Women Helping Women & Paying it Forward

The reality is that I got lucky in life to meet so many wonderful women along the way who pulled me up and got me to where I am today. And I think this story is really worth telling.

I was born in Jastrzebie Zdroj in a coalmining town in the southern part of Poland. My dad was a coal miner, and so was every man I knew growing up. My mom briefly worked in a hospital as an admin, but she had to be a stay-at-home mom when my brother and I were born. My generation of women was probably the first to consider leaving home, leaving town, or going to college. I remember how proud my father was when he found out that I was accepted to a local college. He dreamed that I would be an executive assistant, not that there is anything wrong with that, but that was as far as anyone could imagine a woman going.

And here is where things started to take a little different turn for me. The day before I had to accept my college admission, I read about an Au Pair program in a newspaper. It sounded so amazing yet impossible to me – the idea of me applying to be an Au Pair in the United States to be a nanny and learn English well enough to come back and maybe be an English teacher.

I knew my dad would not be happy with me, but with my mom’s support, my dream did come true. So, I became an Au Pair in New Jersey, and I started taking classes in a local community college. I quickly realized how much I would love to be able to go to college in the US. However, I also knew that I wouldn’t be able to afford it, so taking some classes was way better than not taking any.

Once my Au Pair role ended and the family I worked for moved out of state, I was alone. Just me, my backpack, and a lot of what seemed like unrealistic dreams. I held jobs at local diners to help me pay rent and cover school tuition for the couple of classes I was taking. The reality is that if I were not as stubborn as I am, I would not be here today. I was too proud to accept that I could not afford to stay here and definitely could not afford to go to college. I also knew that letting my parents know that I was homeless and broke wouldn’t do much good, and it would only make them feel guilty that they could not help me.

I managed to survive the toughest days possible, and I wouldn’t wish my biggest enemy to ever go through what I had to go through. But it made me who I am today, and it opened doors for me that I never knew existed.

One afternoon rushing to finish one of my waitressing jobs so that I could get to the second one across the street on time, my life took a totally different turn. I brought food to an older couple I was serving when the lady suddenly started crying. Her husband told me that I reminded them of their daughter, who recently passed away.

Later on, the same couple contacted me and invited me to their home. They showed me pictures of their daughter, who looked absolutely nothing like me! The lady from the restaurant and a friend were at the house, and they were very interested in my story. They wanted to learn about my family back home and better understand my situation.

They asked if I could go to college anywhere I wanted where it would be. I didn’t have to think long – College of St. Elizabeth was a school I fell in love with when I visited it once, but I also knew that I could never afford to attend. As I was leaving, the lady’s friend asked me to transfer to the College of St. Elizabeth and send her all the tuition bills. The only thing she asked for in return was that one day, I would pay it forward when I was able to.

After completing my undergrad at the College of St. Elizabeth, I decided to continue my education there. When receiving my graduate degree in Organizational Change Management, I was chosen to speak at the graduation. What an honor! I barely knew my classmates because despite having tuition paid for, I still worked around the clock to pay for rent and food. I am not sure that anyone at the school even knew who I was or recognized me on the podium.

I spoke about angels, the women angels who got me to where I was that day. I spoke of my mom, who was so supportive of me choosing to change diapers over going to college, Eva, who trusted me with her son and patiently helped me learn English, and Ginny, who sponsored my college education. I left the stage crying along with most of the audience.

I got my first corporate job soon after. And from day one, I knew I had to keep pushing the idea of women helping women. Throughout my career, I have been lucky to work with many strong women, and I am humbled that many of them gave me the benefit of the doubt and supported my growth. Additionally, I feel blessed to have mentored women who have a drive and passion ready to succeed but maybe need the extra push like I did. The best part of my job is to see them grow and eventually shine.

Fast forward to when Little Big Things started. Unfortunately, it was my mom’s cancer that led to the idea. We created a business that would sell her beautiful crocheted and knitted creations to keep her spirits up. I knew how much she enjoyed this craft and how giving she is, and so it just made all the sense in the world to try to find a way to support her through this difficult time.

I cannot, however, take the credit for the existence of Little Big Things. Without the support of other women, it would not exist today. My cousin, Gabi from Germany, created the logo. My good friend Monika took photos of the products. My sister helped with social media. My mom’s friend joined her when the orders kept coming. A friend who owns Graze Local helped us spread the word. Plymouth Magazine wrote a story. Now we are collaborating with The Thinking Spot female owner on an upcoming collection. Without the support of all these women and the community, Little Big Things would not exist. Without the angels that I met along the way, I would not be where I am today.