06/01/2026
Recent grad, Masha Polupan ’26 is our latest Bona Fide Illini. Raised in the Chicago suburbs by Ukrainian immigrant parents, she was inspired to attend law school by her parents’ stories of the corruption and failure of the rule of law after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
“When you grow up with that background, hearing how my parents escaped authoritarianism, it feels really empowering to get an education that you can use to do something to prevent that kind of situation from replicating itself,” Polupan said.
She earned a political science degree at Loyola Chicago before attending Illinois Law, which she chose in part because of its reputation among lawyers in Chicago. The Chicago connection, in turn, helped Polupan find the job she’ll be taking on after graduating.
Based on her desire to work toward strengthening the rule of law, Polupan had come to law school wanting to do work for the federal government, and she had secured a job offer from the Department of Energy. When the offer was withdrawn as part of a government efficiency initiative, Polupan posted on LinkedIn to see if anyone might help her find different employment. Though they had only met briefly, Judge Debra Walker ‘87 was quick to message and provide connections and endorsement, which eventually helped Polupan get a summer position with a personal injury firm. That experience was critical to obtaining her full-time job after graduation.
“Without the Illinois alumni network, getting a job would not have been possible. There would have been no way for me, especially as a first-generation law student,” she said. “I have never been in a position before where somebody really stood up for me because of our institutional affiliation, and for me that reaffirmed that Illinois was the right choice. If this program means so much to alumni that they will reach out to a student they don’t necessarily have a relationship with and want to support them—that is amazing.”
In her recently concluded time as a student, Polupan competed on trial teams, was part of the Women’s Law Society and the Illinois Plaintiffs Law Association, and worked as a law clerk with the City of Champaign. Outside law school she enjoys running (a hobby she picked up as a stress reliever during her studies), video games, cooking, reading, and spending time with her family and loved ones.
If you know of a student that deserves to be highlighted as a Bona Fide Illini, nominate them here: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/1797361153
