–says Carmilita Jamieson, the girl from Leguan who always wanted to be a lawyer

By Alexis Rodney

LEAVING school and pursing her dreams as a lawyer was all that Carmilita Jamieson ever wanted to do. So when the opportunity presented itself for her to begin studies at the University of Guyana (UG) back in 2000, no one was more excited than the Leguan, Essequibo River damsel.
But that excitement was short-lived, since her family was unable to support her financially in that area. Carmilita later left Guyana for St Vincent and the Grenadines, where she pursued a career in journalism, still keeping her eyes on becoming a lawyer. She later left St Vincent and went to the British Virgin Islands (BVI), where she continued in the field of journalism, to the point where was elevated to the position of Editor-in-Chief of one of the island’s news entities.

But after seven years of scrimping and saving, Jamieson felt she had enough money to make her life-long dream come true, and promptly returned to Guyana in 2012 to begin pursuing her legal career at UG.
On Monday, Jamieson was admitted to the bar when her petition was presented to Justice Nareshwar Harnanan by Attorney-at-Law, Mr Bernard DaSilva.
Jamieson, who turned 38 that same day, told the Guyana Chronicle that her dream of becoming a lawyer dates back to her childhood years while attending primary and secondary schools on the Island.

At this point in her life, she said, her mission is to motivate other young women from her home village to take the big leap in spite of their circumstances.
She said she grew up on an island where it is the norm for young women “to get married at an early age”. She said most of her friends are married with three and four children, and have not made a way to elevate themselves.
“The thing for me is to try to motivate young women that they can do the best that they can; to remind them that there is more to life than living in Leguan and settling for less,” she said following her admission on Monday.
The new attorney said that while Legaun has produced great minds and leaders in Guyana, her focus is on empowering those who believe that they should settle for anything than the best.

“My challenge to them is that we can be anything we want to be, and if we put our minds to it as women and stop thinking of ourselves as just housewives and persons who are just there to take care of our families, we could elevate to so much more,” she told the Guyana Chronicle.
The single-mother also had a word of advice for other women who may be facing the burden alone, but still want to elevate themselves.
She said being a single-mother and especially having to leave her son behind to study at the Hugh Wooding Law School while he was preparing for the Grade Six Assessment Examination was not an easy task.

She said her son, who now attends Queens College, had missed her for those few years while she was away. According to Jameison, there is nothing that should prevent single- mothers, if they so desire, from moving up the ladder academically.
“Even though being a single-mom, I do not believe it is an excuse for our children’s poor performance, because if you put your mind to it, you can do it,” she said. “You still need to balance it with your studies and your kids studies as well.”