Dubai: Before Ana Kristine Elayda could attend online classes during the Covid-19 pandemic, she needed to earn enough money to buy a phone. The teenager from Sorsogon, in the Bicol region of the Philippines, spent her days completing her schoolwork and tutoring other students. After that, she cleaned a gym to make ends meet.
It has been a difficult period for Elayda, who grew up in a family where money was tight. Her mother has worked as a construction site safety officer, while her grandmother, aunt, and uncle played important roles in raising and supporting her.
“I am proud of that, not because of the medal, but because of what it took to get there,” Elayda told Gulf News, remembering her senior high school graduation in 2022, when she earned high honours with an average of 97 out of 100 in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) strand.
Year laters, that determination has helped her secure an opportunity to study law in Dubai, where financial assistance, professional experience, and support from people around her pushed her work towards a career she had once found difficult to imagine.
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An opportunity in Dubai
Elayda’s academic results have attracted the attention of Antonio Maria Varvaro, an Italian lawyer based in Dubai. He has offered to sponsor her legal studies through his firm, where she would also work while pursuing her degree.
At 19, she moved to Dubai and has stayed with her aunt and other relatives, giving her a familiar support system as she adjusted to life in a new country. She has started working as a legal assistant and paralegal, gaining experience in contract review, client work, and the day-to-day running of a law practice.
Her academic performance has also helped her secure a 30 percent scholarship towards her Bachelor of Laws (LLB) at Middlesex University Dubai.
“For a family like mine, every dirham of that mattered. I went from attending online classes on a phone which I had cleaned a gym to afford, to sitting in a lecture hall with classmates from all over the world,” shared Elayda.
Learning law in the classroom and the workplace
Studying in Dubai has introduced Elayda to an international academic environment that was different from anything she experienced before.
Her routine has been demanding. Mornings have been devoted to university, while afternoons were often spent at the law firm. She has also taken on internships, including unpaid placements, and smaller jobs to cover personal expenses and gain experience.
“It was tiring, but it meant that by the time I reached my final year, I already understood how the law works outside a textbook,” described Elayda.
But balancing both came at a cost.
“The biggest obstacle was time. I was studying a demanding law degree while working and there were no spare hours.”
She also had to adjust to the British-style legal education system, which has placed greater emphasis on independent analysis and constructing clear arguments than on memorising information.
“I stopped trying to prove I belonged and simply did the work, every day. The grades followed.”
Finding confidence and asking for help
For Elayda, the UAE’s contribution to her journey has went beyond access to university and employment. Living and studying in Dubai has brought her into contact with people from different backgrounds and helped her become more comfortable with her own story.
She has once viewed her background as something she needed to overcome or conceal. Over time, she has begun to see it as part of what shaped her discipline and determination.
“Dubai taught me that where you start does not decide where you finish. I also learned that resilience alone is not enough. I needed people. My family here, my classmates, and the mentors who took a chance on me. Asking for help was something I had to learn and it changed everything,” explained Elayda.
She has recalled that the student who first arrived in Dubai would have been reluctant to speak up in a lecture hall. Now, she has been more willing to contribute and take her place in professional settings.
Preparing for the next step
Elayda has graduated with first class honours in law, but she has seen the achievement as a milestone rather than an endpoint. At present, she is preparing for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination, the route she is pursuing to qualify as a solicitor.
Alongside her studies and professional development, she has undertaken internships involving international trade and arbitration. She has also earned certifications in Incoterms 2020, international arbitration, standby letters of credit, and anti-money laundering.
“My long-term goal is to build a career in the UAE and, one day, to open the same kind of door for another student that was opened for me,” stated Elayda.
She has credited her grandmother, mother, aunt, and uncle, as well as Varvaro, for helping her reach this stage. Their support, combined with the lessons and experiences in Dubai, has helped her move from working to afford basic educational needs to preparing for a professional career in law.
A message to other students
For young expatriates facing financial pressure or uncertainty about their future, Elayda believes that where they begin should not determine how far they can go.
She has encouraged students to make use of the resources available at their universities, seek honest feedback from people who can help them improve, and take opportunities even when they feel unprepared.
“Your circumstances are your starting point, not your limit. You will never feel fully ready, show up anyway,” said Elayda.