Joanna M. Polakow Receives Cheryl Ann Monyak Scholarship
Joe Monyak (left), Fr. Tim O'Brien (right), and Joanna M. Polakow (center), flanked by her parents
Joanna M. Polakow of New Hartford, a 2002 graduate of Northwest Regional # 7 High School, was the recipient of the New Hartford Knights of Columbus Cheryl Ann Monyak Scholarship on August 17. The $1,000 scholarship will be used by Ms. Polakow for her educational expenses during her first year at Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY. Ms. Polakow's high grades and service to her community, as well as her essay on the events of September 11 (see below) made her stand out in the competition for the scholarship.
The scholarship is named for Cheryl Ann Monyak, a former New Hartford resident who died in the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The scholarship was presented to Ms. Polakow on August 17 after the 5 p.m. Mass at Immaculate Conception Church by Joe Monyak, Cheryl's father and a member of the New Hartford Knights of Columbus Council 1140.
The Defining Moment of My Generation
By Joanna M. Polakow, New Hartford
Each generation has had its memorable moments in history. My mother clearly remembers the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Both of my grandparents clearly remember the bombing of Pearl Harbor. September 11 will be the defining moment of my generation.
Since September 11, 2001 many members of society, including myself, have learned that life is precious. We learned that you never know whether or not you are going to come home to all your family members or if someday one of them won't be there because of a tragic event.
On September 11, while all my friends were able to run home to their families, I was not. Yes, I saw my mom and my dad and my grandparents, but my brother was missing. A member of my family, whom I love deeply, was serving on a cargo ship in the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt. On September 10 that did not seem like such a big deal to me, but all of a sudden I could think of many other oceans and seas that were surrounded by much friendlier nations. There was no way of knowing if he was okay or what he knew about the attacks. Eventually he called by satellite phone and told us that Egyptian radio stations had called it the start of World War III. He also talked about being followed by the navies of many countries, not many of them friendly to the United States. Freedom and fear took on new meanings for me on September 11.
The attacks on September 11 showed how free our lives in America are and how we took those freedoms for granted when compared to other countries. Some privileges have been taken away, teaching me that freedom is a privilege that I am lucky to have.
We are reminded of the tragedy of September 11 wherever we go. Traveling is more complicated. There are security checks at airports, concerts and major sporting events. There are constant reminders of the freedom we took for granted. Some say that we will never again feel as free as we once did. Yet countries like Israel have lived with the fear of attacks and the need for constant security for years. Somehow their experiences or problems were not real to us until September 11.
I am free to choose my own career path in life, where I want to go to college, and even the type of job that I wish to have after my schooling. Not all children are lucky to have these kinds of rights. In India some children are sold into the slave trade by their parents, forcing them to work—usually for 12 to 14 hours, seven days a week—in silk factories.
By standing and uniting together the government has worked to protect our freedoms in the U.S. Not everything was bad as a result of September 11. One of the fascinating things was watching the growth of patriotism and the coming together of our country. Although there were those who felt the United States was taking the wrong path in our fight against terrorism, for the most part I sensed a true unification of our citizens. Young and old, Republican or Democrat, we all sensed a need to draw from our united strengths. My mother says there was a similar surge of patriotism during the Gulf War. This time it was different. During the Gulf War we were supporting a president's decision to rally and support another country. This time we did it because we understood the pain of attack. This time the patriotism was real, deep and seemingly lasting.
For weeks after September 11, I, like many others, lived my life in fear. My sense of security had vanished. I had no idea if and where the next attack would be. With the passage of time I have come to realize that while I don't have the same sense of security as before September 11, I do have the knowledge that my values and what is truly important in life are clear in my mind. Family and freedom will never again be taken for granted.
