Afrika Owes from Harlem was arrested at age 17 for gang related crimes. She had been a good student and was on track to go to an elite school, but incarceration derailed those plans. She got her HS degree while serving time at Rikers.
Her grades were so good that she was accepted to Fordham University. She was able to get her bachelors in 3 years. She was released from prison and her mother told her to continue with her dream of going to law school. She was then accepted into Fordham Law School.
She has been able to go through the law program in 3 years and will graduate May 20th. She did this while becoming a mom
Even though she still hasn't graduated, her professors told her she should take the bar exam now.
Her TikTok video shows her checking her results online with her brother and best friend supporting her. The now 30-year-old has tears in her eyes as she shouts "I passed! I passed!"
She plans to pursue tax law and a judicial clerkship after graduating, and she hopes that her story might encourage others to pursue a career in law or otherwise follow their own dreams.