Most people would be at a loss if they were asked to make a connection between Hanover and Konin, Poland, a town 160 miles west of Warsaw.
However, both places have been homes for Paulina Troicka '98, Filip Troicki '99 and Mateusz Troicki '01, three Polish siblings who immigrated to the United States in 1989 and all decided to attend the College.
Their father, Stanislaw Troicki, left Poland in 1987 after he lost his job as a statistician for the Communist Polish government.
He had been involved with the Solidarity Movement, a labor union started around 1980 in order to push for the fall of communism in Poland.
The movement was originally legal, "but then they had to get rid of it, because the people were getting rowdy," Filip Troicki said.
When Solidarity became illegal, Stanislaw refused to sign documents denouncing the movement and apologizing for his association with it.
As a result, he was fired by the government and blacklisted so he could not find any other employment in Poland.
With the help of his aunt, Stanislaw came to the United States and began working in Long Island, N.Y. for a company called Electronic Designers. The rest of the family joined him in 1989.
When they first arrived, the three siblings were not particularly happy to be here.
"For us it was really difficult, because we didn't know the language, and we were in middle school -- the kids weren't very tolerant," said Filip Troicki.
The three of them struggled with a language barrier, and they dressed and behaved differently from the other students, who had already formed their own social groups.
But these days they mostly seem amused by their difficult first year in this country.
Mateusz Troicki chuckled about what he sarcastically called "the good old days" and pointed at Paulina -- whose last name is spelled differently because she is a female -- laughing while he said, "She used to hide behind the stairs in school."
What the three of them found the most ridiculous were their experiences in their ESL (English as a Second Language) classes, where they seemed to grasp in one year what the other students struggled with for four or five years.
"It was so easy -- it wasn't challenging at all," Paulina said as the three of them joked about their past.
The ESL program was indicative of the students' general view of American secondary schools, which they found much easier and less disciplined than Polish schools.
Paulina and Filip Troicki skipped two grades upon their arrival in the United States, and they still did not find the work challenging.
But at the same time, American students' motivation is stronger here, because there is a far greater chance for social mobility in the United States than in the Communist Polish environment, according to the siblings.
"Nobody has much initiative for learning and studying there," Mateusz Troicki said. "Even if you went to the best college there, you couldn't really get a good job."
The students' struggles weren't limited to their academic lives in America.
Their father's aunt died before they arrived, and their "psycho" uncle changed all the locks on his home in order to kick them out of his house, Paulina said.
After a few moves, all within Long Island, they adjusted to the American atmosphere and became happier with their lives here.
All three commented on the brighter and more optimistic atmosphere in the United States.
"It didn't seem gray -- in Poland, everything seemed gray somehow," Filip Troicki said.
"People in Poland are very ready to tell you about their problems," Mateusz added.
In addition, they said, the Polish government spied on some homes and bugged telephones to make sure people were not conspiring against Communism.
As far as they know, that did not happen to their family, but every letter or package they received from their father while they remained in Poland arrived at their house opened.
The common problems that Polish people face in their country has lead to a trend of hospitality that the students do not see in the United States.
"Having a guest in the house [in Poland] is like having a god in the house," said Filip Troicki.
Now that they have lived in the United States for eight years, the siblings all agree that they are better off here than in Poland.
"I don't know of any other country where you could get a house after two years," Filip Troicki said. "In Poland, we waited for a phone for 14 years."
Pieter Ott '98, who is friends with the siblings, said, "The mere fact that they came here years ago from Poland and have always sort of had financial troubles and still managed to get three kids to Dartmouth -- it says a lot for their family."
The three of them believe that the cliche of the "American Dream" is a possibility for all people who work hard, but they have their reservations too.
Mateusz Troicki laughed at his initial illusion that he would come to this country and pick $100 bills up off the street, and Paulina said the "American Dream" is a possibility but, "on the other hand, it's not perfect."
The three of them didn't particularly plan on attending the same college, but they certainly don't mind being at Dartmouth together.
They all agreed that they have a very close relationship and they make a point to spend time together and socialize as any friends would.
"They always seem to get along," Ott said. "They might make jokes about each other, but I can't think of any point when I've seen them argue."
