Seventy years ago, a boy named John Kazmierowski walked through the doors of Club One. The son of Polish immigrants, he grew up a few blocks away in a working-class family where money was scarce but education was prized. The Club gave him structure and belonging. Afternoons filled with activities and summers at camp in Wisconsin gave him experiences that shaped his view of the world. “It saved my life,” he recalls. “It put me on the right path.”
At St. Rita High School, a science teacher noticed John’s curiosity and encouraged him to dive deeper. He took biology, chemistry, and physics, and quickly realized the classroom was where he could thrive. That spark of confidence carried him into college in Minnesota, then medical school at the University of Illinois, where he earned both an MD and a master’s in immunology. His career took him to the University of Washington for residency, to the National Institutes of Health where he collaborated with Dr. Anthony Fauci, and eventually to Portland, Oregon, where he built a 43-year career in dermatology, allergy, and immunology.
After retiring, Dr. Kaz began reflecting on the places that had set his course. He found himself thinking about the Club that had once kept him safe and busy when the streets offered few options. Decades later, he returned to visit Club One and sat in AJ’s robotics lab, watching today’s members build and troubleshoot. He saw the same spark he had once felt.
That moment led him to establish the Dr. John Kazmierowski STEM Scholarship, designed to recognize and support young people whose talent and determination set them apart. His wife, a retired teacher, has stood beside him in this work, both believing that investing in education can change the course of a life.
“An educational opportunity is the greatest gift you can give. These kids are smart. They just need the chance.”
The impact is already unfolding. Brenda, one of the scholarship recipients, is pursuing health informatics and gained real-world experience in an internship at Northwestern Medicine. She often says she didn’t know careers like this even existed until the Club and the scholarship opened that path. Her story mirrors his own: a child whose horizon suddenly widened because someone believed in her potential.
When Dr. Kaz visits with today’s Club members, he sees echoes of himself decades earlier — bright, determined young people who only need a door opened to them. To him, their achievements prove that support for Union League Boys & Girls Clubs does not stop at meeting immediate needs. It creates tomorrow’s physicians, engineers, researchers, and leaders.
Dr. Kaz’s life has come full circle — from a boy who found safety and guidance at Club One, to a physician and researcher, to a benefactor ensuring that the next generation has the same chance. His story is a reminder that the Clubs are not only about today. They are about building futures.