It was an unusual meeting. At the invitation of Mark Brzezinski – US Ambassador to Poland, Polish participants of all programs implemented and funded by the US State Department were invited to his private residence in Warsaw. There were about 200 Alumni, representing the American Council for International Education, the Polish-American Fulbright Commission, the Alumni Association and other grantees who have been in America for their program in recent years.
It’s been a long time since Alumni met in such large numbers welcomed by one of Us. Mark Brzezinski was a Fulbright Program scholar who visited Poland in the early 1990s as part of his research. This invitation was a token of thanks to the Alumni community from Mark Brzezinski, who soon bid farewell to his position as US Ambassador to Poland.
During the meeting, a short but significant ceremony was held. Rafal Pieprzyk, president of the Alumni Association, presented Mark Brzezinski with a commemorative engraving. The text of the engraving included thanks to the Ambassador for his commitment and assistance to the development of the Polish Alumni community. A transcript of the moment can be found at this link:
https://www.facebook.com/StowarzyszenieAlumni/videos/1267266624555027
Official speeches were followed by informal talks. Alumni fanned out to the residence rooms to meet with old friends, reminisce together about their stay in America, meet new people and make interesting acquaintances. There was no end to discussions and a series of joint photos. Our “Alumna family” had a great time.
The final touch of the evening was the ‘Party after party’ of members of the Alumni Association in a nearby restaurant. The numerous company had the opportunity for long conversations over delicious food.
