Former MHS student admitted to bar; aspires to be a judge

-Plans to help youths in Linden to achieve their academic goals

“From a very young age I always knew that I wanted to become a lawyer. As such, I decided to pursue law at the CAPE level and it was there I realised that I loved learning the law and being able to apply it to problems to arrive at a solution, thus, I decided to continue pursuing it.”

Those were the words of the newly-minted attorney, Niomi Alsopp; a born and bred Lindener and a former student of the Mackenzie High School. The 24-year-old high achiever, who topped the Wismar Hill Primary School at the National Grade Six Assessment in 2009 and MHS at the Caribbean Secondary Examination Council (CSEC) in 2014 with eight Grade Ones, is not finished with the books, even as many would view her achievement as extraordinary at such a young age.

The aspiring Judge desires to pursue a Masters in Private Law or Public International Law and believes that this will enable her to become a better attorney and provide legal service to those who really need it. Speaking on her journey to becoming a lawyer, Alsopp, who was one of Region Ten’s leading athletes, said it was challenging yet amazing. “The journey towards becoming an attorney-at-law was challenging yet amazing in so many ways. There were a lot of financial challenges but God opened a lot of doors for me and I was able to move past those hurdles. I met a lot of amazing people along the way, many of whom I can say played a pivotal role in me being successful today. I am grateful for the journey because it has made me into an exceptional young woman,” she posited.

Attorney-at-Law Alsopp, credited MHS for moulding her into the rounded and purpose-driven young woman she has become. “The years that I spent at the Mackenzie High School were amazing. I became a well-rounded individual. I represented both my school and region in track and field, cycling and dramatic poetry. I also participated in football, debating and impromptu speaking competitions. I did all of that while maintaining good grades.”

 After completing Law at the University of Guyana, Alsopp’s exceptional performance, gave her automatic entry into the Hugh Wooding Law School, where she successfully completed her Legal Education Certificate. “Throughout my University and Law School journey I remained the well-rounded individual that I had grown to become. I served on the University of Guyana Law Society and the Hugh Wooding Law School’s InterVarsity Christian Fellowship Executive Body.”

She expressed gratitude to her parents who were very instrumental in her journey and who sacrificed a lot for her to achieve her career goals. She also received support from her ‘Church Family’ – the Bethel Gospel Chapel and the Bethel Gospel Hall in Georgetown.

Since she received communal support to obtain her dreams, Alsopp said she has big plans to assist students in her community to also pursue their academic dreams. “I understand how difficult it can be sometimes for parents and families to support their children financially in their studies, so I hope to someday give back in that regard.”

Her encouragement to aspiring lawyers, is to pursue their dreams no matter what. “With God on your side, there is no limit to what you can do. Law requires a lot of commitment so you must be prepared to dedicate your time and energy to it, in order to be successful.”