Introducing The General Tadeusz Jordan-Rozwadowski Scholarship

I have produced television. I have worked on Broadway. I have coached executives, built companies, and told stories that have reached millions of people.

But today is the most important thing I have ever done.

Today I am launching The General Tadeusz Jordan-Rozwadowski Scholarship. And I am doing it on his 160th birthday.

Because he is my great-grandfather.

The Photograph

My great-grandfather, General Tadeusz Jordan-Rozwadowski

The photograph I am sharing with this post is not from an archive or a history book.

It is the photograph my grandfather Józef — my great-grandfather's son, and the man my own son is named after — carried in his wallet every single day until the day he died.

And here is what strikes me most about it.

It is not a man in uniform. It is not a military portrait. It is not a superhero or a symbol or a statue.

It is my great-grandfather. Imposing, yes. A man of another era, yes. But above all, the father who shaped my grandfather. The man whose values travelled through generations and landed here — in me, in my son who carries his name, and in this foundation we are launching today.

We are not here to celebrate a legend.

We are here because of a man. A father. A great-grandfather. Someone whose quiet influence across generations has led us to this moment — with one simple belief.

That we can leave the world better than we found it.

That is what he did. That is what we intend to do.

Who He Was

General Tadeusz Jordan-Rozwadowski was born on May 19, 1866, in Galicia. He would go on to help restore Poland's independence, mastermind the Battle of Warsaw, sign the Treaty of Versailles, and build alliances across Europe that shaped the modern world.

He was a soldier and a diplomat. A strategist and a statesman. A man who gave everything he had — including, ultimately, his life — in service of something larger than himself.

Then his name was erased.

After Józef Piłsudski seized power, my great-grandfather was imprisoned without charge and left to die in an unheated cell. His memory was systematically suppressed for decades — first by political enemies, then by communist rule.

Our family carried him across continents and generations. Through wars, exile, and silence.

Why Now

The Polish Armed Forces have declared 2026 his official year. And today — on his 160th birthday — my family is launching a foundation in his name.

Not to look back. To look forward.

What We Are Building

The General Tadeusz Jordan-Rozwadowski Scholarship is not a memorial. It is a launchpad.

We award scholarships and fellowships to the next generation of leaders, diplomats, storytellers, and scientists — exceptional people who will shape a positive future through service, courage, creativity, and discovery.

Developing the next generation of leaders, diplomats, storytellers, and scientists — for good.

A Personal Note

I have spent my career developing people and telling stories. I believe that the world changes when the right people are given the opportunity to find their voice and use it.

My great-grandfather knew that too. He built coalitions. He negotiated peace. He led with both strategy and humanity. He understood that leadership is not about power — it is about service.

That is the legacy we are honouring.

Today is his birthday. This is our beginning.

If this moves you, please share it. And if you would like to support the next generation of leaders, diplomats, storytellers, and scientists, you can donate here:

https://gofund.me/8e47a5b1d

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Calia Brencsons-Van Dyk is the founder of Caliativity Productions & Creative Agency and the great-granddaughter of General Tadeusz Jordan-Rozwadowski.