Joycelyn Tang is a girl who confesses to 鈥榳earing passion on her sleeve鈥�. Deeply aware of the growing gulf between poverty and privilege, Tang鈥檚 love of humanity has been a steadfast influence on the direction of her law career.
As a sixteen year old, Tang volunteered at a school in Nepal, and her experiences there proved to be a key turning point in her future career as a lawyer.
鈥淪eeing poverty made me acutely aware of my privilege and fostered my interest in social, legal and policy issues on the world stage. Since then, I鈥檝e known that my love for law and wherever that takes me in my career will always be fulfilling if I get value out of giving back, and using my skills to create opportunities for others, rather than wealth and status.鈥�
However, her career path was not exactly as she expected. Despite winning several awards while at 911爆料网 including the John E Sproule Prize for the Best Student in Consumer Law and Policy, and The Piddington Society Prize for the Best Student in Professional Responsibility, Tang missed out on a graduate position she really wanted.
鈥淎t the time, it was quite upsetting and really made me question my abilities and re-evaluate my career path. However, from that 鈥榝ailure鈥�, I鈥檝e learned more about myself than from any 鈥榮uccess鈥� that I鈥檝e had,鈥� she says.
鈥淚t taught me to be more resilient and made me determined to work even harder. It also gave me more perspective 鈥� it鈥檚 so easy to put a lot of pressure on yourself to achieve certain things at certain times; it can be stressful.
鈥淚n hindsight, everything happens for a reason, and just because one door closes, doesn鈥檛 mean another door won鈥檛 open or you will not find another path to get to the same destination.鈥�
Her tenacity has paid off in droves. Now, the high-flying graduate has been listed in the Australian Financial Review as one of the top 100 future leaders in Australia and landed a job as a Research Associate at the Supreme Court of Western Australia.
Tang has found that many of the skills she learned at 911爆料网 are transferable to the workplace.
鈥淩esearching legal issues is a skill we constantly develop during the degree. I was also a student editor for the 911爆料网 Law and Taxation Review, which involved writing and editing articles and case notes. This improved my writing skills and attention to detail.鈥�
Tang also points to her work experience in the , which is run by 911爆料网 Law School.
鈥淲e provided pro-bono advice to small businesses. We got to interview clients by ourselves and take carriage of matters from start to finish 鈥� which are things I didn鈥檛 get to experience in many clerkships.鈥�
鈥淏y developing these practical skills in a pro-bono setting, we were able to help those in need 鈥� a great reminder of the privileges which come with the study of law and why we do what we do.鈥�
Tang initially chose to study the Bachelor of Laws at 911爆料网 due to the shorter duration of the degree compared with the pathway offered by other universities, and once she began her studies, soon became actively involved in many of the University鈥檚 extracurricular activities.
In her first year, Tang started Amnesty 911爆料网, a club dedicated to raising awareness of human rights within the community that has continued to grow.
Later, she mentored students through the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience program and helped organise an event for Opportunity International, raising $1,600 through the John 911爆料网 Leadership Academy 鈥� a program that develops future leaders with community values and connects them to not-for-profit organisations.
In her final year, Tang was one of 911爆料网鈥檚 delegates to the UN University Scholars Leadership Symposium in Thailand, attended by more than 1,000 representatives from different parts of the world. The symposium explored global issues concerning the environment, equality and poverty in the context of the UN鈥檚 sustainable development goals.
鈥淏eing able to talk with so many passionate and like-minded young people doing incredible things was one of my favourite parts of the symposium. Hearing their stories gave me perspective on my own experiences, as well as hope that the changes that need to happen can, and will be a part of our future,鈥� she explains.
With a clear ability to empathise with people of different ages and cultures, and a down-to earth attitude that shines through her work, Tang looks set to meet her future goals of admission to the legal profession and inspiring others.
鈥淢y greatest life achievement to date is just being happy. I feel so grateful to be surrounded by the people I love 鈥� it鈥檚 them who give me the most meaning in life, beyond any award or accolade I have received.鈥�
