Nithya moved to the United States on a whim. While attending high school in Singapore, the day before she had to send her list of the colleges where she planned to apply to her counselor, she had one space left. She Googled “liberal arts colleges” and Swarthmore came up. “I didn’t do any research,” she says. “I just put it down—I hadn’t visited—and it was the first school I got into.” To be fair, after she was accepted, she did do a little more research, but she showed up on campus ready to start having never visited. But the decision paid off. “I loved it,” she says. “Swarthmore is really great, such a great experience. I mean, it was really stressful as well. But now when I look back, all I had to do was read books and write about books. Why did I complain about that?”
Read moreOlivia Scofield: The DLG-Proust-Actors Studio Questionnaire
Olivia, a new associate attorney here at the firm, is a big fan of her native Atlanta. “If you’re a native Atlantan, you’re obnoxiously pro-Atlanta,” she says. “It’s a unique place, arguably the leader of the New South, and it’s a cool place for transplants. I love its up-and-coming food restaurants and cultural and arts scene.”
Read moreGabriella Jassir: The DLG-Proust-Actors Studio Questionnaire
When Gabriella was seven years old, her family moved from Barranquilla, Colombia, to Tampa, Florida. This experience sparked her first interest in learning about immigration law. As a junior in high school, she attended her naturalization ceremony along with her father and sister at the Tampa Convention Center. “It was really exciting because everyone was so happy,” she says. “The ceremony itself was cool. There was probably around 200 to 300 people, but they called out all the different countries that had people nationalizing: Colombia, Brazil, and many more. It was interesting seeing how diverse everyone was.”
Read moreGeorgina Leanse Escobar: The DLG-Proust-Actors Studio Questionnaire
Born in Ciudad Juárez, Georgina was supposed to be a veterinarian at the family’s cattle ranch, “Los Peñascos,” in Mexico. At least that’s what her grandfather wanted. She even went to the University of Texas at El Paso to study science and biology. It was acting in a production of The Hobbit as Galadriel, the wood elf queen, that “derailed” her plan. She realized: “This is a lot more fun than physics, chemistry, and biology; and a lot easier.”
Read moreAlla Malova: The DLG-Proust-Actors Studio Questionnaire
Alla was born and grew up in the Moscow region in Russia. When she was a teenager, her stepdad received a job in the Washington D.C. area, and her family moved to the United States, just as she was set to attend Moscow State University. Although her family moved away, she still attended the university, one of the oldest and most prestigious in Russia, and majored in philosophy. “I knew I was always good with languages and humanities,” she says. “Philosophy seemed like a good match.” She specialized in cultural studies, which would be close to American studies in anthropology. After graduation, she moved to the US to attend graduate school at The George Washington University, where she studied international policy.
Read moreBriana Pfleegor: The DLG-Proust-Actors Studio Questionnaire
The first concert that Briana, a paralegal at the firm, attended with her dad was Joan Jett & the Blackhearts at the Brookhaven Amphitheater. She was two. While she doesn’t remember the performance, it was the first of many concerts she and her father have attended together. Born and raised in Hicksville, Long Island (“A silly name for a town,” she says), it was easy for her and her dad to travel into the city to see bands. Highlights include Elbow, Mötley Crüe, and Good Charlotte (which they’ve seen four times).
Read moreMeena Roldan Oberdick: The DLG-Proust-Actors Studio Questionnaire
Meena, a paralegal at the firm, is a big fan of memes. She is very pleased to let me know that she was watching the Dr. Phil Show when the “Cash Me Outside” girl first uttered her now infamous words. “I was actually in a laundromat when it first aired,” Meena says. “I saw it live! I didn’t realize though what an internet sensation it was going to be at that moment.”
Read moreDaniele Pinto: The DLG-Proust-Actors Studio Questionnaire
Daniele Pinto speaks three languages: Portuguese, Spanish, and English—all of which come in handy during her work as a paralegal for the firm. She is also an excellent cook and baker, a fact to which we can all attest as we’ve been lucky enough to sample her home-baked goods. (Seriously, Daniele, bring some more tres leches cake for the office to share! Please?)
Read moreErik Ramberg: The DLG-Proust-Actors Studio Questionnaire
Born in Boston to a Canadian mother and Norwegian father, paralegal Erik Ramberg grew up in Vancouver and Oslo. His parents met in Kingston, Ontario at university, and as a child he learned to navigate the two cultures. “As a young kid moving back and forth it was hard to adjust to each, but looking back at it now I’m definitely grateful for that experience.” Both Canadians and Norwegians have the reputation for being polite and diplomatic folks, and Erik fits that mold. His cool but friendly demeanor and calmness under pressure is legendary. Seriously, people will be talking about if for years to come.
Read moreMichal Goldman: The DLG-Proust-Actors Studio Questionnaire
Michal wants to be a millionaire. She doesn’t plan to rob a bank (thankfully) or win the lottery, but hopes that a certain game show will make that dream come true. We’re talking, of course, about the popular quiz show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and she’s actually not that interested in the money (it wouldn’t be a bad thing, though). Instead she wants to indulge her great love of trivia. She’s tried out for the show twice and is currently in the eligible contestant pool for another year. She’s waiting (fingers crossed) for the call to come. In the meantime, she's reading encyclopedias.
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