With no certainty in place with how her Law studies would have been financed, newly minted Attorney-at-Law De Jonna Nelson, went right ahead with faith leading her and family support pushing her. She sold barbeque tickets and partook in other small business ventures to secure finances to complete her Bachelor’s of Law Degree at the University of Guyana. Faith did not disappoint her because not only did she complete her studies and was successful, but she secured a full scholarship to complete her Legal Education Certificate (LEC) at the Hugh Wooding Law School. “I must confess that I do not hail from one of the wealthiest of families. In fact, when I decided to commence studying Law, my single-parent mother was working for a monthly stipend of $20,000 at that time. That notwithstanding, I was never deterred or discouraged by the worry of affordability. Instead, I commenced my studies with the belief that somehow, in some way, and by some miracle, everything will work. Today, I stand here as a living testimony that faith indeed moves mountains, for, at each level that I had to pass to reach where I am today, God did his part of ensuring that I hardly had to worry about anything money-related,” she related to INFO 10.
The 24-year-old on Friday, was admitted to the bar in the presence of her relatives and her sister Abiola Archer, whom she said, was her main inspiration to pursue law. Her law career commenced at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Level (CAPE) in 2015. She was awarded most outstanding law student in 2016 and best graduating law student in 2017.
“I was first inspired to become a lawyer after hearing my eldest sister, Abiola Archer, who was one of my first role models, express her desire to do so. But it wasn’t until I started taking law classes at the CAPE level that I realized I had a personal passion for the law, and that becoming a lawyer was more than just a career choice for me. Today I’m not only the first attorney in my family but also an inspiration my sister. I don’t think I would have discovered my passion for the law and desire to become an attorney if it hadn’t been for her,” she said.
She said studying law was not challenging because of her passion for the profession. It is with that same passion; she will face the budding career that she is excited to commence. Her aspiration is to become a Judge and will invest resources into helping the vulnerable and ill-informed about their rights. “I realize that lots of people aren’t familiar with their rights and legal obligations. I, therefore, intend to host workshops geared at educating people about their legal rights and obligations.”
Her advice to those currently pursuing law is to find balance and have faith that all things will work out for the greater good.
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