Volunteer stories: Setting pathways with Firoza Dodhi

A prolific volunteer since her time as a UCL Laws student, Firoza Dodhi is passionate about helping others to achieve their educational and professional ambitions.

Making the leap from student-life to the professional world is a transition period marked by the unfamiliar. For graduates it can be useful to connect with alumni to gain perspective on how to navigate this change.

Firoza Dodhi (LLB Law 2017 and LLM Law 2018) is a Trainee Solicitor at Simmons & Simmons. During her time as a UCL student, Firoza undertook voluntary roles, internships and paid employment positions, including at the Free Representation Unit, the Indian law firm AZB & Partners, and the UCL Centre for Access to Justice. These experiences, along with Firoza’s passion for community service, have enabled her to serve as a mentor for current UCL students.

During the UCL Careers Mentoring Programme 2020, Firoza opened the 'Meet the Mentors' session with an inspirational speech about what mentorship means to her. Later in the year, she took part in a UCL Laws Speed Networking session, speaking with various students about potential professional paths.

“I chose to be an Alumni Volunteer as it reasserts the distinct responsibility I have to give back, both to the UCL community and to our wider society. I am especially interested in grassroots-level volunteering initiatives, designed to address the widening educational attainment and participation gap.”

Firoza explained that volunteering can help individuals build trust through creating and holding space for one another: 

Firoza is grateful for the ways volunteering has enhanced her life.  As a nominee for Alumni Volunteer of the Year, Firoza said: “My volunteering experiences have allowed me to meet with people from different backgrounds and circumstances, and I am continually inspired by the conversations we’ve had. Sharing our experiences helps to deepen our understanding and appreciation of the world."

“We must challenge our preconceptions about issues, pass the microphone to amplify otherwise unheard voices, and broaden our cross-disciplinary competence as we take action to improve our communities.”

To find out more about volunteering with UCL, explore our virtual opportunities or join more than 20,000 of your peers on the Alumni Online Community (AOC).