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Jennifer Teryn, 35, from Victoria (JD '16)

“I’ve wanted to be a lawyer since I was 12, although I don’t really know why – maybe because I’ve always been good at arguing! It was a long road to get here, though. I had a very difficult upbringing, so while I should have finished high school and gone directly to university, it didn’t work out that way.

“I got my first job at 14, at a Dairy Queen, and I have been working ever since. My dad instilled a strong work ethic in me so rather than giving up and just getting by, I found my own way to be successful. No matter what I was doing, I always moved forward and upward; lateral moves were never an option. My first full-time job was at Future Shop, where I had a tough manager who taught me how to be a good employee by taking personal responsibility and taking ownership of the store. After that, I found great success selling cellphones and ended up managing a cellphone store.

“Then I decided that I wanted to go to college, so I enrolled in a one-year marketing and design program at Vancouver’s Centre for Digital Imaging and Sound. When I got my diploma, I got hired as the sales and service co-ordinator for Molson Indy Vancouver, which led to a job as a marketing co-ordinator at Bell. In the Bell interview, I was asked what my long-term goal was. I said law school.

I think this is the best law school in the country. I believe it was serendipity that led me here. 

“While I was working at Bell, I enrolled in classes at Simon Fraser University, intending to get my BA. After a year of working full-time and taking a full-time course load, I had to make a decision. I couldn’t continue to do both, so I stopped going to school to focus on working because, honestly, I needed the money. I stayed with Bell for four years and left when I was 28 because while the work was interesting and challenging, making money for a huge corporation wasn’t as fulfilling as I had hoped it would be.

“I’ve always volunteered, most recently for the Sendial program at Thrifty Foods in Victoria and the Alzheimer Society of B.C. I started as a volunteer with their Minds in Motion program in Victoria, which is a fitness and social program for people with dementia and a care partner. After a year as a volunteer, they hired me to co-ordinate the program, which I did for four years.

I wanted to contribute in a meaningful way to the Weldon community, and I’m very proud of the work I’ve done to support the public service activities of so many of my fellow students. 

“That’s when I decided to apply to law school. Dalhousie is the only school that accepted me, which is great because I think it’s the best law school in the country. I believe it was serendipity that led me here. I started law school in 2013, when I was 32. I had never even been to Halifax. First year was painfully hard. In second year, I applied to be a Pro Bono Dalhousie co-ordinator. I wanted to use my not insignificant experience to contribute in a meaningful way to the Weldon community, and I’m very proud of the work I’ve done to support the public service activities of so many of my fellow students. In third year, I finally felt like I could understand and synthesize the law in a different way. You spend most of your time in law school feeling like you don’t know anything, so that was a special moment.

“My favourite course in first year was Property Law with Professor Faye Woodman. Property is very interesting and very challenging, and Professor Woodman tried to make it fun in a way that only she could – her blackboard sketches are the best! In second year, I really enjoyed Health Care Ethics and the Law with Professor Jocelyn Downie, which inspired me to complete a specialization in Health Law and Policy. Professor Downie is an expert in her field and a truly aspirational person. It was such a privilege to take a class with her.  

“In third year, Administrative Law with Professor William Lahey and Tax Law with Professor Geoffrey Loomer were my favourite classes. Professor Lahey made a difficult class really interesting and accessible, and Professor Loomer is the professor by which all others should be judged. His PowerPoint presentations were perfection, and it’s due to his instruction that I managed not only to pass Tax Law but also to excel at it. Professor Archie Kaiser was my Pro Bono Dalhousie faculty advisor and mentor. He’s like our Dumbledore – infinitely wise, exceedingly kind, and always on our side, not to mention that he is a social justice champion.

I feel sad to be leaving Weldon. Because it’s a small community, you get to know most of the people in your class, along with the faculty, staff, librarians, and cleaners. The people are so great, and I’ll miss everything about being here.

“My law school Convocation is the only graduation ceremony I’ve ever had, so it’s very special to me. My parents are coming to Halifax from Victoria for my graduation. I haven’t seen them in over a year, and I can’t wait to show them where I have spent the last three years. I feel sad to be leaving Weldon, which will always have a special place in my heart. Because it’s a small community, you get to know most of the people in your class, along with the faculty, staff, librarians, and cleaners. The people are so great, and I’ll miss everything about being here.

“My post-graduation plans are to find an articling position in Victoria at a small firm and to specialize in wills and estates. As an alumna, I absolutely plan to stay connected to Dal. As soon as I have any money, the law school is getting it! Not only did Dal offer me the opportunity to attend law school, but I also received generous bursaries and scholarships every year. I’m definitely going to give back to the institution that has helped me fulfil my life’s ambition.”