Wendy Beswick – Raising the bar
SHE believes in never settling for less, as by doing so we would fail to uncover our true potential and would miss so many golden opportunities in life.
Born in the United States and raised in Jamaica, 27-year-old Wendy Beswick told All Woman that her childhood was blessed. The absence of any significant challenges did not lead to complacency, however, and the values inculcated in her during her high school years have been a major motivating factor in her life.
A past student of Immaculate Conception High School, Beswick is an attorney-at-law. She was recently awarded the Dr Fidel Goldson Sr Memorial Scholarship by the Jamaican-American Bar Association Southeast Chapter for her dissertation on the conflict between federal immigration laws and ‘sanctuary cities’ throughout the United States.
“The values and discipline that were instilled during my high school days still govern how I operate today, and I cannot think of a more nurturing environment to grow and groom phenomenal and well-rounded girls. Sister Angella Harris, who is still principal, encouraged me personally to be stronger than my adversities, and for that I will always be grateful to her. I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer, and received a great foundation in high school,” she shared.
Her recent scholarship is the latest in a series of achievements. While a student at the University of Technology, Beswick represented the Faculty of Law at the 3rd annual Caribbean Court of Justice International Law Moot Competition. She subsequently attended the State University of New York at Buffalo where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication, summa cum laude, and had the privilege of serving as undergraduate speaker for her year.
On returning to Jamaica, Beswick attended the Norman Manley Law School and served as publications committee chairperson and editor-in-chief for the law school’s official publication, The Young Attorney. There she received the Aubrey Fraser Award for best performance in the examination on ethics, rights and obligations of the legal profession, and had the privilege of signing the roll of attorneys before the presiding judge, her own mother Carol Lawrence-Beswick, senior puisne judge at the Supreme Court of Jamaica.
After law school, Beswick worked as an attorney-at-law in the civil litigation department of her father’s law firm, Ballantyne, Beswick & Co, before moving on to study for her Juris Doctor at Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad College of Law in Florida, where she is also a faculty scholar awardee.
Beswick shared that in alignment with her profession, she is deeply concerned about the prevailing injustices that plague individuals’ lives on a daily basis.
“A person’s race, citizenship, gender, social status or finances shouldn’t dictate their access or right to justice, and more so now, in the global society we live in today, we see this reality playing out before our eyes every single day. Movements such as ‘Black Lives Matter’, and the revitalisation of feminism amidst challenges women are facing in today’s world, are evidence that we have a long way to go to achieve equality across the board. I want to equip myself as best I can to contribute in developing our societies, as it concerns the legal aspects of equality before the law, and access to justice,” she said.
Appointed a Justice of the Peace at the age of 26, Beswick also served as organist at the Stella Maris Church for 15 years, something she considers one of her passions outside of the legal profession.
Outside of work, Beswick enjoys playing with dogs, reading Danielle Steel novels, playing the piano, baking, learning sign language, visiting Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios.
Beswick shared that each day she reminds herself of how blessed she is, and she thanks God for whatever hardships she may encounter, because in the end she emerges as an even stronger, more resilient version of herself.
“’There by the grace of God’ is a Bible quotation that I remind myself of every time I attain another achievement. I am mindful and humbled that so many people don’t have the same opportunities as me, and I use this reality to stay grounded and motivated,” she said.
For other young people she has one message: “Always strive to be the best possible version of yourself.”
She added: “There is never a point in life’s journey that you have to say to yourself, ‘Because I’ve reached this stage in my life, or achieved this goal, I don’t need to go any further or work harder’. Finally, always give God thanks. He is the light that gives us the vision to discover and find the best version of ourselves.”
