Julia Sroczyk always dreamed of traveling to New York City. Through the Kosciuszko Foundation and the English Language Institute at Pace University, she was able to see her dream come true.
Written from the perspective of Julia Sroczyk, a student at Pace's English Language Institute.
My name is Julia, I’m 21 years old, and I’m from a small locality in Poland called Rakszawa which is located in Subcarpathian Voivodeship. I am an aspiring journalist living in Lublin, Poland, where I'm studying journalism and social communications at Catholic University of Lublin. I love photography, sports, travel, and colorful socks. Last year, I chased my dreams and took part in a language course organized by the English Language Institute at Pace University.
My English language learning began in Mierzwa’s Primary School at the age of seven. Every year in primary school, we were visited by graduates who spoke about their journeys to New York City, and ever since, I’ve wanted to be one of them. The possibility of this journey became my dream, and I knew that it would be an opportunity to not only practice my English skills, but to also have a huge and unforgettable life adventure.
Fortunately, my school collaborated with The Kosciuszko Foundation—the only school in Poland that did—which was why I was able to apply for the scholarship that gave me the opportunity to take language lessons at Pace.
I was prepared to arrive in the US during the 2020 holidays but had to hold off due to the pandemic. I felt so bad that I was unable to start my American journey. When the trip became possible again in February 2021, I knew there was risk involved, but I was certain this trip would make my dreams come true. So, I decided to take the trip. I know now that I made the right choice, and I would do it again.
Now that I am home, I constantly reflect on my time in New York City and appreciate all the positives that came from my time with the English Language Institute at Pace University.
There were a lot of adjustments to make in New York City. My final exams at Pace looked different than they did in Poland. Rather than written and oral exams, I had projects to prepare and presentations to give. I was not accustomed this style of learning, but I was very satisfied with the final outcome. I was also challenged to practice my English every day as I interacted with native speakers—an opportunity I did not always have in Poland. When I finished the course, I was pleased with my grades and felt more outgoing than I was before I arrived in New York City.
Now that I am home, I constantly reflect on my time in New York City and appreciate all the positives that came from my time with the English Language Institute at Pace.
I wish everybody who has opportunity to study in NYC could take the chance. It was such a great childhood dream which I achieved. I hope there’s more people like me. Look for the positives in life and take advantage of every opportunity to learn and explore the world. Don’t be afraid to take a risk because the world belongs to the brave!
Learn more about the programs offered by Pace’s English Language Institute (ELI) and meet more students like Julia by following ELI on Instagram.
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The Pace University Art Gallery will open Ceaphas Stubbs’ solo exhibition, “So Close,” on Friday, February 11*. The exhibit will be open to the public through Saturday, March 26. The gallery is located at 41 Park Row with the entrance on Spruce Street, across from City Hall in Lower Manhattan. Stubbs will also give a public artist talk on Zoom on Thursday, February 17 at 12:15 p.m.
New York – The Pace University Art Gallery will open Ceaphas Stubbs’ solo exhibition, “So Close,” on Friday, February 11*. The exhibit will be open to the public through Saturday, March 26. The gallery is located at 41 Park Row with the entrance on Spruce Street, across from City Hall in Lower Manhattan. Stubbs will also give a public artist talk on Zoom on Thursday, February 17 at 12:15 p.m.
The works featured in “So Close,” innovatively marries analog and digital photographic techniques with collage and sculpture to produce imagery that is simultaneously intimate, nostalgic, and Afrofuturistic. His vividly colored, often spatially indeterminate, photographs navigate the innate tension between intimacy and pain, and unpack loss by giving visual language to the persistent tingling, itching, burning, and aching that accompany wanting another person.
Stubbs says his multi-step process, “starts by collecting materials, textiles, and found images. I am drawn to materials that are overlooked, discarded, and ordinary.” Stubbs’ laborious method is a performance of sorts in which he goes through the process of searching, seeing, and knowing intimately as he builds and documents his tableaux before ultimately losing the object of his attention when he takes it apart leaving only the photographic remnant.
* Please note that for COVID safety, Gallery occupancy will be limited to 50%, and proof of vaccination and face coverings will be required upon entry.
About the artist: Ceaphas Stubbs has shown his work widely, including in exhibitions at FiveMyles Gallery, Brooklyn; The Leslie Lohman Museum of Art, New York; Reginald Ingraham Gallery, Culver City; Czong Institute for Contemporary Art Museum, Gimpo-si; Aljira Center for Contemporary Art, Newark; The Print Center, Philadelphia; and The Center for Photography at Woodstock. His works have been reviewed in The New York Times, Brooklyn Rail, Skowhegan's SPACE/LAUNCH, Expose Magazine, and Agave Magazine. He has also done residencies at Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, The Creative Capital Professional Development Program, and Express Newark. Stubbs has taught a range of digital arts, photography, and animation college courses across the East Coast, and is currently a tenure-track professor at Brookdale College in New Jersey. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts from Rutgers University and a Master in Fine Arts from the University of Pennsylvania where he was the recipient of a Christopher Lyon Memorial Award.
Founded with the conviction that art is integral to society, the Pace University Art Gallery is a creative laboratory and exhibition space that supports innovation and exploration for both artists and viewers. Open to students, staff, and faculty from across the Pace campuses and, equally, to the Lower Manhattan community and visitors from around the world, the Art Gallery encourages personal investigation and critical dialogue via thought-provoking contemporary art exhibits and public programming. Enhancing the Art Department's Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts programs, the Art Gallery offers students real-world opportunities to exhibit their own art and to work directly with professional artists to install and promote exhibitions.
Pace University’s liberal arts college, Dyson College, offers more than 50 programs, spanning the arts and humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and pre-professional programs (including pre-medicine, pre-veterinary, and pre-law), as well as many courses that fulfill core curriculum requirements. The College offers access to numerous opportunities for internships, cooperative education and other hands-on learning experiences that complement in-class learning in preparing graduates for career and graduate/professional education choices.
The Center for Undergraduate Research Experiences (CURE) in Dyson College of Arts and Sciences provides leadership, coordination and support to student-faculty research collaborations, faculty grant-funded research projects and programs, and opportunities for service learning. CURE is part of Dyson College’s long-standing, ongoing commitment to build a research culture at Pace University. CURE is one component in Dyson’s efforts to innovatively enhance the quality of both the academic experience and overall student life.
Pace University has a proud history of preparing its diverse student body for a lifetime of professional success because of its unique programs that combine immersive academics and real-world experiences. Pace is ranked the #1 private, four-year college in the nation for upward economic mobility by Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, evidence of the transformative education the University provides.