Iva, an SBF alumni who matriculated in 2013, is a Candidate Attorney at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. We caught up with her to hear her story.

What did you want to become when you started high school?

When I was growing up and for the majority of my life, I wanted to be a doctor/surgeon. I think I have always just wanted to help people. I was just not great at Maths and Physics, so I could not pursue a degree in medicine. I think life worked out perfectly in any event because I still get to help people now, but in a different way.

When did you discover your interest in law?

The more I settled into my Bachelor of Arts degree, the more I realised that I enjoy reading and writing. I started becoming more argumentative and acquired the skill of being persuasive. From that moment, I knew I had to put my passion into something that would assist other people in solving any problems that they faced. Lawis about reading, understanding, writing, arguing, being persuasive, being tactful, problem solving and giving someone advice that helps them. It’s a constant challenge that requires you to think on your feet and think of strategies to solve problems.

What impact did SBF have on your life?

SBF had a huge impact on my life. The more I look back, the more I see it. I went to a great High School, I was looked after financially, I had every resource (and the best) at my disposal, I had mentors, and over and above that, SBF ensured that my mental health was intact. That was more than any other average teenage South African had.

It placed me ten steps ahead. I genuinely had no room to fail or not to make anything out of my life with that much privilege. It goes without saying that everything that I am today and everything that I strive to be is because of SBF.

What do you hope to achieve in your future?

I think for now, my goal is to be an Admitted Attorney of the High Court. But before I get to that goal, I hope to become more independent in the work that I do – I want people more senior than I am to trust me when they give me a matter to run.

I want them to trust that I’ll engage with clients appropriately and I’ll produce the best standard of work. I want to gain more confidence in arguing matters orally – trust myself in engaging a Magistrate or a client. Beyond work, I also hope to achieve some form of balance in my life. I want to be able to build my career but also understand that I am a person outside my career.