Bryce Mazurkiewicz Interview

On March 4, 2023, I sat down with Bryce Mazurkiewicz for an interview about the loss of her father, Anthony Mazurkiewicz. Bryce is a 21-year-old nursing student at Gannon University.

Anthony was a police officer in the City of Rochester and was shot and killed on the line of duty, making national headlines. This unexpected death came as a complete shock to Bryce and the City of Rochester. She had texted her dad two minutes before he was shot, which made news of a cop being shot unbelievable that it was her father.

Bryce lost her father over the summer, therefore she was able to be home and grieve with her family. Her brother and sister, who both did not live at home at the time, stayed with her at their house which she was extremely grateful for. She expresses gratitude towards her college friends who allowed her to share what she was comfortable with and never pressed her with questions.

Bryce mentioned her age in the interview and how if she was any other age in school, she might not have gone back. She went back to school around three weeks after her father's passing which was quick, but did not want to stay at school any longer than she had to. She also works at the hospital her dad died in and explains the struggles she faces at work and school when learning and seeing things that directly happened to her father.

Bryce goes to college in Pennsylvania, so she is unable to visit home a lot which is hard for her. She sheds light on her favorite memories with her father such as going to travel softball games where she spent a lot of time bonding in the car with her father. She also enjoyed cooking with her father as he made most of the meals and it was something they were able to do together as he worked overnights.

She stresses the importance of making adjustments and allowing time to feel grief, but acknowledges how as she is aging these dynamics were bound to happen. She says, "We're doing the best we can to keep things how we've done them because that's what he would want us to do."