GRADUATING CLASS OF 2022

VALEDICTORIAN-MARTINAMAGALHAESINTERVIEW

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY HAS BEEN YOUR MOST DIFFICULT SITUATION/CHALLENGE TO OVERCOME DURING THE PROCESS OF YOUR DEGREE?

MOST DEFINITELY IMPOSTER’S SYNDROME I WON’T LIE, I STILL BATTLE WITH IT TODAY – BUT IT DOESN’T WIN AS MUCH AS IT USED TO

AFTER EVERY SINGLE EXAM, I’D ALWAYS LEAVE THE EXAM ROOM WITH THIS AWFUL, SINKING FEELING IN MY STOMACH, THINKING I FAILED EVERY ASSIGNMENT I HANDED UP, I ALWAYS WONDERED WHETHER IT WAS GOOD ENOUGH I CRINGED AT EVERY SINGLE CONTRIBUTION I MADE IN CLASS. OVERTIME, I GAVE MYSELF MORE GRACE AND ADOPTED GRATITUDE IN APPROACHING SCHOOLWORK AND WORKING TOWARDS MY DEGREE INSTEAD OF ASKING WHETHER I WAS GOOD ENOUGH, I SWITCHED THE NARRATIVE TO “I’M GRATEFUL TO LEARN AND I’M GRATEFUL FOR THESE EXPERIENCES”

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE LLB AS YOUR UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE?

I WON’T LIE TO YOU, THE LLB WAS NEVER MY FIRST CHOICE IN FACT, MY MUM WAS QUITE SHOCKED THAT I CHOSE LAW YOU KNOW HOW THERE ARE SOME PARENTS WHO PUSH THEIR CHILDREN INTO STEREOTYPICAL CAREER PATHS? MY MOM WAS THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE! SHE’D ALWAYS TELL MY SISTER AND I TO STAY AWAY FROM TWO JOBS: (1) CRIMINAL LAW AND (2) POLITICS (OOPS SORRY, MUM!)

REALLY, I PLANNED ON PURSUING A CAREER IN INTERPRETATION AND TRANSLATION I WANTED TO WORK MY WAY UP TO THE UN AS A TRANSLATOR AND INTERPRETER HOWEVER, MY MENTORS ADVISED THAT I PURSUE LAW AS IT WOULD OPEN UP MY DOOR TO A NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES (THEY DID NOT LIE!) I ABSOLUTELY DON’T REGRET MY DECISION

WHAT, WOULD YOU SAY IS THE KEY TO BEING SUCCESSFUL IN SCHOOL?

GOD

I OWE ALL OF MY SUCCESSES TO GOD HONESTLY, THERE WERE SOME NIGHTS WHERE THE ONLY THING THAT I THINK PUSHED ME THROUGH WAS DIVINE INTERVENTION PRAYER AND WORSHIP ALWAYS GROUNDED ME AND GAVE ME THE EXTRA MOTIVATION WITHOUT HIM, I WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN THE PERSON THAT I AM TODAY

Hard Work

NOW, I CANNOT TELL YOU THE AMOUNT OF TEARS, SWEAT AND BLOOD (NOT REALLY, I’M JUST BEING DRAMATIC) THAT I PUT INTO SCHOOL WORK AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF YOU DON’T DO THE WORK, IT’S NOT GOING TO GET DONE THE HARDEST PART IS REALLY PUTTING YOUR MIND TO THE WORK AND GETTING IT DONE SOME STUDY TIPS THAT WORKED FOR ME AND CONTINUE TO WORK FOR ME INCLUDE: DAILY SCHEDULING, THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE, ATTEMPTING PAST PAPERS DURING THE SEMESTER AND NOT RIGHT BEFORE EXAMS AND SOCIAL MEDIA BREAKS

BALANCE

EVERY PERSON’S PATH TO SUCCESS AND DEFINITION OF SUCCESS IS DIFFERENT AND I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST LESSONS I LEARNT AT THE LLB FOR SOME PEOPLE, SUCCESS IS WAKING UP AND MAKING IT THROUGH THE DAY FOR SOMEONE ELSE, IT’S READING THE ENTIRETY OF HINDS V R IN ONE SITTING I LEARNT THAT SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED TO GIVE YOURSELF GRACE AND LEARN WHEN YOUR BODY IS TIRED AS MUCH AS WE’D LIKE TO BELIEVE IT, WE AREN’T SUPERHUMANS TAKE THE BREAK, YOU DESERVE IT! GO TO THE BEACH! YOU LIVE ON AN ISLAND! GO TO THAT FETE DO THAT FACE MASK READ THAT BOOK IT’S IMPORTANT TO BE KIND TO YOURSELF AND OTHERS

TO WHOM OR WHAT DO YOU OWE YOUR SUCCESS? THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE I OWE MY SUCCESSES TO:

MY LLB IS JUST AS MUCH MY FAMILY’S LLB AS MUCH AS IT IS MINE MY PARENTS HAVE BEEN AND WILL ALWAYS BE MY NUMBER ONE SUPPORTER EVER SINCE FORM ONE, I HAVE SENT MY PARENTS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY ASSIGNMENTS TO PROOFREAD TO THIS DATE, THEY’RE ALWAYS GETTING AN EMAIL FROM ME WITH MY ASSIGNMENT ATTACHED AND A MESSAGE ON WHATSAPP ALERTING THEM TO CHECK THEIR EMAIL INBOX DO THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT I WRITE? MAYBE SOME OF IT BUT THAT DOESN’T CHANGE THE FACT THAT THEY ALWAYS READ IT THEY’RE BOTH MY ANCHORS AND A CONSTANT SOURCE OF MOTIVATION THOUGH THEY DON’T EXPECT A LOT FROM BOTH MY SISTER AND I, THEY ALWAYS ENCOURAGE US TO PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARDS AND ENJOY WHAT WE DO

MY FRIENDS, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM, ARE ALSO SOURCES OF MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION AT MY TIME AT CAVE HILL, I’VE BEEN PRIVILEGED TO MEET, INTERACT WITH AND GET TO KNOW SO MANY BRILLIANT MINDS MY FRIENDS ARE ALSO THE ONES WHOM I STAYED UP WITHIN THE MSSR ROOMS PULLING ALL-NIGHTERS – READING AND TALKING THROUGH CASES, WORKING ON PAST PAPERS AND TAKING TURNS NAPPING ON THE CHAIRS THEY’RE ALSO THE SAME FRIENDS WHO ARE PULLING ME THROUGH LAW SCHOOL RIGHT NOW AND WHO MOTIVATE ME ON MY DARKEST DATES I DON’T KNOW IF THEY’RE READING THIS RIGHT NOW BUT THANK YOU I LOVE YOU ALL DEARLY