explained "is 97 percent Catholic and mostly white."  However, America appeared to her to be diverse in "race, ethnicity, and religion" which promised an opportunity for her to be "immersed in a multicultural environment."

After spending most of her schooling in Poland, she spent some time at the University of Sussex, after which she "fell in love with words." After that, she received a scholarship that would allow her to attend a college in the country of her choice. She chose America and attended the University of South Carolina. It was there she began her specialization in 20th century British, Irish, and post-colonial literature.

Sitting back in her chair, Szczeszak-Brewer can think of several people in her life that inspired her to be who she is today. To her grandmother she credits her ability to work hard and to be disciplined. Her father taught her the value of learning of enjoying life, art, and creativity. But it is her mother to whom she gives the most credit.  She imparted the desire to learn both Polish and English to her daughter, a skill which has served her well throughout her life. "She inspired and taught me," says Szczeszak-Brewer.

But now, Szczeszak-Brewer is settling into her new job. Unlike most new professors, however, this is not Szczeszak-Brewer’s first experience teaching in an all-male environment. She taught for a short while at a single-sex school in Poland. It was there she discovered the sense of "healthy academic competition" that can thrive in an all-male environment. She is a long way from her hometown in Olsztyn, Poland, but she is heartened by the weather in the Midwest.

"It’s much more comparable to Poland than South Carolina," said Szczeszak-Brewer.  But when she thinks about what she is most excited about in regards to her knew position, it is the students.  "I was told by students ‘make us work hard, challenge us.’ And I absolutely love that."

Printer-Friendly version | Email this profile

Students

Faculty & Staff

Sticking With Chemistry Paid Off for Novak

Hoerl Follows Family's Teaching Tradition

Father Helped Shape Jon Baer's Classroom Focus

Sarah Painitz Finds a Home at Wabash

Rogers Brings Passion to Music Classroom

Freeze Has Wide Range of Academic, Personal Interests

More Faculty & Staff Profiles