We are excited to welcome Certificate in Law student and Queen's staff member Zabrina Testa as a guest blogger. Zabrina is currently completing the Certificate alongside her daughter Allison, a Queen's Political Studies student. Zabrina shares her experience with the Certificate to date and what it is like to have her daughter as her study buddy.

I've always had an interest in the law so when my daughter, Allison, mentioned wanting to enroll in the Certificate in Law at Queen’s, it sparked my interest. 

I've always been a big believer in continuous education. Having recently completed the Certificate in Academic Writing at Queen’s, it was time to try something new to further my education. Doing this with my daughter was an added bonus!

The Certificate in Law is a great introduction to the fundamentals of Canadian law. Since I work closely with our law alumni every day it made even more sense for me to have a better understanding of the law and what they do.

It all started in December of 2019 when I was accepted into the Certificate in Law program. I enrolled in my first course – Introduction to Canadian Law – and was instantly amazed by just how much the law affects our daily lives. 

Allison and I are now onto our second course – Aboriginal Law – taught by Hugo Choquette. So far, this course has been a great lesson into Canadian Aboriginal legal issues, covering historical, social, and political contexts. It’s a great course designed for learners with no or limited Aboriginal law background which is perfect for us.

Being able to take the Certificate courses online is the best part. Since I work fulltime at the school and Allison is an undergraduate student at Queen’s, we can complete the learning modules on our own time through readings, videos, and assessments.

As a staff member of Queen’s, I am truly grateful for the support of the university through the Educational Development Fund. Without the support of Queen’s and their commitment to the development of employee skills, growth and well-being, this wouldn’t be possible. 

Allison is now entering her final year at Queen’s and plans to graduate with her BAH (Politics) with a Certificate in Law and French for Professionals in 2021. Together, we plan on taking Workplace Law and Intellectual Property Law to round out the Certificate with plan of completion by this time next year. 

It’s been great sharing this experience with my daughter and I look forward to celebrating together next June!