AYANA Alexis Fable, brimming with joy over her recent admission to the Guyana Bar Association, is confident that her decision to put aside all distractions while pursuing her studies is largely responsible for the kind of success that she is enjoying at the moment.

Had she not decide to heed her father’s advice to stay thoroughly focused on her goals, the 23 year old told the Pepperpot Magazine that she would not have made it.

She’s now a parliamentary counsel working in the legislative drafting department of the Attorney General Chambers at Carmichael Street, Georgetown, under the supervision of Attorney General Basil Williams and Chief Parliamentary Counsel Charles Fung-a-Fatt.
Just a few days ago, Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall heard Ayana’s application in the High Court where family and friends converged to share in the joyous event.
Today, she too is offering the same advice she received from her father. “Stay focused and keep on that path. There are people who are going to distract you. You have to put them aside and that’s how you’ll achieve whatever you want in this life,” she expressed.

ARTS STREAM?

Ayana, who describes herself as a very motivated, respectful and determined young woman, was born and raised in Georgetown and attended Stella Maris Nursery, Comenius Primary and Tutorial High School. She completed the Sixth Form at St. Joseph High and pressed on with her education at the University of Guyana and Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago.

Initially, she wanted to become a paediatrician but after being placed in the Arts Stream, she decided to shift her focus. “In Fourth Form, I started debating and that’s when I realised I had a passion for Law so I decided to give it a try. I wanted to be in the science stream but I didn’t fight it. I just let it go,” she said. Meanwhile, others made a point of asking to be transferred to other streams.

Incidentally, one of the requirements for Law is history which is taught in the Arts Stream, so things eventually worked out well for Ayana.
Upon completing the Sixth Form, though, she was still unsure about which path she wanted to pursue because she was having difficulties with Law at CAPE. “I thought it was really hard but then I decided to just give it a try and after receiving my results for CAPE Unit Two, I realised I was ranked number six in the Caribbean for CAPE Law. So after I realised I actually did so well, I decided to pursue my studies at UG.”

The rating she secured in the Caribbean motivated Ayana to push ahead with the goal of becoming a lawyer. “I had worked for the distinction and I actually achieved it. So the moment I saw that, I said that I can achieve anything that I want to and that once I put my mind to it, I’m going to get it. And that is exactly what I did,” she said.

HUGE SACRIFICES
One of the biggest sacrifices that Ayana had to make was to let go of certain friendships that were having a negative influence on her. “I had to give up some friends because they were actually distracting me. They would always call to go out or to do something, so I just had to put them aside. I don’t think I would have reached so far had I not put them aside, because I had to stay focused and once there was distraction, then I couldn’t reach my goal and fulfill whatever dreams I had,” she said.

Apart from this, Ayana recalled that she had to make other huge sacrifices to be able to remain focused on her education. While at the UG, for instance, she had to work very hard. “I had many late nights but whenever I became frustrated, I prayed a lot. I would always become calm after praying and then I would continue studying,” she said. Furthermore, Ayana also had to spend two years away from family and friends to be able to remain and study abroad.
But the sacrifices were all well worth it, she expressed. “I’m elated that I have reached this far but I know this is not the final stop. I still have to reach higher heights; set more goals and achieve them,” she said.

SUPPORT SYSTEM
She is grateful to her parents for their constant encouragement. “My mom has always encouraged me and has always pushed me. Both my parents worked tirelessly to ensure that I got whatever was needed; the best education and opportunities that I could’ve received.”

Ayana wants other young persons to know that not achieving a top school after exams does not mean that they cannot be successful in life. “I did not allow the school that I attended to define me; I did not allow it to limit me. So do not allow the school that you come from to define you. Set your goals and work hard to achieve them,” she said.
Ayana is also thinking about becoming a musician as she enjoys playing the piano, singing, and dancing.