ECU's Moot Court for training law students at Joondalup Campus
ECU Law graduate Jacqueline Gilchrist.
"One day I sat down and thought about all the things I had achieved and realised that I still wanted to achieve my dream to become a lawyer," says Jacqui.
"I never imagined that I would graduate Law, be admitted to the bar and then become a practicing lawyer for a firm, all in one year."
We think a few people at Jacqui's Law School weren't so surprised.
She was awarded a scholarship in 2020. The scholarship, awarded to a female student in the final two years of a Bachelor of Laws degree at Edith Cowan University, provided a significant financial boost to Jacqui.
She says it was life-changing; both financially and because it opened doors for her future career.
The School's Executive Dean even predicted a monumental rise through the legal profession for Jacqui.
No skill ever wasted
Jacqui is no stranger to university.
She previously studied TV and radio broadcasting at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, or WAAPA.
This led to work in local media, mostly doing promotional voice overs and events.
Wanting to stay in Perth, Jacqui considered other career paths, from hospitality to working in a university, to becoming a business woman, starting her own retail toy stores.
She says the communication skills she gained at WAAPA certainly helped her in business.
"In fact, it's likely that my time at WAAPA contributed greatly to my negotiation skills which I found was not only handy in business but now equally so in law."
After having four children she then decided to sell the businesses and focus on a new career path – and that meant going back to university.
The mature age uni student
Jacqui says she was anxious about returning to study and wondered how she would manage as a sole parent with four children.
She even wondered if anyone would employ her after graduation.
But starting at ECU dispelled her concerns almost immediately.
"The support I received was overwhelmingly positive. Each of the lecturers guided me through my learning journey and took an interest in how I was progressing. I felt very welcomed and part of the ECU family."
One of Jacqui's biggest fears was the thought of doing studies online on her own.
"The last time I studied at university you had to physically be on campus, handwrite your assignments, and place them in a box!" she recalls.
"Things have certainly changed. The flexibility and user-friendly nature of studying using an online portal and engaging in live tutorials makes the experience feel very inclusive."
Is law the career for you?
If Jacqui's story has inspired you as much as it has us, maybe it's time to consider your own law career?
Here's a great place to start looking at Law courses at ECU.
