Dear respected reader.
My name is Terrie Nafe a current student studying at Auckland University of Technology. It is with great pleasure and honor to write about my experience in receiving the Auckland Women Law Association Scholarship.
As an intentional student studying law, I come from a family rich in culture, resilience and aspiration, which has carved a pavement and has led me to where I stand now. Looking back at the journey which now lays behind me, the scholarship I received played a big part.
I received this scholarship in 2022 when I was still in high school. Over the past three years the AWLA scholarship has come to represent so much more than just financial assistance. It has been an award of belief, encouragement and opportunity. The scholarship funded me for three years which has went towards contributing to pay my international fees. Through AWLA events which provided networking and meeting other people. These experiences have shown me that the sense of empowerment and community reaches far beyond academic achievement, it has solidified my belief that the legal profession is evolving and that young women like me are essential to its future. This scholarship has helped me step outside my comfort zone and has helped me expand beyond being that small fish in a big pond.
Studying a dream as big and demanding as Law requires resilience, discipline and a commitment to continual growth. As difficult as the journey was and still is, the scholarship has provided me with a lot of help whenever I was struggling but personally, it gave me a sense of comfort to know that I am supported and believed in. The AWLA advocates so many inspiring values, but a long-lasting impression was that this scholarship pushes young women like us to be more than what we may think we are, epically in an industry that was male dominated. It represents our voices, helps us achieve our goals but also giving myself and others a profound sense of community.
I was beyond blessed and grateful to receive a scholarship that goes much further than just finically supporting me. It was what I was looking for when I was in college deciding how I was going to navigate through law school. If I was able to write to my younger self before I embarked on this journey, I would let her know that I was going to be okay because I would have a community behind me and the AWLA scholarship played a meaningful role in this.
My advice to the amazing recipient receiving this scholarship is this:
Studying Law will require you to be as hardworking and diligent as you can be. It will require you to push your limits even when you feel like you do not have anything left to give. However, you have a picked a profession rooted in justice, service and the pursuit of positive change, that mindset should be far greater than any challenge that comes your way. At times your studies may feel overwhelming but remember that you are supported, capable and deserving of success. Allow this scholarship to open doors for you, embrace opportunities to connect and step outside of your comfort zone, like it has done for me. Your dream may seem like it’s scary and difficult, but if your dreams don’t scare you, they simply aren’t big enough.
Kind Regards,
Terrie Nafe.
South Auckland April Breakfast Club