Nothing could dull the utter brilliance and radiance of Mission Hills High School’s very own Magda Kozuchowski. Every Grizzly who has had the pleasure of being taught by Mrs. Kozuchowski—more commonly referred to as Mrs. K—could testify to the undoubtable mastery she has over a plethora of skills in addition to mathematics. Mrs. K is an expert at making her students feel comfortable, creating classrooms with warm, safe environments that foster academic growth while making one feel at home. Ironically enough, however, Mrs. K emigrated from her home in Poland in 1999, residing in the United States ever since. This year, almost 20 years later, the lovely math teacher gained citizenship in October, just in time for her to vote in the most recent Midterm elections. The Grizzly community could not have been more excited for her.
“I was just very excited; this was the first time in 20 years that I could vote. I couldn’t vote in Poland, because I didn’t live there, and I couldn’t vote in the U.S. since I wasn’t a citizen, so it was great to have this experience,” Mrs. K said.
Despite the formality of her newly-gained citizenship, life for Mrs. K will hardly look different. Having originally entered the U.S. on a student visa then later getting a work visa, she has resided in the U.S. for 19 legal years. However, the controversy revolving around the topic of immigration left Mrs. K with a slight sense of discomfort. With her citizenship, however, her fears can finally rest assured.
“I do feel safer, because the government can’t revoke citizenship. Especially with today’s climate on immigrants, I no longer have insecurities about being sent back to Poland,” Mrs. K said.
As a mother of two, Mrs. K has no trouble providing kids with guidance; for her, teaching is like second-nature. Offering her opinions, however, used to be difficult depending on the subject. While she can whip up trigonometric proofs like nobody’s business, her thoughts on political issues were not always vocalized.
“As a resident, you can’t vote, so I was always careful about sharing my political views; I felt it wasn’t my place to share my opinions. Now that I’m a citizen, I’m no longer a guest in another country, so I feel a lot more comfortable with voicing my opinions,” Mrs. K said.
Mrs. K leaves a lasting impact upon every student she’s worked with. Her dedication to ensuring a student’s success academically and otherwise would make it seem as if she was always meant to find her way to our campus. Sure enough, her immigration story reflects nothing short of fate.
“When it was time to renew my visa, I was the only one of my friends who got it approved; my dad told me that it was a sign and that I’d be crazy not to take this opportunity,” Mrs. K said.
The addition of Mrs. K onto our campus could not have been more opportune. Her caring attitude towards every person she encounters inspires a reciprocated attitude of welcoming that we extend excitedly for this new chapter of her life. Congratulations, Mrs. K!