My name is Eliza Wierzbinska and I am currently 21 years old. I am a senior at Adelphi University and have a 4.0 GPA. I am minoring in art history and philosophy and my major is psychology. I plan to further my career in psychology by going to graduate school to get my PhD in neuropsychology or clinical psychology. In college, I really dedicate myself to my studies because I love to learn. I hopefully will be able to take what I learn and apply it to my career to do it well. I truly believe in making a difference in the world. Even though it may be a small one, it is still valuable especially to the lives of the people you are impacting. The next path in my life will give me new experiences to further my understanding of the world and I look forward to working hard to make all my goals come true.

I would be proud to represent Miss Polonia 2009 because I feel as though my upbringing allows me epitomize the synthesis of Polish and American culture. The characteristics I acquired through my life like independence, tolerance, acceptance, open-mindness, self-discipline are what Miss Polonia should represent. I also have an extremely strong connection to the Polish community because I am very involved in Polish culture. I come from a traditional Polish family and grew up in Greenpoint, Brooklyn (a popular Polish neighborhood) so I speak Polish fluently. While living in Greenpoint, as a child my mother would take me to the Pulaski Memorial Parade every year; we still continue to go as a family. I also tutor as a profession; many of my students are from a Polish heritage. The parents of my students encourage me to run for Miss Polonia of Staten Island. I am excited to be a part of the Polish Day Parade I would always watch with my family.