Jerzy Silberring with Aleksander Kwasniewski, President of Poland

This is my son Jerzy Silberring getting his professor's title from Aleksander Kwasniewski, the President of Poland. The photo was taken in 2000 in Belweder, Warsaw [seat of Polish Presidents]. Jerzy studied chemistry and also physics at the Jagiellonian University. He did his Ph.D. very quickly and went away to Sweden; ten years he lectured at the university in Uppsala. He did his assistant professorship there. When he came back he had to have it accepted. In fact, he still lectures there now, goes to Uppsala once a month. He's lectured in Japan too. He speaks five languages. In 2000 he became a professor at the Jagiellonian University. I let him go, gave him everything I could have given. It all cost. But becoming a professor is his own achievement, because I didn't demand that of him. When Jerzy was dating my daughter-in-law, I said, 'Jerzy, don't you bring home anyone who hasn't got a degree. Ever. There's no question of my daughter-in-law not having higher education.' Well, and at last he came to me and said, 'Mom, she's a graduate.' My daughter-in-law graduated in history from the Jagiellonian University and is now headmistress of High School No. 6.