Legal studies graduate thrives on exploring interests and using her knowledge to help others
When Deema Awad started her undergraduate studies at Waterloo in 2017, she was following in the footsteps of family members as a Planning student. But she soon realized it was important to follow her own passion and build on her strengths. “I wanted to switch into a program that would not only help me excel but continue to spark the passion that I already had,” she reflects.
That led Deema to transfer to Arts and, working closely with academic advisors, refine her program options to eventually land in the Honours Arts and Business (ARBUS) Co-op program majoring in Legal Studies and minoring in Peace and Conflict Studies. “I now know it was the perfect match for me.”
Now, poised to graduate at this fall’s convocation, she looks forward to the next step in her academic journey — law school in the United Kingdom. But first, Deema shares experiences and insights from her winding, yet rewarding, road to graduation.
Tell us about your passion for legal studies. In any conversation with varying opinions, I am intrigued to listen to both sides of the discussion and to add my ideas to it. I am not afraid to voice my thoughts and back them up with my current knowledge that continues to grow. Legal studies empowers you with the ability to strengthen those skills and build the foundation that allows you to stand up for what you believe is right. From a young age, I was not the type of person that could watch from the sidelines when someone is being treated unfairly. That is what I am passionate about, extending my knowledge to help the people around me. And the things you learn in debating topics with others are unique as each person has a different perspective on it that you can learn from.
I cannot stress the significance of co-op enough. For me, it was the best opportunity to discover aspects of my coursework and major. After my business affairs co-op with BlackBerry, I found out contracts and corporate law is the type of law that I would be interested in pursuing. But the position I enjoyed and learned from the most was my last co-op job as a Human Resource Coordinator at Tribal Scale. My immediate team and the whole company were very supportive of personal/professional growth as well as extremely friendly and open to new ideas. It was the perfect atmosphere to grow and excel outside your comfort zone. I would advise working for a small company or a start-up if you want a crash course in the field, wear different hats, and learn it all in a short period of time.
The best advice I got during my undergrad is, no decision is final. Change as many times as you need to and ask as many questions as you can. It is okay that you’re feeling unsure of what you want to do – the truth is most of the people around you don’t either. Use the resources you have to discover what you truly enjoy or are interested in. Prior to ending up in ARBUS, I was terrified of the idea of not liking my program and possibly switching, but I quickly realized that sucking it up and trying to just get through was not going to help. Take your time, enroll in classes that you think would be interesting, ask your peers and advisors and don’t forget to enjoy the experience and the process, because plans can always change. Nothing is set in stone.
It seems to be the million-dollar question everyone asks you after graduation. I’m currently finishing up law school applications for the UK as I’m hoping to begin my journey as a lawyer in September. I chose the UK for several reasons, but mainly because it offers the opportunity of practicing law in more than one country. After those three years, I have no specific plans for now, other than to see where the road takes me.
I’ve learned so much about the world, people, and most importantly myself, so the only thing I have left to say is thank you to firstly God, and then those dearest to my heart who have done nothing but support and love me through out all the decisions I’ve made and continue to make. Finally, to those who made it to graduation, I leave you with this to remember: The moments in life where you feel most scared or unsure is when you should take the leap because it will be okay as no decision is or should be final.
