Zeresy Banda is a 3rd year law student at Northrise University. She refers to Northrise as her home away from home. In her spare time, Zeresy enjoys listening to music, reading, cooking, playing with kids and attending choir practice at church.
Zeresy is 23 years old and the only child of her mum. Her parents never lived together and her dad died when she was still a young girl. Her mum, having not had gainful employment for a long time, struggled to support Zeresy through school as a lone parent. Consequently, Zeresy has spent most of her life in the care of her uncle, who has taken up the responsibility of looking after her and sponsoring most of her education through high school and college. After years of waiting for the right opportunity to progress, Zeresy’s mum has recently completed her training in primary school teaching and is awaiting a job placement in a government school. Zeresy regards herself as blessed to have the prospect of attaining a decent education in spite of the challenges life has presented.
Having completed High School in 2010, Zeresy’s uncle sponsored her to the National Institute of Public Administration to pursue a Diploma in Law. Following her graduation in 2013, Zeresy found motivation to study further, and because of Northrise University’s convenient proximity to her home, she applied for a place in the school of law. Zeresy says the last 3 years have been fun, interesting and engaging; she has loved the freedom to live out her Christian faith in school and participate in campus club activities. She is an active member of the Law Students Association of Northrise University.
Zeresy believes that having financial aid and the support of faculty and staff at Northrise has profoundly changed her perspective on life and helped in keeping her dreams alive. She is most grateful for financial aid; it has relieved the financial burden of her family considering that her uncle has three school-going children of his own, two other dependents from the extended family and is currently paying for his wife in nursing school.
During the December holidays, Zeresy took up an internship in the Admissions Team at Northrise University. While gaining work experience and learning administrative skills, she has crucially supported the team with processing new student applications.
Zeresy’s ideal career would be one that fulfills her desire to see the world. Beyond her studies at Northrise, Zeresy plans to venture into corporate law practice, after which she hopes she can have the opportunity of joining the human rights wing of the UN.
