Law summa cum laude graduates celebrating their success.Love of Law the Clincher for Summa Cum Laude Graduates
Academic excellence is a principle that continues to yield brilliant results for Law summa cum laude graduates Ms Shamilla Mpinga and Mr Benjamin Meadows, Ms Charissa Beyers, Ms Claire Gillespie and Ms Melissa Tees.
Mpinga, who has been offered a good job by law firm Bowman Gilfillan, has a string of accolades and achievements to her name. They include:
- A UKZN Vice-Chancellor’s scholarship during the second year of her LLB studies
- Serving as the Vice-President of the Golden Key Society’s Pietermaritzburg Chapter in 2015
- Being chosen as one of the Top 40 Inspiring students at UKZN last year
- Being awarded the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship.
‘I was awarded a UKZN entrant scholarship while I was in matric and law became the obvious choice,’ said Mpinga. ‘My decision was confirmed when I was awarded the Vice-Chancellor’s scholarship which was renewed until I completed my degree. Having been fully funded throughout my degree relieved my family of the financial strain so this was a sign that I had made a wise choice because I thrived in my chosen field of study.’
Her love for the law has seen her serving the community through her involvement with the community outreach programme - Stop Hunger Now - and she is looking forward to exploring the opportunities this experience will unlock for her.
‘Having this degree has opened up a world of opportunities for me. Apart from the corporate sector, there are many opportunities in the public sector while academia is another field to explore. Therefore, I am pursuing a Master’s in Mineral Law degree at the University of Cape Town as a Mandela Rhodes Scholar. On completion of my masters I will commence my articles at Bowman Gilfillan,’ she said.
Using his BCom degree which he obtained summa cum laude in 2015 as a good grounding in law, Meadows is looking forward to exploring his options within the legal sector.
Being a top achiever representing UKZN at the 2014 University Sports South Africa (USSA) competition, and competing in last year’s Moot Court final in Pietermaritzburg were highlights for Meadows.
‘I have always been fascinated by law and luckily got the opportunity of competing in the Moot final which was a unique and enjoyable experience,’ said Meadows. ‘I am currently completing my articles of clerkship at Cox Yeats and intend to pursue a career as an attorney. I hope that my experiences at UKZN will hold me in good stead.’