Celebrating First-Generation Students: ODEIB Features
Kayla Zikic, Dual JD 1L, knew she wanted to be a lawyer from a very young age. As a student in the Canadian & American Dual JD program, she is exploring all areas of the legal profession. “With a few months, my eyes have been opened and I have new interests. Property has been one of the most fascinating things to me, which is something I wouldn’t have ever considered before starting law school,” she explained.
As a first-generation law student, she explained that pursuing this journey isn’t as intimidating as she envisioned. “The workload is everything that you would expect, it is reading heavy and there is a lot of work. You have to work hard but the atmosphere in the Dual JD program isn’t what I thought it would be. It’s so much more supportive than I could have imagined.
Danajha Tate, 2L, decided to pursue a law degree because of her experience witnessing the impact of the criminal justice system on minorities. “I wanted to be able to do something about it, make a change and make a difference,” she explained. “I wanted to be able to show the world that there are other routes that people like myself, who are a minority from a small town, can take.”
As a first-generation student, Tates explains that’s she’s had to navigate this new environment while facing the challenges of law school. “We have to navigate a lot on our own, in unfamiliar spaces, in new environments. It gives you a different perspective of the barriers that people have had to overcome.