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Zarema’s family immigrated to the United States in 1992 from the former Soviet Union and settled in Ashtabula. With a concert pianist mother, Zarema grew up playing the piano and never considered a career in anything other than music. She looked into several music programs at colleges and universities, but after visiting Baldwin Wallace, she knew it was the right school for her. As Zarema describes it, “The conservatory had a top-notch reputation, but there was so much more to the school. I felt comfortable, at home, and that feeling remained throughout my time at BW. My gut feeling proved to be true.”
After her first two years at BW, taking a class with Dr. Judy Krutky and joining the Model United Nations, Zarema became interested in international law. She changed her major to International Studies but kept a minor in Music. With encouragement from Dr. Krutky and Dr. Robert Ebert, Zarema decided to spend a summer in Washington, D.C. as an intern for the United States Agency for International Development. Zarema fell in love with Washington and knew she had to return there after college. During her final year at Baldwin Wallace, she spent a semester in Switzerland interning for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, focusing on the efforts to address human trafficking. Her experience abroad made Zarema realize she wanted to be a lawyer.
After graduation, Zarema decided to defer law school for a year for an opportunity to work as an International Trade Specialist and Desk Officer in the Office of China at the United States Department of Commerce in Washington. During her first year at Commerce, Zarema participated in negotiations of China’s WTO accession and on various bilateral and multilateral trade issues and traveled to China for high-level diplomatic trade missions. She was not ready to leave that experience and decided to enter the evening program at the American University Washington College of Law. After graduating from American, Zarema joined one of the Magic Circle firms as a litigation associate. Currently, Zarema is a Partner in the Antitrust and Trade Regulation practice at Lowenstein Sandler LLP and is the Managing Partner of the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. Zarema resides in Chevy Chase, Maryland with her husband and two kids.
Zarema is so grateful for the important experience of attending Baldwin Wallace and the support she received while a student. She says that “the personal attention I received, the time my professors were willing to devote to make my college experience as fulfilling as possible, and the opportunities I had to pursue my evolving interests is what made my decision to study at BW one of the best decisions I've made.”
She finds joy in continuing to stay informed and engaged through Women for BW. During her time as a student, Zarema was a scholarship recipient thanks to the generosity of BW alumni so she hopes that her contributions make it possible for young women to achieve great success.
Thank you, Zarema!
Written by Annette Fetter '15
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