配置文件
Andrea Vavonese Reflects on Her Series of Career Steps to Success
2024年7月1日
When Andrea Vavonese started her first full-time job as an accountant for Amtrak, 她一点也不知道她
最终选择了不同的职业. 现在她是Peraton的副总法律顾问, a national security and intelligence firm providing services to the United States government.
Vavonese graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a degree in accounting and became a certified public accountant shortly afterward. 在美国铁路公司工作的时候, Vavonese briefly contemplated attending business school, but she noticed that company leaders held law degrees. “I made a fairly uninformed decision to attend law school instead of business school, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made,” Vavonese said in a 2022 interview with Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law.
She began her legal studies as an evening law student at Catholic, which allowed her to continue working as an accountant. After taking a course in evidence and participating in moot court, Vavonese found herself interested in litigation practice. 在毕业, 而不是按计划专注于商业法, Vavonese specialized in litigation at a small internet company and then a major D.C. 澳门赌场官网事务所. One of the partners at the firm was so impressed by her background in accounting and government audits that he assigned her to work on the firm’s government contracts team, which then led to a fruitful career as a firm attorney and, 晚些时候, 作为内部法律顾问.
Vavonese说 her accounting background prepared her to be a government contracts associate, and her decade of experience at a firm supporting smaller clients readied her for an in-house counsel role. Law school also equipped her with unique and invaluable skills “to look at issues and solve problems” 作为内部法律顾问, Vavonese说. “You learn a way of critical thinking that sets you apart from other leaders.”
在她目前的职位上, Vavonese enjoys helping the team “reach better decisions and better results” using both her legal and accounting background.
“When my kids were little and asked what I do, I would tell them I solve problems,瓦沃内塞说. “Working in-house enable[s] me to marry my business background with my legal background … and provide strategic leadership to the company.”
Vavonese also brings that knowledge and experience supporting businesses, not just as a lawyer but also as a leader of a business, to another role — chair of the National Council for Adoption (NCFA), a nonprofit organization that provides education and advocacy on adoption-related issues. 于五月获委任，任期两年, Vavonese说 her work with NCFA is her proudest professional accomplishment. She says she was inspired by her own experience to get involved with the organization starting in 2013.
在寻找一种回报的方式, I wanted to make the process easier for others to be able to grow their families,瓦沃内塞说. 现在, 作为主席, she hopes to continue promoting the mission of NCFA by developing and advocating for legislation that supports adoption.
在业余时间，瓦沃内塞喜欢锻炼. 在COVID-19, she developed a routine with her husband to exercise together daily, 这是他们在大流行后继续保持的习惯. 瓦沃内塞也喜欢和家人一起旅行. 每年, her family takes an international trip to show her children “that the world is a bigger place and full of experiences.”
作为一名澳门赌场官网的开始可能会让人不知所措, and Vavonese has some words of encouragement for newer attorneys: “A legal career can be so broad, so find something that fills your cup and continues to challenge you and enables you to make a difference in the world.”
法律职业是很有价值的, 但它会带你走上你从未想过的道路, Vavonese说. Having an open mind about the journey is key, she adds.
Tynekia Garrett is a 2023–2024 writer in residence for the D.C. 酒吧.
