April 10th marks the first anniversary of the death of Polish President Lech Kaczyński, who was killed with his wife and most of the country’s cabinet when their plane crashed in Smolensk, Russia.

Among those who will be remembering the sad day is Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka, the Polish Consul General in New York City. Junczyk-Ziomecka had long history with the late president, she noted in a recent interview in her Manhattan office. They studied law together at the University of Warsaw, and when he became president in 2005, she became secretary of state.

She was appointed Consul General last March – just six weeks before the tragic crash. It was a move that may have saved her life.

Click below to hear her thoughts on the tragic day and where Poland is headed.

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