Polish Student Makes Education Impact to Hibbing Community; Practicing Business Skills

HIBBING, Minn. — Poland may be over 4,000 miles away from Hibbing, but for one young man wanting to learn about business from Katowice, the similarities to home made it an easy journey.

Maciek Marchaj is in Hibbing, Minn., for the summer but he grew up in near Krakow, the second largest city in Poland. His hometown of Katowice is 4,000 miles from Hibbing. But through determination, grit, and a program designed for students wanting to learn and develop their business skills Marchaj has spent the last several months there.

“I’m from Katowice, it’s closer to Krakow about 400,000 people,” said Marchaj. “It’s a little bit bigger than Hibbing. I actually love to come here and see how everybody knows each other.”

Marchaj says that from as far back as he can remember, he has dreamed of owning his own business.

“Reading through all the biographies, I kind of felt like there were a lot of things that would be challenging about owning your own business,” said Marchaj. “So I was thinking, let’s use my 20s in the appropriate way, let’s do something crazy like going to the other side of the world.”

But in many ways Hibbing feels a lot like home.

“I feel more at home over here than Texas or Mexico because it’s also more exotic so it has advantages there,” said Marchaj. “We have tough winters, we have tons of snow same as you guys over here up North.”

Marchaj says being in Hibbing has helped him to develop the skills necessary to be successful in anywhere in the world.

“Just to get myself through and help myself to help me learn all of the soft skills and communication skills and how to do something great in a place I know nothing about,” said Marchaj.

Marchaj’s family wasn’t so sure about the trip, but he had already been to Texas and New Mexico.

“That sounded crazy, but since this is already my sixth summer traveling they got used to tolerating,” said Marchaj. “And know this is just my way to learn, and every year I am learning something new.”

Marchaj feels very supported by the Hibbing community.

“People talking to each other,” said Marchaj. “It doesn’t matter if you know each other. Everybody talks in the store, in Walmart, everywhere. Everybody treats each other as friends…and that is awesome.”

Each morning, Marchaj goes from door to door to door. Direct selling the educational product and helping to provide educational books, apps and other tools to kids.

“It’s so exciting. I love it,” said Marchaj. “That’s the best feeling when I see the smile on the kids face and the joy from the parents when they see they might get something that might change their kids’ perspective on something in a better way, or just help them out. Getting better grades, or just helping their future overall.”

Marchaj has no plans to try to stay in the US, but hopes to one day start a business in Poland. He says to others with an ambitious dream to go for it. And try find others who have similar desires and interests.

“If everything checks and is working very well,” said Marchaj. “Just take the courage and chase your dreams, you know?”