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CANDISIE FRANKLIN’S REMARKABLE JOURNEY FROM MIGRANT DREAMER TO ATTORNEY-AT-LAW**

SKN Times Featured Story

In a courtroom filled with history, hope, and generations of sacrifice, Candisie Franklin rose to her feet, steadied her voice, and delivered one of the most moving bar call speeches the Federation has witnessed in recent memory.

Her admission to practice law in St. Kitts and Nevis is far more than a professional accomplishment — it is the triumphant conclusion of a twenty-year odyssey marked by setbacks, discrimination, detours, heartbreak, unwavering faith, and unrelenting perseverance.

For the young girl who left Guyana at age 12 and arrived in St. Kitts with little more than possibility in her pocket, this moment was destiny fulfilled.

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THE DREAM THAT BEGAN AT AGE EIGHT

Candisie told the court that her dream of becoming a lawyer began at just eight years old, during a school composition at Mackenzie Primary. Guided by her mother, Denise Audrey Franklin, she articulated a purpose far bigger than herself:
“To defend my fellow men against criminal injustices.”

That early spark grew into a lifelong calling — even as life tested her resolve at every turn.

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A JOURNEY BUILT ON FAITH AND A FAMILY’S LOVE

Before the court, Candisie openly credited God for carrying her through moments when she felt abandoned, uncertain, or overwhelmed.
She thanked her family — especially her mother Denise and father Hugh — for believing in her vision even when timelines stretched into decades.

She honored a long line of relatives whose teachings shaped her character:

• Grandmother Cloyne “Chole” Franklin, whose fiery passion for justice lives on in her.
• Grandfather Benjamin Franklin, who taught her through books and oral reports.
• Grandfather Eric Britton, a man who wanted to be a lawyer but never got the chance — whose insistence on discipline and integrity still guides her choices.
• Her beloved confidant Ronnel Niketha James, whose early-morning encouragement she still longs for.

Candisie’s climb was never solitary. It was built on a village — many of whom now cheer for her from beyond this life.

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UNEXPECTED DETOURS, DELAYS, AND THE MANTRA THAT SAVED HER

Standing before the bench, Candisie admitted that her journey “did not follow a straight line.”
From her LL.B. days at the University of Guyana — where financial struggles threatened to push her out of school — to the dissolution of her parents’ marriage, to losing her support system when her aunt and uncle migrated mid-degree, she should have fallen.

But she didn’t.

When rent was uncertain, family stepped in.
When tuition was due, God sent help.
And when she needed to cover the cost of third-year school fees, fate intervened in an unexpected place: a Miss Guyana Universe advertisement offering prize money in the exact amount she needed.

Her pageant journey — so often misjudged — was not for glamour. It was survival.

The mantra that carried her through every storm was simple:
“This too shall pass.”

Those four words became her compass for almost two decades.

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BARRIER AFTER BARRIER — AND THE WARNING SHE ISSUED TO THE PROFESSION

In a bold and necessary moment of candor, Candisie addressed the gatekeeping within the legal profession — calling out the educators, administrators, and institutions that weaponize their biases.

She recounted how two law professors barred her from applying to Hugh Wooding Law School because they decided she was “more focused on being a beauty queen than a lawyer.”

She challenged the profession directly:
“Stop it. Investigate, empathize, and be ethical. It’s not always as you see it.”

Her words landed like thunder — a reminder that the next generation of lawyers deserves fairness, not prejudice.

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REINVENTING HERSELF WHEN THE DOOR TO LAW SCHOOL CLOSED

When her application to Norman Manley Law School was unsuccessful in 2011, Candisie did not surrender.
Instead, encouraged by her CEO and mentor, she pursued her Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of London — a rigorous program she completed because of the belief, coaching, and sponsorship of Mr. Wendell Lawrence and Mr. Naeem John.

Still, something felt incomplete.
Her dream remained unfinished.

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A WOMAN WHO BUILT TWO BUSINESSES WHILE CHASING A DREAM

Most would have shifted career paths or abandoned the struggle altogether.
Candisie instead built two thriving companies:

• GCCS Ltd — a corporate, commercial, fiduciary, and concierge consultancy.
• Events Extraordinaire — an award-winning event management enterprise known across the Federation.

She led, strategized, created, and excelled — all while quietly fighting to re-enter the path to law.

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THE FINAL DOOR OPENS — AND SHE WALKS THROUGH

In 2023, the long-awaited opportunity finally came.
She closed her businesses, packed up her life, and enrolled at Eugene Dupuch Law School, embracing the humility of returning to full-time study after years in the workforce.

She described the experience as one requiring “endurance, purpose, and absolute faith.”

But she made it.

And on her bar call day, she did not stand alone.

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A TRIBUTE TO THE PEOPLE WHO HELPED HER CLIMB

Candisie offered a sweeping, emotional roll call of gratitude:

Her family:

Her mother Denise, father Hugh, grandmother Norma Britton, siblings Mikieda, Neidai, Takashee, and Zahrea, brothers Clifton and Levar, countless uncles, aunts, and cousins.

Her mentors and supporters:

Senior Counsels Delano Bart, Jonel Powell, Keinya Blake, Jihan Williams-Knight, Azard Gumbs, Hasani MacDonald, Hubert Edwards, The Hon. Sam Condor, Dr. Duane Hendrickson, Princess Davis, Rohan Kerr, Kevin Franklin, Lynette James, and many more.

Her staff:

Who kept her businesses running while she chased this final dream.

Her classmates:

Including her “study, tutorial, moot, laundry, shopping and junk food runs partner” Jordan Steer — the comrade who shared the sacrifice and survived the sleepless nights.

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A NEW ATTORNEY WITH A UNIQUE LEGAL DNA

Candisie enters the profession carrying:

• The discipline of a corporate executive
• The precision of a fiduciary administrator
• The poise of a pageant winner
• The empathy of a mentor
• The grit of a fighter
• The wisdom of a scholar
• The resilience of a survivor

She declared to the court her intention to serve with “humility, courage, and unwavering integrity.”

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THE DECLARATION THAT SUMMED UP HER ENTIRE JOURNEY

Candisie closed her speech by returning to the phrase that carried her for twenty years:

“This too shall pass.”

Not as a cry of struggle anymore —
but as a proclamation of growth, triumph, and readiness.

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THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS MOMENT

Candisie Franklin’s call to the bar is not the end of her story.
It is the beginning of a legal career shaped by adversity, anchored in purpose, and fortified by experience most lawyers never encounter.

Her journey is a powerful reminder to young Caribbean girls — particularly those from humble beginnings or migrant backgrounds — that the road may be long, winding, and unpredictable, but destiny is never denied to the determined.

Candisie Franklin did not simply enter the legal profession.
She fought for it. She earned it. She lived for it.

And now, she stands ready to serve.