Tell us about yourself.
My mom, little brother and I immigrated to Canada when I was twelve years old. After I finished high school, I took a couple of years off to figure out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I thought I wanted to be a paralegal so I completed a paralegal program, became licensed and started working with a defence lawyer in Newmarket. I really admired his work and how good he was at his job. I fell in love with going to court and representing clients and I knew that being a paralegal wasn’t enough - I wanted to aim higher and take the next step. I spoke with the defence lawyer and he really helped guide me through the process of applying to both universities and law school. Because my mom’s highest education is high school, and she was not born in Canada, the lawyer’s role in my journey was essential in helping me navigate in my future planning.
I ended up applying to the Professional Writing program at York University and I continued working as a paralegal for that defence lawyer, opened up my own business where I was offering paralegal services to clients, and worked as a server. Going to school full-time while trying to maintain a high GPA and work all these jobs became quite challenging. So, I gave up my paralegal license in my second year of undergrad and continued working as a part-time server. Fast-forward to today, I have successfully completed my undergrad degree and will be starting as a J.D student at Ryerson Law this fall!
What area of law would you like to practice?
I am open-minded and very excited to explore different areas of the law. However, after having worked in Criminal law, that is one field of law I am not interested in. I believe we have a long way to go before this area of law fully fulfills what it is meant to do.
Why did you choose Ryerson Law?
There are so many reasons! I really enjoyed my time at college versus my time spent at university. I found my experience in college a lot more rewarding and meaningful. So, when I saw Ryerson Law’s programming and tentative schedule I got really excited because it reminded me of my time at Humber. I also really liked that Ryerson was able to incorporate practical knowledge in the curriculum.
I know that I don’t want to be a traditional lawyer and Ryerson seems to be focused on moving away from that traditional narrative as well. I want to figure out a way to not have the legal profession rely so much on physical space - something that would be very useful for women and especially for those who want to have children. I believe Ryerson’s approach of integrating technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship in their program will help me achieve this goal.
What do you hope to accomplish with your J.D.?
Despite being undecided in which area of law I want to practise in, I do want to do something meaningful with my J.D. I know what my values are and I have a clear vision of what I want my life to be. Once I decide on the area of law I am interested in, it will just be a matter of desire, persistence and discipline.
As a part of the inaugural cohort of Ryerson Law, what are you most looking forward to?
Again, so many things! I’m really looking forward to meeting all of the faculty, students as well as the networking opportunities Ryerson Law has incorporated in the curriculum. I think it’s so cool to be able to build your network while being in school and to be surrounded by people who can help you reach your goals. I’m so ready to meet all of these incredible people and to be inspired by them!