Berkley Center

Background: As part of the Education and Global Social Justice Project, in summer 2013 undergraduate student Elisabeth Lembo interviewed Kinga, Wiktoria, Dominik, Kacper, and Sebastian, all students at Kostka Academy, Krakow, Poland. In this interview the students discuss what they like about attending Kostka Academy, as well as their perceptions of the impact of Jesuit values on the school.

What do you like most about going to school here at Kostka?

It is very nice coming here. The teachers are very good, and you can ask them everything. We always ask the teachers questions. It is easier for us to learn this way. The school is very safe, and the classrooms are very nice. We feel less stress. They are doing renovations, and in the language room there are headphones and Internet. We also talk to native speakers. We have talked to some from Kenya, which is very exciting. On big holidays such as Christmas, our entire school gets together to eat. We invite people to the school, and we all eat together. There is also Kostka Day, which is a celebration of our school and its successes.

What do you like about Kostka Magis? What are the Jesuit values that you feel present here? What do you think of “social justice?”

There is a program called Kostka Magis in which we receive extra lessons. These lessons are energizing and give us more practice. There are extra classes that help other students learn, and we can have help with any problem. We are interested in this school because each student has the same opportunities, and there is a feeling that everyone is equal. No matter where we are from, we all go to Kostka. We feel like we get something from being here that will prepare us for the future. We will have opportunities that we otherwise might not.