POVERTY can be a stealer of dreams for many. But for Karlane McFarlane, being born in tough circumstances left her no choice but to work extremely hard to make her dream a reality.

At the age of 24, McFarlane has achieved her goal of becoming an attorney-at-law — an accomplishment that came despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Sharing her story with the Jamaica Observer, McFarlane reflected on her childhood growing up in Litchfield, Manchester, where the lives of other girls and women around her mirrored a cycle of teenage pregnancy, abandonment, and hardship.

“I grew up as a witness to mostly pain and poverty. I was raised by my mother who managed to stretch the minimum wage dollar to provide for six of us. She, too, was a teenage mother. And, as I recall, many of the young people in my community were teenage mothers or unemployed with little to no prospects. I remember thinking that this life cannot be it!” said McFarlane.

This thought became a seed in the mind of young McFarlane who was determined from then that she would defy the odds through education.

“I knew education was my only way out. My mother knew all too well the value of education. She would always say that her daughters cannot and will not be another statistic,” she said, about her mother’s struggles to send her and five siblings to school.

McFarlane recalled that after passing her GSAT (Grade Six Achievement Test) and securing a spot at the prestigious Manchester High School her mother could not afford the school fees.

“When my mother heard news that I passed for Manchester High School she was excited but knew she could never afford the tuition. She already had three children in high school and she had to provide for us without the assistance of a father,” McFarlane said, recounting a painful put-down from her own dad. “I remember asking my father for help and being repeatedly told that I would never amount to anything as he was certain I would be another pregnant teenager who wasn’t worth his investment,” said McFarlane.

This, however, fed her drive for success.

Having applied herself in school, McFarlane managed to win a scholarship that covered her fees for high school.

“I believe your purpose has a way of finding you, because at the time, while at Bethany Primary School, I wrote the essay I said I wanted to be a lawyer because, to me, that was what the heights of great men meant. But deep in my heart I had my doubts because of my circumstances.

“I knew that if I didn’t receive this scholarship that was it for me as it was the only way I would be able to attend Manchester High School,” she said.

This would be the first of several other scholarships, grants and bursaries that McFarlane would go on to reap, even while lacking other basic resources at home.

Reflecting on this, McFarlane said her father’s absence, coupled with her circumstances, “ignited a fire within me that was my light during the darkest of times”.

She said: “I remember preparing for my CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate exam) using candle light but it was still light. I never had the most nutritious meals but it was still food. I remember not being able to afford nice clothes, but I was never naked. I remember moving from home to home, but I was never homeless. I didn’t have much, but it was just enough to keep me hungry for success,” she said.

This hunger for success eventually led to McFarlane becoming the first person in her family to attend university. However, this next level in her journey was not free of obstacles, as it meant having to move to Kingston. She would eventually attend The University of the West Indies.

The stakes were high, and so were the fees.

“I suffered many illnesses, embarrassments, sleepless nights, and hunger while reading for my degree at the Faculty of Law, Mona,” she said

Moving to Kingston also meant that McFarlane had to get accustomed to studying at night under the sound of gunshots as boarding on The UWI campus was not an option for her.

In 2017, McFarlane graduated at the top of her class with a First Class Honours degree in Law, having achieved a GPA (grade point average) of 4.06.

“This I achieved despite many late-night studies, which were interrupted by the blazing gunshots in the volatile community of Mountain View where I lived for most of the undergraduate programme,” she explained.

That same year, McFarlane recalled that she entered the Norman Manley Law School with less than $20,000 in her bank account.

“There were countless times I thought of just throwing in the towel, but I remembered there was nothing to go home to. There were many oceans deep between me and success, but I had to learn how to swim. I was so close to achieving my dream and I decided, come what may, I wasn’t going to leave Norman Manley Law School without a Legal Education Certificate (LEC).

“Law School really tests you to the very core. It was there that I realised I was stronger than I thought I was. I was always tired, because I had to work part-time to stay afloat,” she said.

Despite the demands of her studies, McFarlane also dedicated her time to volunteering and giving back to her school community, eventually copping a scholarship from the National Commercial Bank (NCB) Foundation.

“With my diligence and faith in God I later graduated on the Principal’s Roll of Honour with several awards for my involvement in the law school and my academic success,” McFarlane beamed.

Last December, the Manchester High School past student was called to the Bar with much fanfare from her mother, whom she recalled lifted her off the ground in celebration as she stood outside the Supreme Court building, downtown Kingston.

“I am grateful for my siblings, other family and friends who were always there to encourage me. Somewhere along my journey I started to believe that my dream was valid. I was confident that, with the help of God, that this dream would not be deferred or derailed,” McFarlane reflected, adding that she wants to use her story to encourage others who might have given up on their dream because of hardship.

“I have decided to share my story in the hope that it will inspire others with similar circumstances and similar fears to really believe that God has a plan and a purpose for their lives even if they don’t see it now.”

“I believe that each hurdle surmounted was preparing me for my purpose. Just remember that no matter how daunting it seems now, someday you will look back and realise that your circumstances, whatever it may be, has really changed your life for the better.”

“Be encouraged and know that your dreams are valid,” said McFarlane.