2022 Honorees
As we celebrate our 25th Anniversary of service to the community, we wish to recognize outstanding individuals for their leadership, service, and friendship.
Community Leadership and Service
Zofia (Zosia) Bieniek
Leader in the Polish Scouting Organization and movement
Zosia was born in Sokolka, a small county of Bialystok, Poland. At the age of eighteen, she arrived in Greenpoint, New York. Growing up in a small community in Sokolka, Greenpoint turned out to be too fast and too noisy for her. She then decided to join her relatives in Hartford, Connecticut, where larger than in Greenpoint Polish community was located…..
Teresa Borowska
Host of “Voice of Poland” radio program showcasing Polish cultural heritage
Teresa was born in Poland and immigrated to the U.S. in 1981. She holds a Master of Science in Herbalism degree and a Certificate in Journalism. In the 1960’s and 1970’s she worked as an assistant at the University of Agriculture, was deputy editor-in-chief of the Owoce, Warzywa, Kwiaty magazine in Warsaw, Poland and wrote a number of articles in the Ty i Ja, Przyjaciółka, Owoce, Warzywa, Kwiaty, well known and popular publications in Poland. After emigrating to the U.S. she became a broadcaster for the Polonez radio program in the 1983. In 1989 Teresa established the Voice of Poland radio program and started informing communities on Polish culture and traditions.
Wioletta (Wiola) Jasińska
Principal of Polish Saturday School in Derby
Wioletta and her husband Darek moved to America from Poland in 1993. Her love for the Polish culture and language help Wioletta decide to get involved with the Polish Saturday School (Polska Szkola Sobotnia), named after the famous Polish writer Adam Mickiewicz, in Stamford, Connecticut as a teacher. Two years later, Wioletta took a teaching role at the Polish Saturday School in Derby, Connecticut, where later in 2000 she became the school’s principal. She has been leading the school for the last 22 years and the 165 students currently attending the program. Under her leadership, the school has been expanding the programs and now offers all the levels from preschool to the 11th grade. The school’s primary objective is to teach youngsters the Polish language, culture, geography, and the tradition of the Polish ancestors…
Business Leadership
Maggie Drag
Founder and owner of Euro-American Connections and Homecare
When we come together as a community and put our differences aside, it’s amazing how much we can accomplish, grow and help affect change for our communities to prosper. Maggie Drag has been doing that for 36 years in the Connecticut area. She came here from Poland in 1986. She had no money, blueprints or business plans, but she was passionate about helping people. She was one of many Polish immigrants in the area with no employment opportunities. Maggie decided to do something about that. With a lot of hard work and honest interactions, she started her business on Broad Street in New Britain in 1989. Since then, Maggie has provided employment opportunities to over 7,000 people…
Friend of Polonia
Naeem Khalid
Business leader and philanthropist, owner of Sam’s Food Stores
Naeem Khalid has arrived in Houston, Texas in late 1984. Planning on earning a Ph.D. in applied linguistics, life took a turn when he arrived later than anticipated and had to push off his class start date for the next year. Finding a job became a top priority and through a friend, Naeem received his first job in America at a convenience stores. Working with management teams at companies like Circle K and Cumberland Farms he garnered enough experience to start his own business…..