Interview with Shakieda Sealy

Armed with a sound secondary school education and the childhood dream of becoming a lawyer, Shakeida Sealy marched out the gates of Harrison College as a teenager ready to begin the journey towards her professional dream. It is no surprise, then, that when Shakeida found out that she hadn’t been accepted for the Bachelor of Law degree at UWI Cave Hill, she was devastated.

This news made Shakeida even more determined to pursue her studies in Law. In the end, her commitment paid off. She went on to pursue her second choice, a BSc. in Political Science. Always cognoscente of her desire to study law, Shakeida went on to study for a Master’s degree in International Trade Policy in 2007. It was during this time that Shakeida encountered yet another obstacle – she would need to get a student loan to finance the programme.

After searching for a loan with attractive repayment options, Shakeida decided that Student Revolving Loan Fund (SRLF) offered the best option. “The interest rate was better than other lending facilities and more accommodating for students,” Shakeida explained, adding that as a full-time student, the SRLF allowed her to start repaying the loan and interest after the study programme was completed.

When asked if she would recommend the SRLF to other students, Shakeida responded with a resounding, “yes! In fact, I have already recommended the Student Revolving Loan Fund to two students for the upcoming academic year,” the 24 year-old revealed. She added that the excellent client service coupled with the relatively easy repayment terms made the SRLF stand out among other student loan facilities.

Shakeida is aware that often students are excited when their loan application is successful but are tardy when repaying their loan. She advised students against doing this. “Always avoid establishing a bad track record because you may need assistance in the future,” Shakeida said. She further advises that students who have a legitimate difficulty repaying their loan should call the SRLF and speak to a Loans Officer as soon as possible.

Shakeida, who now works as a Down Trade Manager at SBI Distributions, is currently on her second student loan from the SRLF and expects to graduate from the UWI Cave Hill in 2012 with her LLB (Bachelor of Law). Although she enjoys her current job, her love for law has never waned and she hopes to pursue an active career in Corporate and Trade Law once her studies are completed.