A Casper story n by way of Peru and Poland

by Susan Anderson
Tuesday, February 5, 2008 1:55 PM MST

He was born in Poland, she across an ocean and a continent -- in Peru.

How likely is it, first, that they would ever meet at all? And secondly, what could the probability be that 27 years after meeting each other in South America they would be sitting in a Wyoming church, watching their American citizen son be honored as an Eagle Scout?

Teresa and Jacek Bogucki are no strangers to powerful ceremonies that change a life. Each became an American citizen after moving to Wyoming and marked those events with touching celebrations.

But when their son Tomasz stood in front of a crowd of family, friends, Boy Scout officials and political leaders to be honored on Feb. 2, it was an incomparable moment for both.

From Tomasz’s point of view, his Eagle Court ceremony was most meaningful “for how great that made my mom and dad feel.”

Having that be the top priority for a teenage son is a wonderful thing in itself.

Political asylum, a new home

It’s tempting to go on and on about how interesting Tomasz’s parents are. His father Jacek was one of seven Polish explorers who became national heroes in Peru for their feats on South American rivers, including the first navigation of the Colca Canyon, twice as deep as the Grand Canyon.

Shortly after the Polish explorers became celebrities in 1980, their country exploded with change as the Solidarity movement took on the entrenched Communist government.

The Polish kayaking group established a Solidarity Support Committee. Now famous, they were interviewed by reporters about events in their native country.

When their anti-Communist remarks made it back to Poland, they were declared “persona non grata,” literally people who were no longer welcome.

Now stuck in South America and running out of money, they had nowhere to go. Eventually, they received political asylum in the United States.

Jacek and expedition photographer Zbigniew Bzdak were invited to visit a friend in Casper, and soon became welcome additions to this community.

Teresa had helped the explorers when they were in her native Lima, and after a four-year romance, she and Jacek were married, and she settled in Casper.

So Tomasz not only grew up in a Wyoming home where Spanish, English and Polish were spoken, but he regularly met family friends from all over the world. Going home to visit grandma became a cross-continent journey.

In some years, he would alternate visiting Peru and Poland to see his family. And he is Teresa’s assistant on the tours of Peru that she guides.

It seems obvious that Tomasz would excel in the Boy Scouts, where learning to survive in the wilderness and appreciate other cultures are highly valued.

But his mother Teresa points out that the camaraderie with scouting friends was also a major attraction for Tomasz, an only child who happens to be a great extravert.

Teresa describes scout leaders saying that they always knew where Tomasz was because they could hear his laughter long before they could see him.

His Eagle project brings together the family’s international background and his own talents. He decided to stock and send 100 care packages to U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. This wasn’t a typical Eagle Scout project, so Tomasz spent months selling scouting leaders on it and winning support for an effort that required soliciting donations, publicity, organization, postage and a desire to help U.S. soldiers.

As proud as Tomasz made his parents, Teresa shares the credit with the Casper community. As the Polish explorers scattered to Chicago, Virginia and Canada, the Bogucki family decided to stay in Casper for the warm network of friends they had developed.

“Casper gave us the strength to raise this child the way he is,” Teresa says.

“We are overwhelmed at the support and the love. We owe it to everybody who has known Tomasz.”

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