Never look down on people who do menial jobs. They share in our struggles and help to build you up the little way they can.

This was the message shared by a strong-willed 27-year-old Nicole Prasad, who became a fully-fledged lawyer on Friday following her admission to the bar.

Ms Prasad’s story is a touching one.

Originally from Labasa, she came to Suva to pursue tertiary studies, however, not without trials.

She struggled from day one to earn her education and today she stands proud to have defied all odds to practise law.

Before she became a Tertiary Education Loans Scheme (TELS) recipient Ms Prasad had to pay her way through university working small jobs.

“Before I received funding from TELS I had to finance myself through working at a call centre for six months, going to work after school and vice versa,” Ms Prasad said.

“I worked in a garage after meeting the lady who owns it, she is humble and she knows what it is like to struggle through life. I also worked in several fast-food restaurants.

“No job is too small. We just need to work hard and to make an honest living.

“You don’t need to be ashamed of the work you do, people see those who collect garbage as unimportant but without them, we won’t have clean cities.

“I worked menial jobs for three years and that is why I am forever grateful to TELS with the sponsorship which allowed me to be able to come to where I am today.”

Ms Prasad said at one point during her studies the pressure of working several jobs while pursuing legal studies took its toll on her and she contemplated quitting law school.

“Four and a half years of studying law was gruesome.

“My family said it was all up to me, but then I went to church and told God that I needed him to show me the way and he did, he told me everything was going to be okay.”

The former Labasa College student aims to venture into family law and to advocate for human rights issues.

“We need love. There’s too much hate around. We need each other. We need to come out of the mindset that we are all high on our own.

“No, we rise by lifting each other at our most needy times,” she said.

Edited by Percy Kean

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