Monika Mátyás

I moved to Boston with my husband in 1990 for what was originally intended to be only a two-year stay while he completed his postdoc at MIT. During that time, the regime change took place in Hungary, and both of our workplaces (KFKI and the Deák Square Primary School) ceased to exist.

Personally, I never imagined I would live abroad. The Hungarian language, literature, and culture were my lifeblood. To this day, my favorite pastimes include following contemporary writers and poets, watching e-theater, and keeping up with Hungarian media.

I have been teaching at Boskola for 25 years. I started with my own children, who have since grown up and speak Hungarian (almost) perfectly.

I participate in the Society's work as a Boskola Representative. My goal is to reach out to as many Hungarian-Americans as possible—even those who are second or third-generation descendants but feel a connection to their Hungarian roots. More and more Hungarians are being born and raised abroad, often in multi-cultural families. We need an alliance that will continue to represent a connection to the homeland and Hungarian culture for our children's children.