Kate Aizpuru '06 lives in Maryland with her husband, 1-year-old son and two spoiled cats. By day, she's a partner at a small Washington, D.C. law firm. When not litigating on behalf of consumers, Kate can be found playing recreational tennis, lifting weights, catching up with friends or, best of all, spending time at home with her family.
Q: Name five things that make you happy
A: 1) Hearing my son laughing. 2) Stepping outside in the morning on a summer day before it gets too hot when the birds are chirping and everything is peaceful. 3) Mentoring junior lawyers and watching them gain confidence in their skills. 4) When the baby sleeps through the night and I, too, can sleep through the night. 5) Visiting old friends and picking up right where we left off.
Q: If you could live in a different country for a year, which country would you choose?
A: I lived in China for a year after I graduated from Swarthmore. I had a wonderful experience, but at this point in my life, I'm not sure I would want to be so far from my family. If I were to do it again, I'd pick Denmark. I have some family there already, and it sounds like a wonderful place to raise a family.
Q: What piece of advice would you give your 16-year-old self?
A: I would try to reassure myself that it would all work out in ways I couldn't possibly imagine at the time. I went on to have a career I didn't know existed at 16, to travel the world alone and with friends and family, to read wonderful books, build lifelong friendships, meet an amazing man and marry him and have a family of my own. It was so hard at 16 to see that it was okay not to know exactly where the road ahead was leading me. I'm not sure I would have accepted the advice to just keep doing my best to be a good friend, a loving daughter and an accomplished student and trust it would work out, but that's the advice I would give my past self.
Q: What's your favorite family tradition?
A: Every Christmas, my family eats a special Spanish pork recipe that my dad ate with his family. It makes me feel rooted in my family and close to them.
Q: In what ways are you the same as your childhood self?
A: I still love to read. I'd rather be reading something than doing just about anything else. But now I listen to audiobooks because I don't have as much time to sit and read anymore.
Q: What do you miss most about being a kid?
A: I miss having no responsibilities. I didn't know how good I had it when all I had to worry about was school!
Q: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?
A: Working in the yard or going for a long walk with a friend
Q: What’s your dream job?
A: I have my dream job. I am a consumer protection class action attorney, which means I get to go to work every day and fight for everyday people in cases involving false advertising, debt collection, junk fees, data privacy, financial fraud and other wrongs. Every case I win puts money back in peoples' pockets after they were deceived, charged illegal junk fees, had their privacy violated or otherwise harmed by greedy corporations. I have a great team, and I get to litigate interesting, complex issues in courts all over the country.
Q: If your pet could talk, what would they say?
A: "Is it dinner yet?"
Q: What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?
A: Whether I have time to hit snooze on the alarm for 10 more minutes.