Saminah Zia Khan was over the moon after she was admitted to the Bar of the High Court of Fiji on Thursday, May 4.
After the event, The Fiji Times caught up with her while she celebrated with her mother and father at the Grand Pacific Hotel.
Originally from Lautoka, Saminah did her Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree at the University of Fiji, Saweni, Lautoka in 2018.
“After studying for four years at UniFiji, I moved to Suva where I did my Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (GDLP) for six months,” she said.
“I am so grateful that my hard work has finally paid off and I am able to celebrate my achievements with my family.”
She said exam and assignment stress, meeting deadlines and financial difficulties were a few challenges she faced during her journey.
“During my final years of study, my mother fell extremely ill, she suffered a major heart attack. At that point, I felt like giving up because it was difficult for me,” Saminah said.
“But I thank the Almighty God for His guidance in bringing me this far.”
The 24-year-old said her achievement has meant a lot to her and her family.
“Achieving something at a young age has been a big accomplishment for me. It has been very rewarding,” she said.
“I have two older sisters and I am the first lawyer in the family.”
Growing up, Saminah dreamt of becoming a veterinarian because she loved animals.
“But tables turned and I jumped to the law profession.
“I also wanted to help people in my family because there’s a bit of legal stuff going on and I was very interested in that.
“I don’t regret the decision I made to jump tables because looking back now, I believe this profession has always been for me.”
Apart from attaining a bachelor of law certificate and GDLP, Saminah had also attended a few workshops on paralegal studies.
“Those workshops I attended caught my attention and I am very much interested in going out into the field.”
Her message to the public, especially the youth was “just go for it”.
“If you can dream it, then you can do it. Nothing is hard and impossible.,” she said.
