A Northwest Indiana Life in the Spotlight: Urszula Krygowski
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Moving across the world can create a lot of obstacles and amplified pressure on a person. However, that was only the start of an invigorating story for Urszula Krygowski.
Krygowski grew up in Poland and moved to America about 27 years ago as a young adult. She lives with her husband and has two children that are currently in college. While Krygowski wishes she wasn’t so far away from her immediate family, she cherishes every opportunity of going back home to spend time with her siblings.
“When we go out that way, Poland is usually not the only stop,” Krygowski said. “We take full advantage of traveling. I definitely enjoy Polish and European history, and treasuring that time with my family is really cool.”
Krygowski never could have imagined being in the Region while growing up, but she discovered fulfillment since being in the area. Most of her time has been highlighted with her role at Kidworks Pediatric Therapy Center in Chesterton, serving as the executive director.
“The best part about my job is that I get to work with a phenomenal group of people,” Krygowski said. “Everyone is striving to make a difference in their lives. I walk between each of our buildings every day to interact with the kids as much as I can.”
One recent project that Krygowski has been most proud of is the children working together to create Pete the snake.
“I bought one big rock and we made it the head for Pete,” Krygowski said. “Then we were delivering rocks for the kids to paint and align behind Pete’s head to make the snake grow bigger. At this point, Pete is really lining up all around the building.”
The ultimate goal for Krygowski is to find every way to give back to the community. In her time with Kidworks, she has been able to think of several ideas to help support families and other groups whenever the opportunity presents itself. Additionally, the children at Kidworks have provided her with a lot of insight.
“Every day, I learn more and more about the incredible abilities that children have,” Krygowski said. "They often surprise us with their motivation to succeed and wanting to reach their goals. I think we sometimes underestimate them and, as adults, we can learn a lot from them and their perspective of life.”
One of Krygowski’s favorite pastimes is doing puzzles. She believes that puzzles help her provide some entertainment in a way that’s also relaxing to her mind. One of her favorite skills to exhibit is problem-solving, which is another reason why she feels puzzles have had a positive impact on her lifestyle.
Over the next few years, Krygowski doesn’t envision any major changes. She’s looking forward to the role she’s going to play in the lives of her children as they continue to grow up. Krygowski isn’t one to set limitations for herself, nor add any unnecessary pressure. Until an opportunity arises, she plans to continue going with the flow.