Holly VanderSluis '05
BA Political Science; Entrepreneurship minor.
Attorney: Associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, NYC. Political Science was my major and I had a hunch that being a lawyer might be a natural career choice, but I wasn't sure. I didn't actually know what lawyers did, beyond what you see on TV. So I decided I would work for a lawyer before making a decision about whether to attend law school, to see whether it was really what I wanted. I had already decided that I wanted to live in NYC so prior to graduation I sent my resume and cover letter to all the law firms I could find in NY seeking an entry level paralegal. I must have sent out 50+ resumes, but only heard back from one law firm. The interview went very well and I got the job offer the day after QU graduation, to start a week later. I moved to NYC a week after graduation. After about a year working as a paralegal, I started to explore law schools. My boss was extremely supportive and helpful as I transitioned to New York Law School a year later. I stopped working and became a full-time student. I'm currently in my fifth year as an attorney practicing commercial litigation. I started at this firm as a "summer associate" after my second year of law school. The summer went well and the firm offered me a job to start after finishing law school. I accepted the offer and have been here ever since. I work with some of the most intelligent people I have ever met. These attorneys help shape how I view and handle the complex legal issues we deal with in our cases, as well as manage client relationships. And to that end, the cases I work on almost never present straightforward legal issues; so I am being challenged every day, with every case I work on. Whether I am here another five years, or in any other type of practice, these are lasting tools I can carry with me. Some of the Political Sciences classes I took at Quinnipiac helped me to take my creative writing skills and morph them into analytic and/or persuasive writing skills. I used those skills to write law school exam essays, which translated into good grades, which translated into a career. And, I use those skills as an attorney in every legal analysis I perform for a case. Many of the friends I made at QU are still my closest friends 10 years later. They have been there for me during rough times and have provided so much love and laughter. The stories we have from QU are ones only those of us on the inside can truly understand and bond us for life. Develop relationships with your professors. In high school, it's easy to view your teachers as "those people who give me homework" or some other distant entity. But now that you're in college, it's time to take a more meaningful approach to your education--not just academically, but in life. Getting to know at least one professor who cares about you can help develop your thoughts on a given subject, or simply provide an ear as you work through your studies, both of which could lead you to a better understanding of the direction you want to take at QU or beyond. Personally, I had one QU professor I was close to; he even once read a draft paper of mine from a class he didn't teach, that's how much he cared! His dedication inspired me (and my peers) and his guidance shaped my entire academic career. If you can develop a relationship with just one professor, I'm certain it will make an important difference in your time at QU. |