StudentAid: Student Relief Fund

Dear Friends of the Pro Akademika Foundation,

Thank you for being with us! Today I have two topics for you.

Firstly, I would like you to get to know our third last year's scholarship holder - Michal Skorupski*. Here is his story:

My name is Michal Skorupski and I am a PhD student in Psychology at the Doctoral School of SWPS University. Apart from research work, I am also involved in cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy and educational activities.

The research project I have the great pleasure to work on is focused on task-unrelated thoughts. This common phenomenon clearly affects our daily functioning, but previous knowledge about it is difficult to systematize, also in terms of research methodology. Therefore, in our project, we use diverse methods - from multiple daily measurements, through studying psychophysiological variables, to using tasks in virtual reality. Participating in research conducted using such diverse methods allows me to expand my research horizons on a daily basis.

During the recruitment for the project and the Doctoral School, I could not predict what supportive, open, and full of development opportunities environment I would encounter. Wanting to get to know it as best as possible, I got involved in activities in the Doctoral Council, which opened up the opportunity for me to observe and participate in the work of many incredibly interesting people and bodies shaping the reality of the University.

When I had the opportunity to share knowledge with a wider audience not focused on the academic environment for the first time, I discovered that talking about science outside the university is very satisfying. I particularly enjoy sharing knowledge about research methods. In a world of universal access to data, the ability to find, read, and critically analyze them is the key to informational freedom. Understanding research methodology and statistics allows us to draw conclusions independently, freeing us from the need to uncritically accept knowledge processed by others. I believe that people feel the need to acquire knowledge if it is presented to them in an understandable and attractive way. I would like to effectively share the knowledge and skills that I acquire through the effort, openness, and patience of my Mentors and other people with whom I have the great pleasure to cooperate. The scholarship I have received will be a huge support for me in developing communication and popularization skills, which I intend to use in my practice.

Secondly - I am thrilled to inform you that we have selected three new scholarship holders for the Student Relief Fund! The scholarship winners are:

• Zdzislaw, a second-year student in psychology, who was awarded for his scientific activity and for his commendable involvement in the development of the university community,
• Catalina, a final year student in psychology. The scholarship was awarded for skillfully balancing continuous and long-term social activity with outstanding academic achievements,
• Anna, a final year student in psychology, who received the scholarship for exceptional social engagement combined with impressive academic results.

Thanks to the scholarship received, Zdzislaw, Catalina, and Anna will be able to finance their tuition fees at the university and thus continue their studies. And all this is possible thanks to you - our wonderful Donors!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

*name used with permission

Dear Friends and Supporters of the Pro Akademika Foundation,

We are sending you another report on our activities. This time, fulfilling the promise from the previous report, we will introduce you to another scholarship holder of the Foundation - Emilia Kaczmarek*.

What else? In just two weeks, we will open the recruitment for the next scholarships. We will keep you informed about the progress.  

"Activism and education" by Emilia Kaczmarek

When asked for a short bio, I usually write: creating and supporting social projects for 7 years. Since 2017, I have been involved in various social projects, and in my final year of high school, I founded a foundation and became the first in Poland to address the issue of menstrual poverty. I had to choose then - study for the final exams or continue my activism. I chose the latter.

After a year off, I decided to return to education and enrolled in the Public Life program at SWPS University. I rediscovered the pleasure of learning and realized that social activity does not have to exclude education. Since then, in addition to my student duties, I have been involved in research projects that I believe have a positive impact on reality. This is how I see my future. I want to become an engaged social researcher and, with the help of data, influence the world around me. I value useful knowledge, conveyed in a democratic and understandable way for everyone. I imagine that I will be able to combine academic work with social activity and thus introduce social change.

Thanks to the scholarship, I can develop scientifically in financial comfort, which I consider a huge privilege in today's times. Currently, I am working on analyzing the results of my first research - describing the causes of burnout in the Polish feminist movement.

*name used with permission