Young Attorney-at-Law Receives Governor-General’s Achievement Award

For attorney-at-law, 26-year-old Shanique Sommerville, receiving the Governor-General’s Achievement Award for 2024, in the 25 to 35 age category, is the culmination of years of dedication to both the academics and community service.

Hailing from the small district of Peggy Barry in the parish of Westmoreland, Ms. Sommerville’s path to success is nothing short of inspiring, particularly for young Jamaicans aspiring to achieve greatness against the odds.

She was elated when she learned of her award, which she accepted from Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, at King’s House, on July 19.

“I felt proud to be among so many brilliant youth, and I was reminded that from Jamaica good things can come. I felt very proud, and I felt even prouder that I was in the midst of greatness,” Ms. Sommerville told JIS News in an interview.

From her earliest days in school, Ms. Sommerville demonstrated an exceptional drive for excellence.

She placed first in her class for CSEC where she earned nine Grade Ones and one Grade Two, and even completed Mathematics in third form with a Grade One.

This pattern of academic achievement continued through sixth form, where she secured eight CAPE units, before moving on to the University of the West Indies (UWI), where she emerged as the top performer in law.

However, her journey was not without challenges as she admitted that pursuing a career in law was not her initial goal.

“I didn’t know from the get-go that I even wanted to be an attorney-at-law. I think at first I wanted to be a teacher, but you know, slowly throughout school and everything, I found out that I actually like the law. Plus, I could talk a lot,” Ms. Sommerville said.

The path to becoming a lawyer seemed daunting due to financial constraints, as tuition was approximately US$10,000 a year for three years at university.

This is followed by two years more at the Norman Manley Law School.

However, Ms. Sommerville’s perseverance and hard work paid off when she received the Josephine Lilly Wolf Memorial Scholarship, a full scholarship that covered her tuition, housing, books, and more.

This opportunity, which has benefited 23 students from Manning’s School in Savanna-la-Mar, her alma mater, paved the way for her legal education.

Ms. Sommerville was called to the Bar in January 2024 and now practises law at the firm, Johnson and Company, in Savanna-la-Mar.

Her work there includes personal injury cases, real estate, probate, criminal and civil litigation, and divorces.

“It’s going pretty good so far, and I’m really learning a lot,” she noted.

Beyond the courtroom, Ms. Sommerville is deeply involved in community service, which was a key reason for her Governor-General’s Award.

From a young age, she dedicated herself to helping others, tutoring children in her district and volunteering at her church, Peggy Barry Wesleyan Holiness Church, where she serves as Secretary.

Moreover, her passion for giving back continued into adulthood with her current involvement with the Negril Education Environment Trust (NEET), where she mentors and tutors children.

“I’ve had so many persons, especially young women, reach out to me on social media. It’s crazy that you never know how your story can impact persons. I never expected anything like this, to be honest,” Ms. Sommerville said.

She expressed gratitude to those who have supported her along the way, especially her grandmother, Dawn Warren; father, Desmond Sommerville and her aunt, Lalesa Grant.

Her message to young people, particularly those facing challenges, is: “hard work pays off”.

She believes that sometimes one might be working hard and not seeing the results at the same time, but “patience is a virtue”, she says, while emphasising the importance of trusting in God’s timing.

As she continues to make her mark in Jamaica’s legal field and in community service, Ms. Sommerville hopes she can stand as an inspiration to all Jamaicans.