Rebecca Park

Why higher education?

I did a three-month volunteering project with Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) in Ethiopia in 2013 which sparked my interest in higher education. During this experience I learnt about the lack of human rights and social injustices found in marginalised communities such as early marriage and female genital mutilation. I decided to study law to gain a better understanding of human rights and international law.

What was the best thing about your course?

I really appreciated the knowledge that my tutors had and they were always very approachable. I enjoyed the relaxed setting of the seminars and the way the tutors made everyone feel their opinions were valued.

Were you a member of any clubs or societies or involved in any volunteering programmes?

I joined the Teesside Junior Law Division, which is a group of students, paralegals and trainee solicitors that get together once a month as a way of meeting other young legal professionals. I also volunteered as an outreach worker for A Way Out – a charity supporting vulnerable women and sex workers which was very rewarding and educational.

Have you done a work placement or placement year?

After my first year I did a six-week legal internship in Wakefield for West Yorkshire Police. Following my second year I completed a five-week placement in Peru. The ongoing support throughout both placements was important to me, especially in a foreign country, and was fulfilled (two tutors came to Peru to visit us) which demonstrates the care the University has for its students.

What have you done since graduating?

I worked for an international law firm in Lima, Peru for eight months as a Paralegal, handling cases from the US and Peru. The experience was very interesting as I was exposed to the legal system in Peru and the US and got first-hand experience with cases of a delicate nature such as child abduction and drug trafficking.

I am now working for a charity that works with some of Peru’s most vulnerable women, many of whom started work from the age of 5 and above as domestic workers and who usually migrate from the jungle and remote mountain regions to the capital. I co-facilitate domestic worker’s legal rights, interview training as well as my own self-esteem workshop and other administrative tasks. This experience has really taught me so much which I am very grateful for.

What have you done since graduating?

I worked for an international law firm in Lima, Peru for eight months as a Paralegal, handling cases from the US and Peru. The experience was very interesting as I was exposed to the legal system in Peru and the US and got first-hand experience with cases of a delicate nature such as child abduction and drug trafficking.

I am now working for a charity that works with some of Peru’s most vulnerable women, many of whom started work from the age of 5 and above as domestic workers and who usually migrate from the jungle and remote mountain regions to the capital. I co-facilitate domestic worker’s legal rights, interview training as well as my own self-esteem workshop and other administrative tasks. This experience has really taught me so much which I am very grateful for.