Izabela Gierach is a Character with Character
by Izabela Gierach and Kelsey Harmon
April 26th, 2016
I grew up in the typical European seaport town of Szczecin in Poland, surrounded by a baroque fortress with the King’s Gate as a part of a medieval fortification system. A gothic cathedral stood on the central hill of the town and a beautiful white castle with a copper roof looks down onto the town’s river as it has for hundreds of years. Growing up in this environment made me love architecture and inspired my imagination. I never want to stop looking for opportunities to learn, find connections and transition knowledge from one field to another. That is where extraordinary things happen, which can often change perceptions and lead to new insights.
What is your hidden talent?
I self-learned playing acoustic guitar when I was a teenager. At the beginning, I was mainly trying to figure out how to play a style of music called “sung poetry”, which roots are in blues and poetic lyrics.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
1) Feeling that I can always go back to my roots, family, mentors, old friends who know me as “ME”, despite my achievements, career accomplishments and titles
2) Feeling independent but maintaining strong family bonds
3) Seeing my family and friends happy and healthy
4) Perfect happiness is sometimes in small things, like listening to the sound of breaking waves, with my toes in the hot sand, being in a new place and exploring, or realizing unusual connections in business or scientific research which create “WOW” moments.
My definition of happiness is definitely changing over time and reflects what I have learned from life and from other people.
What is your favorite color?
Black is definitely my favorite color. I was told that Europeans like black. I wonder if that’s true?
Who has had the most influence on you?
My parents, my family, and friends. The people who I have directly worked with and gave me a chance to explore and see things beyond my imagination.
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