Fram Virjee
California State University, Fullerton
Fullerton, CA USA
"If you’re worried that the road isn’t paved in front of you, you don’t need a paved road. You’re going to make your own road. You’re going to find your own way, doing it the way that makes your heart sing."
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Fram's work combines: Education, Law, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I've always felt like an imposter for as long as I can remember. I always thought I wasn't as good, smart, or articulate as people thought I was or as I pretended to be. I always felt as if I would be found out. But as I grew older, I've been able to adjust those insecurities and think about them in a more sophisticated way. I can build constructively from them and work hard so that my confidence shines through.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Political Science and Sociology
University of California, Santa Barbara
Doctorate
Law
University of California, Hastings College of the Law
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I’m a first-generation immigrant—I moved to the United States with my parents in 1966 after spending the first six years of my life traveling the world on my dad’s ship.
2.
My parents worked hard so that I would be able to go to college—the first in my family to attend college, I was expected to either become a doctor or a lawyer.
3.
My math grades weren’t promising for medical school, so I got my bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology from University of California, Santa Barbara.
4.
I went to law school after undergrad because I had a passion for communication and a drive to learn about how power can be used for good.
5.
After graduating, I was drawn to a big law firm because of my interest in litigation—I worked for O’Melveny & Myers for 30 years and loved it, but it was very taxing on my time and work-life balance.
6.
I made a switch into education and worked as the executive vice chancellor, general counsel, and secretary to the board for the CSU system, leading a staff responsible for all legal services.
7.
Now, I work as the president of California State University, Fullerton, where I’ve made it a goal to positively impact the students and then, indirectly, the city, county, state, and nation.
8.
In addition to my work with CSUF, my wife and I formed a nonprofit to assist victims of genocide in Rwanda.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
I'm not as good or as smart as people think I am.
How I responded:
I've always felt like an imposter for as long as I can remember. I always thought I wasn't as good, smart, or articulate as people thought I was or as I pretended to be. I always felt as if I would be found out. But as I grew older, I've been able to adjust those insecurities and think about them in a more sophisticated way. I can build constructively from them and work hard so that my confidence shines through.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
On top of being a first-generation immigrant, I was also the oldest son and grandson in my family, so everyone was looking to me to pave the way. Being patient with my family and then utilizing support resources at school were critical.
I worked as a lawyer in a big law firm for about 30 years. I loved what I was doing but it was incredibly taxing on my time and work-life balance. I had to remind myself to step back and pay attention to the other aspects of my life outside of work.
As the first in my family to go to college, my parents expected me to work hard to become a doctor or a lawyer—professions that made money. I struggled in math, so I went the lawyer route, which I ended up loving anyway!
For as long as I remember, I’ve felt like an imposter. I’ve felt like I’m not as good or smart as people think I am. As I got older, the way I thought about those insecurities became more sophisticated and I was able to constructively work from them.