Her Story
About Oprah
My journey into law began in Jamaica, where I grew up in a rough neighborhood and witnessed so much injustice and poverty. I realized that a big portion of why there was so much poverty was because a lot of people didn't know their rights. I thought, how can I help? And I decided that one day I'm going to be a lawyer or a judge. I love true crime movies, and Criminal Minds is probably my favorite. I felt that becoming a lawyer was the best way I could make a positive change. When I migrated to the U.S., I participated in a teen diversion program in high school where teens that had any issues or charges would be judged by their peers, who would give them age-appropriate sanctions like writing essays or doing community service hours. It was a really good program helping the community and individuals around the same age as me, and I thought that was really cool. I went to Cottey College for undergrad, an all-girls institution where we created a sisterhood. I studied international relations within political science and got a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality. I also had the opportunity to study international law in Japan, Costa Rica, and Panama. After undergrad, I wasn't sure about law school because it's so much schooling, but I applied and got into the University of Missouri School of Law. It was rough and taxing on my mental health, but I feel like if you really want it, you're going to try your best to achieve that. I graduated in 2024, and while in law school, I was president of BALSA, the Black Law Student Association. I even callied a class, which means I got the highest grade out of all my peers, and I didn't think I would do it, but I did. Right now, I'm a legal consultant at a race client counseling firm, and I've been in this role for about a year and a half. I'm still working on passing the bar exam to officially get my license. My legal journey has taken me all over the world to gather my education, and it's made me realize that my legal journey is true and necessary, and it's the best way I think I can contribute to our society.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Oprah
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my aunt, because she was the first person in our family to really get a college education. I feel like she's been very prominent in helping me not feel defeated. There's times, you know, everyone goes through situations where you feel defeated, and she's really picked me back up, even though it might be something she defers from, but she has very good dialogue. I also think my friend group and having a really good support system is key to achieving anything in life, because, you know, we're people, we're human beings, and the truth is, you don't accomplish anything by yourself.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever gotten is that the show only stops going if you stop it. It's never the environment. You have to choose not to give up, even in adversity.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
If I was supposed to talk to a younger version of myself, I would tell them to be sure about what they want. Do their research and make sure it's something that they actually want to pursue. Be decisive, as much as you can be, because being indecisive a lot of times doesn't get you where you need to be. It's okay, you can always pivot later, but never expect that life is just going to go exactly how you plan it, so definitely build up momentum for changes and obstacles. Because it comes, it ebbs and flows, but always be kind to yourself, and just do the best you can, because tearing yourself down is never gonna help you get there faster. Your mental health and how you treat yourself is very important. Always reach out for help, whether that's joining or empowering other women around you, or women organizations. Just be around like-minded individuals, and take care of yourself. That's the best way to achieve.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think there's a disconnect with how you transition from law school into the legal workforce. It's under 5% that is people of color in the legal field. I think there should be a lot more support as far as connecting people that have different backgrounds and helping them be successful on a bar exam that was not necessarily created for them. While we did have BALSA for support in law school, there's also support that you need as far as getting outside of law school and actually barring, because your legal degree doesn't always mean much unless you take the bar exam. It's a big exam and very costly to bar, because you have to pay for bar prep, which can be thousands of dollars. Most people of color need tutoring to pass the exam, so there's just a disconnect. I think it would be a great opportunity if we could work together and add more diversity into the legal system, because unfortunately, a big portion of the criminal justice system is people of color, and I think it's good to see other people that look like you, so that you feel like you're being advocated for. It would just be great to have some more consideration and help students in general transition from law school to becoming a lawyer. The gatekeeping of the legal field is a problem, because it's supposed to be seen as a luxury or a privilege, when it should be based on merit. If you've already achieved law school, it shouldn't be that difficult to attain your license, because you've already done most of the work.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I think integrity is very important, because at the end of the day, you have to be true to yourself.
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