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Lauren Gizinski
April 2010
The VLP is pleased
to announce that Lauren
Gizinski has been
selected as our Outstanding
Law Student
Volunteer for the month of April.
As a 1L, Lauren
has volunteered in the VLP’s
Domestic Relations
Clinic over the past two
semesters. Lauren
has been an extraordinary
volunteer with a
wonderful, positive attitude
and an energizing
personality that helps her
establish a great
rapport with clients. The
VLP is very lucky
to count Lauren among
its volunteers.
Lauren’s powerful
drive to help others is not a
recent
development. She says that she’s felt the need to help others since
she
was 12 years old.
“My
father died when I was 12 and I had to ‘help’ my mom
and younger sister. I became the homework helper. I wanted to be
able to do
the same thing for people with much more serious problems.”
Lauren says that
one of the most important realizations she had while
volunteering with
the VLP is that “sometimes just filling in the boxes can seem
more overwhelming
than anyone realizes.” She adds “sometimes helping with
the things we
think are simple can make someone feel more in control and
confident—and that
is sometimes of even more help to them.”
Lauren brings very unique perspective to her legal studies and
volunteer work.
She is a Tucson native but had the opportunity to live and study in
Great Britain
as an undergrad. Lauren earned a degree in International Relations
from
Scotland’s University of St. Andrews where she was also on the
University’s
swim team and editor of the school’s law society newsletter.
Following
graduation, Lauren sought to further her love of cooking and
attended the Le
Cordon Bleu program at the London Culinary Arts Institute. Lauren
considers
herself very fortunate to have had the opportunity “to
learn from not only
teachers that
originate from all over the world (my first year tutorial professor
was a diplomat of
sorts from Afghanistan) but also . . . from [her] classmates
that come from all
corners of the globe."
Since landing back in Tucson, Lauren says that her view of the law
has changed
considerably. “I
had a very glamorous view of the law—largely derived from TV
programs unfortunately. It’s a lot more work! But it is also very
fulfilling.” She
has
also really enjoyed working with Professor Roger Henderson. Lauren
describes him as
“incredibly
tough but also very willing to help and just a really
nice
man. I missed some school
first semester because I was very sick and
he
met with me several times to make sure I understood the material.”
Lauren
describes
his teaching style as engaging and a lot of fun. “You
never really
know what he’s
going to say and he also tries to tie things we are learning
in class to
outside events or the area of law he practiced.”
Even though she has already spent quite a lot of time abroad, Lauren
plans on
returning to Europe often (in fact she just recently got stuck there
over spring
break due to the recent British Airways strike). Lauren says that
she would
love to live in Budapest, Hungary someday and gives a lovely
description of
the place:
The city was
stunning—but you almost had to look for it. It didn’t
just jump out say
‘look at me, I’m lovely!’ as Paris does. It’s covered
with a coat of
dirt, maybe leftover from Soviet rule. You have to have
more patience.
But beneath you can see the brightly multi-colored
tile roofs and
brickwork, the beautiful architecture. The people are
largely the same
way—at first wary and standoffish, then warm and
welcoming and
utterly helpful and kind. I cannot wait to go back.
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Past Outstanding Volunteer
Student Awards |
