slug: America 8/13       oyster bay
            
            ÔThis country. You CanÕt Top It!Õ
            Three ƒmigrŽs Share One Opinion of the USA
            
            By Dagmar Fors Karppi
            
            Three ŽmigrŽs to the United States declared their joy at being here: Veterinarian Surinder Wadyal, an East Norwich resident, formerly of India; Locust Valley resident Alex Rizea, formerly of Romania and Oyster Bay resident Joanna Gedzior formerly of Poland. 
            Surinder Wadyal started it all when he stood up in Rotary and said he came to America on July 5, 1973, 25 years ago. ÒI am always overwhelmed by my experiences in this country. It is the best place on the face of this earth. I am grateful to the founding fathers!Ó
            Alex Rizea, who is in the home improvement business, said, ÒThis country. You canÕt top it!Ó He has been in America for 28 years and has been a citizen for 23 years. A past president of the Locust Valley Rotary, he has an eight year perfect attendance record and was making up a meeting in Oyster Bay at The Homestead Restaurant on Aug. 5.
            He said he played water polo for Romania in the Õ60s. When he defected, he met the Yale coach, who offered him a scholarship to the university. ÒI wanted to be in New York City, starting my life, and I turned it down. It was the biggest mistake. But, I worked, played water polo and made good. I had the opportunity and blew it - donÕt you,Ó he said to Joanna Gedzior.
            Joanna Gedzior was the Oyster Bay High School valedictorian of the class of 1998. She will be attending Yale in the fall. A recipient of a Rotary Scholarship, she had come to thank the group in person.
            Joanna came to the United States in June of 1991 to start sixth grade.  
            Language was her greatest challenge as she started school, subject matter was secondary, she said. ÒThe first year was tough. But by grades seven and eight - I got it by that time.Ó
            In high school ÒI had no problems with English. ThatÕs when academics kicked in.Ó
            Biology was her favorite subject. After taking AP Bio in her sophomore year she decided she wanted to go into pre-med. Her family was all for it. During her last two years in high school she studied Spanish and enjoyed it. ÒIt puts me in touch with who I am,Ó she explained. It will be her major at Yale.
            She likes the human element of studying language as opposed to spending hours in a chemistry laboratory, but she obviously has a talent for science. For the past two years she has worked at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory library. Joanna has her green card and will be a citizen in two years. 
            She is looking forward to attending Yale and has already contacted her roommates who come from Hawaii, California and Chicago. 
            When asked by Rotary District Governor 1999-2000 Cliff McLean, how she did on her Bio AP she admitted to getting a 5 - the highest grade. As for her English Regents - she earned a 95. Her AP English grade was also a 5. ÒThat is after six years here,Ó he commented.
            Attorney Jack Bernstein said, with her background and varied interests and with her family pushing her to be a doctor, ÒI predict you will become a lawyer, just like I did.Ó He too was a pre-med student.
            Joanne said, she took part in the mock trial program, but saw too much stress in being a lawyer, especially for a woman. ÒFor a woman in medicine, if you do well, the patients come to you,Ó she said. 
            Her extracurricular activities included volleyball, badminton at which she excelled; mock trial; International Club and working after school until five or six. 
            Dr. Chesterton asked her about her valedictory speech. She said her first draft was very personal. Then, after talking to Nicole Chasen, a former OBHS valedictorian, (who took part in the Cold Spring Harbor mentor program, and was this year a teacher assistant with Special Education students in the interim before going to medical school) advised that the best speeches were funny, short and to the point. She decided on humor. She wrote about the scaffolding that dominated the front of the high school building for brick repair work and spun a story around it, saying the district planned it to make their graduation special.
            She ended her talk with the same statement in Polish, Spanish and English. Suggested by her Spanish teacher, she felt it was a way to address her audience: her friends who speak Spanish; her family who speak Polish and the other listeners. She said she was glad to be here in the United States and at Oyster Bay High School, and that she was grateful for her years here. At the same time, it was good to be beginning again, as she heads for Yale.
            She chose Yale because ÒIt is not all science,Ó and because coming from Oyster Bay, she perceived going to the University of Pennsylvania, her other choice, as being Òtoo bigÓ a venue.
            Tom Reardon said JoannaÕs academic career was proof that Oyster Bay is a good school system. 
            Dr. Chesterton added that she was able to experience a broad variety of courses, unusual in a small school district. ÒOur art program is outstanding.Ó Joanne took art classes too.
            He said another exceptional graduate, Dorothy Moore had a similar experience, being able to sample music, art, English, science and math. She went on to Brown University. 
            ÒHer talents are great. She came to us like Surinder. They show the United States is a great place to be,Ó said Dr. Chesterton. He is this yearÕs Rotary president as well as the newly appointed superintendent of schools for the OBEN District.
            
            
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            Alex Rizea, Surinder Wadyal, Joanna Gedzior and Rotary President Dr. George Chesterton at the end of the Wednesday luncheon at The Homestead Restaurant on Aug. 5.