Twenty-six-year-old Attorney-at-Law, Michael Munroe, recently completed his second Masters in Legal studies, and while he is ecstatic about his accomplishments, his ultimate aim is to inspire other budding professionals to have an appreciation for self-growth in the midst of an expanding economy.
Soaring heights but remaining true to his roots has been the secret to success for Munroe.
“I am big on introspection and I think initially, I started to assess the environment, the country, and the developmental trajectory of the country and once I got a fair understanding of what that is, I started to assess my strengths and weaknesses, and in so doing, I found I can add value to the country,” Munroe stated in a recent interview with the News Room.
After completing his Legal Education Certificate in 2019 at the Hugh Wooding Law School, the young Guyanese proceeded to do a Master of Laws in Oil and Gas Law (University of Aberdeen), then Legislative Studies/Legal Drafting (University of Ottawa).
He is currently doing another Post Grad in Banking and Finance Law.
The academic drive started at the Bishops’ High School, where Law was not an immediate area of focus.
However, an innate desire to succeed, and a massive support system prompted a desire to keep breaking barriers.
“Once you set the foundation, whether it’s in academics or sports, it is very important for you to pay forward and look to the generation coming after you and I would encourage those persons that once you have the foundation, you have to build upon that foundation and at the same time you are building, you should endeavour to transfer knowledge and skills so there can be continuity as the country continues to evolve.”
For the young ones still wading through the options at their disposal, and not knowing how to progress, Munroe has some words of advice.
“There must be some level of self-awareness and in that quest or process, you get a sense of where your passions lie and what your strengths and weaknesses are, and that allows you to find out what your niche is. It is important to do introspection and take stock and be disciplined and apply one’s self.”
The lawyer felt it is imperative that as young people begin to progress and gain value, they must remain humble as “humility is key to making sure you are open to learning as the world is continuously evolving, but you must endeavour to always want to learn.”
Reflecting on his two years at St. Augustine, Munroe underscored it inevitably became the launch pad that fuelled his passion for success.
He participated in the Caribbean Court of Justice’s Mooting competition and his team was able to secure the top prize in 2019.
Additionally, Munroe won the Principal’s Roll of Honour (award for students who have demonstrated excellence by attaining six ‘A’ grades in at least six of the 11 courses over two years of study) and the Guyana Government prize (best performance by a student from Guyana courses over two years of study).
With the impending growth highly anticipated from the Oil and Gas sector, Munroe is hopeful more Guyanese, especially the young ones, could further equip themselves with the necessary academic tools to potentially be part of the new frontier of development.
