By Lisa Wiśniewski, Professor of Sociology

The person who influenced me the most was my Babcia (grandmother). Her life changed forever in 1939 during World War II. She lost every opportunity for an education when she was 10 years old. All four of my grandparents had to focus on survival and never had the chance to go back to school.

After the war, communism came to Poland, which led to a lack of resources and opportunities. It was not uncommon to go into a grocery store and see no food on the shelves due to shortages and rationing. For decades, my whole family could only focus on basic survival; education was a gift they did not receive.

When my family arrived in Connecticut, they took every opportunity they had. All the adults in my life worked two or three jobs at a time. They worked in manufacturing, hospitality, retail, and healthcare. No one worked in education. They always expected me to go to college, and I knew this was the path I would take. It stuck with me from an early age that I had opportunities they never had, and I promised myself I would go as far as I could.

When I got to college, there were so many questions that my parents and family members did not have the answers to. Things like what FAFSA is, where tutoring support was, what I could do with my degree, and what type of degree I would need for the job I want.

I did not have any family members who could assist me, so I had to figure it all out while going to class, focusing on my job, working on assignments, and deciding what I wanted my major to be. I was supported by many of the higher education professionals at my school and mentors. This is what helped me to understand college, learn how to navigate it successfully, and obtain three degrees.

Today, I am most proud of the fact that my nephews have a different relationship with college. They know their aunt is a professor and what that means. They met my colleagues and even shared cake with one of the deans at Goodwin! All they have are positive experiences about college, and they already understand what college is. They had all these experiences before finishing elementary school. One nephew already said, “When I grow up, I want to come to [Goodwin University] because it is nice!”

This highlights the impact of college — it has the power to change generations and shape the future of your family.