Dawid Kopik, a 17-year-old from the Mikołaj Kopernik Secondary School with Bilingual and International Classes in Leszno (Wielkopolskie Voivodeship), is the only Pole to become a student at Yale University in the USA this year. 

Dawid is the winner of the “Idea for Business” competition, the winner of the “Mathematical Kangaroo”, the finalist of the largest space-themed competition in Poland: “Cosmic Challenge: Pathfinder” and a three-time scholarship holder of the Prime Minister’s Council. In addition, the new Yale student boasts not only English and German, but also Chinese.  

On his LinkedIn profile, he wrote that he grew up in the village of Goła in the Wschowa district. From an early age, diversity was his “guiding principle”. Dawid Kopik is interested in economics, computer science, physics, law or social sciences. Most likely he will study economics and computer science at Yale. “I am always eager for new challenges – no matter how difficult they are” he adds.

“All this has led me to the status of “primus inter pares” – one of the best students in Poland, and above all – to simply being a good person”, wrote the 17-year-old. Apart from his studies, Dawid is involved in running start-ups and helping seniors use new technologies.

Above all, he is very talented, hard-working and has a lot of interests. He takes part in many projects, competitions and Olympiads. “I shouldn’t be surprised by his success, but getting into Yale is something. It is a source of pride for us that a student of our school is able to defeat so many competitors and get into such a prestigious university”, said Krystyna Łasowska, the principal of the Second High School in Leszno.

Adrian Andrzejewski