From 2005-2007, I served as a teacher with the Lasallian Volunteers. That name might ring a bell in France. I worked with the Brothers of the Christian Schools (Frères des Écoles Chrétiennes), which were founded by St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, born in Reims, France in 1651. He once said, “[God] did this in an imperceptible way and over a long period of time so that one commitment led to another in a way that I did not foresee in the beginning.” While I have so very little in common with La Salle, I can certainly agree the same is true in my life. Let me begin from the beginning, however.
Mount Fuji
I was born into communist Poland in 1982. When my mother passed suddenly in 1987 and my father in 1990, my world shifted radically as my aunt brought my sisters and me to the United States. We were adopted together in 1992 and soon thereafter became a U.S. citizen, becoming a part of the melting pot which is America. I changed my name to Paul Sevcik, another mark of my new identity as a citizen of “The New World.” With the diligent assistance of my parents, I worked hard to learn English and even skipped a grade in primary school.
A trip to France in 2000 with my French class from secondary school whet my appetite for world travels and I treasured the experience, longing to hop on another jet to expand my horizons. I graduated secondary school with high marks and went onto university studies at Lewis University, run by the Christian Brothers, choosing Aviation Flight Management as my major. I was going to become a pilot, but those plans were shaken by the events of September 11th and were ultimately dashed by my interest in working with people rather than machines. I changed my major to Aviation Administration, keeping the flame of world travels alive with the dream of working at an airport someday. I became President of the Student Governing Board, received the highest award given to college students from the Governor of the State of Illinois, was the speaker at Commencement, was published in a university fine arts publication and was a well-known figure on campus. The familiarity of the small campus was met by the opportunity to serve two years as a volunteer teacher in a nationally-recognized program named AmeriCorps.
I moved from my hometown of Aurora, Illinois and began working and living in community with the Christian Brothers in Philadelphia. I taught computers and physical education to primary school children and enjoyed the experience, but at the end of two years, I was interested in seeing what was beyond the horizon, so I decided to go to graduate school.
As I was choosing an MBA program, I knew there was one aspect on which I would grade heavily: the program had to have an international component. When I was introduced to the IMBA at a networking event, I was immediately hooked. With the opportunity to study on three continents and do it all in about a year, I knew it was just the program I was seeking. I looked forward to beginning my studies in Paris as I was already very comfortable speaking French and had been there previously.
Moving to Paris and experiencing the French life was something beyond description. Just four months were enough for me to notice large differences between the US and Europe and this can be a whole separate discussion in itself. I was quite comfortable.
During my IMBA studies and for a month afterward, I did quite a bit of traveling. One highlight was a visit to the birthplace of St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle with a Christian Brother I had lived with in Philadelphia. I visited 14 countries from Spain, to Italy to Poland, Japan, Isreal, Australia and New Zealand. In the span of a few days I experienced a balmy 30 degrees Celsius in the Northern Hemisphere and the wintery 2 degrees Celsius in the Southern Hemisphere.
This worldwide travel experience helped me greatly in securing a job in the travel industry. While the IMBA’s educational component is at its core, I learned a great deal in my travels and I am happy that I can apply not just my business acumen but my world perspective to work. I worked at a company which partners with universities to enable them to travel abroad on short-term travel study tours, such as the one the IMBA program has to China for a week. After three months, I resigned from my job at the travel agency, however. It was a great job description, but the team I worked with was plagued with structural problems resulting from a merger which were not addressed before I began work there.
The above may symbolize the emotional and professional peaks and valleys I have experienced thus far in my life. As for the highest physical peak I’ve ever climbed, it was Mount Fuji. I climbed it on an overnight hike with a fellow IMBA. She, like my other IMBA friends, continues to be a great friend of mine, resulting in a large network of people around the world I can reach out to. I saw a glorious sunrise that morning after the climb. Who knew that a boy born into a humble family with small beginnings would be supported and propelled to reach such heights? And who knows what the future will bring? Perhaps, as La Salle once said, it will be indiscernable to me for now. I can guess that with my diversity of experience, worldwide network, and a drive to continue expanding my horizons, my path is sure to lead to more adventure…À bientôt!
Mount Fuji Sunrise