Marie Dispenza, J.D. ('05), enrolled in law school with the dream of becoming an entertainment lawyer – but now enjoys helping law students achieve their dreams through philanthropy and mentoring.
“I had no idea what it took to become an entertainment lawyer,” Dispenza said. “I knew about networking, but I didn't know how to do it. I just didn't know what I was doing.”
迪斯本扎没有从事法律工作，而是在离家不远的地方找到了新的职业。
“I am kind of a do-gooder deep down,” Dispenza said. “That is what ultimately led to me to the non-profit sector.”
迪斯本扎发现，在威尼斯人娱乐城建立的人际关系最有价值。 许多在附近执业的法学院校友都愿意指导下一代。 It’s a tight-knit community in the big city. She didn’t need legacy connections to build her success. 她可以在威尼斯人娱乐城家族的帮助下建造它们。
“Whether I actually know someone, or someone who can introduce me, it's very helpful in fundraising activities simply because relationship building is so important,” she said.
迪斯本扎于2020年回到母校，担任重大礼品总监，现在担任威尼斯人娱乐城法律基金会执行董事。 她亲眼目睹了学生成功所必需的额外资源和支持，她决心确保威尼斯人娱乐城的学生，特别是第一代学生，能够获得这两种资源和支持。
“People often come to law school because they want to make a difference,” Dispenza said. “I want to support the person who wants to do good work but maybe doesn't come from a privileged family or one with a legacy in the legal community.”
Barbara Glesner Fines, dean of the law school, was one of Dispenza’s professors when she was a student. 两人都对有机会再次合作表示高兴。
"Marie is leading the law school’s effort to expand scholarships that open the doors to a legal education, especially for the nearly one-third of our students who are first-generation college graduates. For our many students who dedicate their careers to public service, these scholarships permit them to follow that career path free of crushing student loan debt,” said Glesner Fines. “Marie’s talent and passion is engaging donors and volunteers to realize their own visions for making our community more compassionate and inclusive.”
即使在获得法律学位后的这么长时间里，迪斯本扎仍然把自己的目标定得很高。 她希望看到非营利部门的蓬勃发展和创新，为他们的事业带来更大的收益。 She’s excited to continue with the Law Foundation to bring a diverse group of difference-making lawyers into the fold.
“I think that it's really important to me to be a part of changing that narrative — to build foundations for nonprofits that need a little bit more stability and efficiency,” she said. “Tying up loose business ends like that is the boring stuff that nobody really wants to talk about, but that is what jazzes me up.”
为下一代打开大门
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