The ceremony was very special to us in many respects. The most important of them is, of course, starting two new teaching paths. Thus the inaugural ceremony was attended also by the staff and students of History and Biology paths. The 2019/20 academic year is going to be record-breaking as regards the number of students.

Vice-Rector for Student Affairs and Quality of Teaching  Prof. Jolanta Choińska-Mika emphasized that the School of Education is one of the best things she had the chance to realize in her professional life.

“You have chosen a difficult profession at a difficult moment but you won’t be sorry. Teaching is a profession that has to do with people’s lives. Trust yourselves and trust in young people. SE will give you wings so that you can fly. In 10 months, you’ll be surprised to realize how much you have changed,” Prof. Jolanta Choińska-Mika added.

Marianna Hajdukiewicz, the PAFF Program Director, said in her welcome address that the School of Education was established as a result of many-year efforts of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation in the areas of education and local community development, as well as its dream about a good school for every student.

In turn, SE Director Prof. Jolanta Sujecka-Zając compared the course of studies at SE to an adventure that on the one hand is always risky but on the other hand has been excellently planned and the students can always rely on support offered them by the experienced SE staff. She referred also to the newest publication by the SE lecturers, titled Teachers Teaching – a Challenge and Engagement. “That is the quintessence of our approach to education and slogans that identify us. We encourage you to take on the challenge and get fully engaged. We invite you to stray and digress from your fields,” SE Director added.

The ceremony of academic year inauguration marked the official start of the almost a week long Summer School where students will participate in integration classes and workshops for the future teachers.