OBA’s Zofia Konczalska
Zofia Konczalska’s path from Poland to OBA School has been shaped by basketball, resilience and support from the community after the Enid tornado. She says she will be a freshman at Trinity Technical College in Charleston, South Carolina, and plans to carry the lessons she learned at OBA with her.
Konczalska said she plays basketball and once trained in judo in Poland. She said one of her proudest accomplishments is handling life away from her family while doing everything in her second language, even as she dealt with injuries, grief and difficult coaches.
Her sport taught her patience and helped her accept what her body could and could not do, she said. She credited her coaches in Poland Andrzej and Justyna Pluta, along with Mariusz Świerk for shaping her not just as an athlete, but as a person through their example of hard work and dedication.
Konczalska also pointed to teammates Mercy and Maddox Mandenhall as people who made a lasting impression because they always put the team first and kept a positive attitude. She said the best advice she has received is simple: If you really love something, put your whole heart into it.
After the Enid tornado, Konczalska said the OBA family showed her how much people care. She said it was moving to see how many people reached out and helped those affected, proving that compassion can make a difference during hard times.
She said she is thankful for her parents, sister, brother-in-law, best friend Julia and the Young family, who welcomed her as their own. As she prepares for a new chapter, Konczalska said she hopes to stay active in her community and help others through church and service.
