Kolleen Gladden ‘21
Interviewed by Christina Luk ‘21
Hi Kolleen, welcome to Hot Bench!
OH MAN. It’s happening.
Yes, we are all very excited. Let’s get the ball rolling. Where are you from?
I am from Joplin, Missouri, which is on the Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kansas border. I’m like a fifteen minute drive from each of those states. Joplin is a pretty unique place.
Tell me a little bit about Joplin.
Oh my gosh, what should I say about Joplin. It’s the largest city within a 70-mile radius, and it’s smaller than Charlottesville. So when people say, oh you’re from a small town, I have to say I’m from a city. Otherwise, a farmer will emerge from the bushes to beat me with a stick. We have competitions about this back home. If you have more than one stoplight, you don’t qualify as a small town. If you have a Walmart, you do not qualify as a small town.
When did you start thinking about law school?
Oh boy. Really, senior year of college. I was just vibing, getting my technology and English degrees, but I think my family wanted me to have a respectable career. And I mean, medical school has never been that enticing to me. And you don’t need any prior knowledge of the law to get into law school, so I just started applying all over. I applied to UVA because one of my classmates from high school, from a class of thirty-four, went to UVA. I didn’t know anything about anything.
What’s something you know now that you would tell yourself coming into law school?
Oh my gosh, that’s tough. I would tell myself, man, you’re gonna meet the greatest group of people who are just gonna embrace exactly who you are and you’re not gonna have to worry. You might be going into the Type-A lion’s den, but you’re gonna find people who love you. I might not know how I got so lucky, but I will never stop being grateful for it.
The other thing I would tell myself is that your graphic design degree is going to come in way more handy than you ever imagined. You’re gonna use it more than you used it in school.
That’s true! How many clubs have you done photography or graphic design work for?
Well, I did all the photography for Law Weekly pre-pandemic, that’s where it all started. I’ve done professional headshots for LPS, BLSA, MENA, VJOLT, and VLW. I hope to get to do SBA headshots later this semester. I’ve designed t-shirts for Lambda and Diversity Week (two years in a row). I designed a bunch of promotional materials for Libel and for the VJIL Symposium the last two years. As the Design and Technology Development Editor, I made the VJIL website with Bao Kham Chau ’22, who is amazing. I also did a wedding for a sectionmate. It’s all been a blast.
What kind of impact do you hope to have as a lawyer?
I would love for my job not to exist some day. I would love for the world to get to the point that we’ve reached a level of equality that public service attorneys aren’t needed. I know that’s not going to be any time soon, but I aspire to be an attorney who actively plays a role in dismantling white supremacy and is committed to redemption, justice, and second chances for people. I want people to be safe enough to actualize their potential as human beings. Those are the things I care about. I want to work alongside clients to help them into better situations. I’ve been so privileged -- I want to use that for good.
Let’s do a lightning round!
Favorite food?
Oh my word. Now and Zen has some of the best vegan sushi and Iron Paffles, oh my word, Nashville hot tofu with vegan mac and cheese, vegan sriracha mayo, avocado, and grilled onions. So good.
Favorite place in Charlottesville?
Wherever my friends are. Bonus answer: the rooftop patio of Mudhouse on Tenth Street. And the Farmer’s Market at IX Art Park.
Anti-Stress Hobby?
I run all the time. And it definitely keeps me from getting stressed. I also love being creative and listening to music.
How much do you run?
I run ten miles a day. Every day.
Pet peeve?
My pet peeve is how Microsoft’s sign-in verification says you can click the button to not be called for seven days, but then it doesn’t work and they call you the next day. Seven days is a week! I should get a week!
Favorite drink?
Coffee. Hands down. I prefer iced, but I will drink all coffee. I’m really into brown sugar lattes with oat milk at the moment. I’ve started making it at home because the Starbucks on Angus is always out of oatmilk. I love the baristas at Dunkin’ Donuts. MJ? She’s a queen. Big shout out to Will at Mudhouse. The new Starbucks is too new. I don’t have a favorite yet. And Mandy! Mandy is the best.
If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
I’m really excited to move to New York. Ideally, I would split my time between a rural area near a city, where I can have cows and a possum rescue and large dogs, and somewhere in Europe.
A possum rescue??
Yes. Possums are one of my favorite animals. They are looked down upon but they are a social good! They take care of ticks! They are so sweet!
Are they in danger?
No, but people try to hit them. They’ll live longer if someone takes care of them. They deserve it.
If you could pick one song to play in the background of your life, what would it be?
“Escape Plan” by Tiger’s Jaw.
What is your least favorite sound?
I really hate the sound of someone scratching plain printer paper.
What’s something you’d like to tell our readers?
There’s so much more to life than law! There’s so many things the law can’t fix. It’s so important to know what you’re living for, and I think we all owe it to ourselves to live for something bigger than ourselves, bigger than we can accomplish alone. We should live a purpose driven life.
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kcg3ar@virginia.edu