Scholarship winner admitted to the Supreme Court

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Scholarship winner admitted to the Supreme Court

Monday, 12 September 2022

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School of Business and Law (SBL) Law graduate Jacqueline Gilchrist achieved a major personal goal in September 2022 being formally admitted as a lawyer in the Western Australian Supreme Court.

Jacqui’s journey was a long one but not necessarily dissimilar to many others.

Jacqui had always wanted to study Law but her life took her in a different direction, which included working in media and as a project manager, owning a small business and having a family.

‘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.

‘I was anxious about returning to study and wondered how I would manage as a sole parent with four children – and even wondered if anyone would employ me after graduation.

Starting at ECU dissipated my 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.’

‘The openness of the university and the acceptance and recognition of diversity makes ECU feel like a community and not just a learning facility.

It was particularly good to realise that I could study online and still feel part of the class, and I made lifelong friends with fellow students and academic staff.’

Jacqui was awarded the Lilith Scholarship in 2020. This scholarship, donated by the Omari Family, is awarded to a female student in the final two years of a Bachelor of Laws degree.

The Scholarship provided a significant financial boost but as importantly to Jacqui, it also opened doors through the people she met and connections she made.

‘I never imagined that I would graduate, be admitted and then become a practicing lawyer for a firm all in one year’.

School of Business and Law Executive Dean Professor Maryam Omari said that Jacqui was a most worthy winner of the Lilith Scholarship and she predicts a monumental rise through the legal profession.

School of Business and Law