A 24-year-old single mother quickly became viral after she posted photos of her graduation from Harvard Law School.
Briana Williams took to Instagram to share how while in labor in April 2017, she finished a final exam before going to the hospital to give birth.
‘I immediately requested an epidural so that my contractions wouldn’t interfere with my Family Law grade,’ she said in the Thursday post that has more than 18,000 likes. ‘And, with tears in my eyes, I finished it.
Briana Williams took to Instagram to share how while in labor in April 2017, she finished a final exam before going to the hospital to give birth
‘I immediately requested an epidural so that my contractions wouldn’t interfere with my Family Law grade,’ she said in the Thursday post
In the post, Williams can be seen posing with her daughter – Evelyn – who was is wearing a cap and gown similar to her mother.
The road finishing law school wasn’t easy for Williams, however, who said that it would be an ‘understatement’ to call being a single mother at the time a challenge.
‘Some days I was so mentally and emotionally fatigued that I did not leave my bed. I struggled with reliable childcare,’ she said.
In the post, Williams can be seen posing with her daughter – Evelyn – who was is wearing a cap and gown similar to her mother
Williams shared that she often had to take her daughter Evelyn with her to class
‘It was not atypical to see me rushing through Wasserstein to the Dean of Students’ office with Evelyn in her carriage, asking DOS can they keep her for a few until class was over.
‘If not, she’d just have to come with me to class. Evie attended classes often.’
Williams shared that on her special day, tears were ‘streaming down my face’ as she received her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School.
‘At first, I was the anomaly of my [marginalized] community,’ she said. ‘Then, as a single mother, I became a statistic. Next, I pray that- for the sake of my baby, I will be an example.’
The grad shared that on her special day, tears were ‘streaming down my face’ as she received her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School
Williams is clear to share that it was Evelyn who motivated her to continue on with her studies and eventually secure her degree.
She added: ‘Evelyn- they said that because of you I wouldn’t be able to do this. Just know that I did this BECAUSE OF YOU. Thank you for giving me the strength and courage to be invincible. Let’s keep beating all their odds, baby.’
The mother shared with Yahoo Lifestyle that she plans on moving back to California and will to practice at a law firm in Los Angeles.
She plans on moving back to California and will practice at a law firm in Los Angeles
She’ll be taking pro bono cases along with focusing on litigation.
Williams thanks her roots and family for being so supportive during her time in law school.
‘I went to college with one suitcase and one pair of shoes, holding on to a bible that my older sister had tucked away in my bag. I’d worked full-time as a waitress and bartender in New York to get by,’ she stated.
‘I found ways that I could appreciate coming from a disenfranchised background. I could look at the law through the lens of a black woman and (eventually), a financially independent single mother. I used this to my advantage.’