Crystal Powell dreams
“My ultimate goal is to be able to tie my love for fashion with my love for justice through an advocacy/social entrepreneurship venture.” So says future attorney and designer Crystal Powell, whose personal mission is to ‘learn from the past, prepare for the future, live in the present’.
“Having a personal mission statement in life keeps me focused, yet grounded with a sense of aspiration,” says Powell.
Growing up, the 28 year old wanted to be many things — a lawyer, an artist, a fashion designer and a singer. She started sewing at age nine.
Her professional career has predominantly been with the Ministry of Justice where she has served in the past as the special projects coordinator as well as the head of the Human Trafficking Secretariat. Now she is assigned to Law Revision, responsible for the consolidation and publication of the revised laws of Jamaica.
“I have been immensely blessed to have been able to utilise many of my skills in the field of justice and in the service of my country,” she says.
In 2013 she represented Jamaica at the United Nations General Assembly on human trafficking, and in January this year she was selected to be among 49 other individuals from across the globe to represent the Global Shapers’ Community at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.
“The conference provided world leaders in business, politics, academia, civil society and religion an opportunity to meet and discuss many of the world’s most pressing problems,” she says.
“As a child, I was always very precocious and wanted to defend anyone I thought was being ill-treated. Violence against children and women, perpetrated by both men and women, is a cancer in our society.”
Her steadfast commitment to justice will take her to Brigham Young University’s law school later this year where she will be focusing on international human rights, entrepreneurship and freedom of religion.
She made her ultimate transition when she placed second in the reality TV series Mission Catwalk.
“I really had to push myself further than I ever had before and though I did not win, I am so proud of the work that I did. I sew for fun. Right now I have a dresser full of fabric that I have committed to making beautiful pieces from before I start law school. I have actually started a blog project out of it on my website www.crystalchristina.com.”
With plans to launch Dresses for Dreams and finish law school, Powell aspires to work for the United Nations.
