A mother’s words, a daughter’s drive

– Brittany Croal triumphs through grief to achieve her dream

Long before the starting gun cracked the air, countless hopefuls crowded the lanes, each waiting for the moment they could sprint toward their ambitions. But while many were still adjusting their footing, Brittany Croal had already settled into her stride – focused, disciplined, and determined to finish the race she started as a child.
Today, she stands across the finish line, preparing to step into the courtroom as a civil lawyer – fulfilling the very dream she declared at just five years old.

A childhood dream that never wavered
Croal’s fascination with the law began in the backyard of her childhood home, where a simple hammer became her gavel and a small bag served as her briefcase. While other children played house or pretended to be superheroes, she was mediating disputes among her cousins, presenting arguments and defending whomever she believed needed a voice.
Unlike most children whose dreams shift with every new excitement – astronaut today, pilot tomorrow – Brittany chose one lane early and never left it.
Her parents recognised that drive from a young age. Her father pushed her to excel academically, setting high standards and encouraging her to aim for nothing short of first place. Her mother, on the other hand, became her emotional anchor – offering guidance, reassurance, and steady reminders to remain focused and grounded.
Civil law, the path she eventually pursued, deals with disputes between individuals and organisations – matters that demand patience, empathy, and an ability to understand the human stories behind conflict.
But her journey into the legal world was far from smooth. To enter the law programme, she first had to complete a pre-law year in International Relations at the University of Guyana before transitioning into the Bachelor of Laws programme – much of which unfolded during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A major hurdle on the track
Just as she entered law school in 2023, Brittany was confronted with what would become the hardest hurdle of her race: learning that her mother had been diagnosed with stage four cancer.
Balancing her new academic workload, adjusting to living alone, and coping with her mother’s declining health created an emotional strain she had never experienced before.
The race she once ran with confidence suddenly felt like a race uphill, one with no clear view of the finish line.
She recalled working on two major assignments during the Christmas break. The very day she submitted them, she left home to get groceries – and that was when she received the message no child is ever prepared for: her mother had passed away.
The moment, she admitted, “felt like the world just went blank,” she said during the telephone interview, recounting the tragic experience.
School did not pause. Grief did not pause. Life did not pause.
She quickly faced the harsh reality that academia makes no accommodation for heartbreak – you either push forward or step out and return another year.
She pushed.
That year, she struggled through her exams and eventually had to repeat a supplemental. But even that setback did not derail her. Instead, it strengthened her stride.
Despite all these adversities, she recalled the support she received from her family.
“There were times when I would stay home from school; stay in my room crying and praying that I could find some sort of comfort to at least finish. But luckily, I had persons who stood as the greatest supporters: Nickesha Daniels and Samantha Prasad-Niles, who helped me. When I had quit, packed all my things, and said I was travelling back home because I couldn’t do it any more, one of my roommates knocked on the door and told me, ‘If you quit, what would your mom think? She wouldn’t want you to quit.’”; this fuelled her.
She noted that she also had to think about her younger brother, explaining that she didn’t want him to believe it was acceptable to give up when life becomes difficult. During that period, she said, she had to find herself within the emotional space she was drifting in, regain her footing, and push through so she could continue her studies.
Only recently, as she prepared to take her oath and officially enter the courtroom, Croal admitted the reality still hasn’t fully sunk in.
“I’m overwhelmed,” she said. “It still hasn’t registered. Maybe when I’m standing in court, taking the oath, it will finally hit me. Right now, it still feels unreal.”
Her journey has been marked by grit, sacrifice, and an unwavering belief in the dream she held on to since childhood. What began with a toy gavel and a child’s imagination has transformed into a profession built on resilience and purpose.

A race won – and a new one beginning
And as she steps into the legal arena, she stands not only as a young attorney but also as a testament to the power of endurance, love, loss, and unshakeable determination.