We are thrilled to share the incredible journey of Shanique, one of our esteemed student scholars at the Josephine Lilly Wolf Memorial Scholarship Foundation. Shanique recently passed her bar exams and is now a licensed lawyer, marking a significant milestone in her legal career. We had the opportunity to interview Shanique, and we're excited to share her inspiring responses with you.
What was your law school experience like?
By far this was the most challenging thing I’ve ever done. After getting my bachelor of laws degree having completed three (3) years at UWI Mona, the final two (2) years at the Norman Manley Law School was definitely the ultimate academic challenge of my 5 year legal studies. I was grateful to have some amazing friends to share the journey with and they definitely made it easier and more worthwhile. Also my participation in school activities and serving on the student association’s executive made it memorable and satisfying.
What was your favorite part about being in school?
My favourite part was the fact that I never felt like I was doing this all alone by myself. I was fortunate enough to be blessed with some amazing and caring friends throughout this journey, who were always there to push, motivate and support me. I was also fortunate enough to not have to worry about the financial side of covering law school and could just focus on my studies. That definitely made my favourite part about being in school list for me.
What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment? Definitely passing my bar exams! But generally it would be completing my legal studies without failing anything. When I was in high school I excelled and I have to admit that I was worried that I wasn’t going to do as well at the tertiary level. I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to live up to the expectations that so many had of me and most importantly the expectations I had of myself. So I set goals for myself, goals that went beyond just passing my courses. I promised myself that I need to get a subject/course prize at the Faculty of Law and Law School, and that I did. I was awarded the Top Performer in Law of Torts II at the Faculty of Law at UWI Mona and the First Year Student(s)with the Best Performance in Legal Drafting & Interpretation at the Norman Manley Law School. What about being a lawyer are you most excited about? I’m most excited about the fact that I will be in a position to help others and that I will be someone who people place their trust and faith in. This is also a profession that is challenging but rewarding and noble, and I can’t wait to push myself and see my capabilities and full potential. Do you have any fun experiences you'd like to share about your time in school? If I’m anything, it would be stoic. I’m going to laugh, give jokes and be positive even in my most trying times, which were surely at law school, and it was even easier with the friends I had. From joking about our plan Bs of becoming housewives and air hostesses of law school didn’t work out to staying up late, operating on an hour of sleep, our ridiculous 10/15 minutes naps and the nerve-racking assignments/exams portal submissions that we nearly missed if another second had passed. And of course, all the late night ‘bad dawgs’ hot dogs that supplemented us throughout those all nighters when we took on those late night campus treks.
Shanique's journey to becoming a licensed lawyer is a testament to her resilience, dedication, and commitment to excellence. We are incredibly proud of her achievements and grateful for the role our scholarship played in supporting her educational endeavors.
As we celebrate Shanique's success, we extend our gratitude to all the generous donors who make our scholarship program possible. Your contributions have a profound impact on the lives of talented individuals like Shanique, allowing them to pursue their dreams.
Congratulations, Shanique, on this remarkable achievement! The Josephine Lilly Wolf Memorial Scholarship Foundation is honored to have been part of your journey.
