Breaking barriers - Son of domestic helper and garbage truck driver graduates with law degree

The son of a domestic helper and a retired garbage truck driver, Xavier McFarlane, has broken barriers that spanned generations.

A native of Piper's Corner, Amity, Westmoreland, McFarlane is the first in his family to attend university and recently graduated with a law degree from The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona.

He now heads to the prestigious Norman Manley Law School where he will pursue his Legal Education Certificate, bringing him one step closer to achieving his dream of becoming a lawyer and breaking new ground for future generations in his family.

At just 23, McFarlane carries more than a degree -- he carries hope, determination, and the blueprint for a better life for his family.

"Graduation was a day of reflection because it had really been a tough journey. To walk across the stage, finally, was exciting, but more rewarding was to see how proud my mother was," he said.

That journey was far from easy. Law school came with a steep price tag of US$10,000 (approximately J$1.6 million) per year, and financial uncertainty was a constant companion.

"The hardest part was money. I didn't have a job that could cover tuition, and, even if I did, it wouldn't have been enough," McFarlane explained.

His mother, Sonia McFarlane, 63, spent decades doing domestic work to keep the family afloat.

"Currently, Mommy is unemployed, but she normally does domestic duties. She goes to people's houses and cleans for a little change, or she does day's work washing or cleaning," he said.

Before he even boarded the bus to St Andrew for university, his church held a special send-off for him.

"At that time, I still never knew where the tuition would be coming from, and Mommy told me to have faith," he recalled.

They packed their bags and boarded a country bus to Kingston.

"When we reached the hall, she prayed in the room and asked God to have favour over my life and throughout my university journey. That was when I started to truly believe I could do it.

"Sometimes you could hear a little shred of pain in her voice because she knows she doesn't have it, financially, to solve this issue readily. She is always a hard worker and tries to make all of us comfortable, but this was her first child going to university, and this is a big degree. It's very expensive."

McFarlane is the youngest of three children for his mother.

Yet, the weight of financial uncertainty often left McFarlane silent. "I didn't want my mother to feel the pain I was carrying. Sometimes, I couldn't tell her what I was going through," he said.

His father, Neville McFarlane, 71, also sacrificed to support the family, despite a life-altering injury sustained as a garbage truck driver.

"Everything that he has really has to stretch to my other siblings and their children. Whatever he has would be like a drop in the bucket when it comes on to me pursuing a law degree, but they still stretched it for me."

Through scholarships, bursaries, loans, and the unexpected generosity of strangers, McFarlane survived.

FINANCIAL AID

"One day, I took up the directory and just started calling law firms. I was lucky to find a firm owned by an alumnus from Cornwall College. I told him my story and he committed to pay the balance on my first-year tuition."

That person gave him $500,000.

Support also came from extended family and mentors.

"One of my cousins, who is an engineer, helped me a lot. Most people who helped me tell me that it's a reward for what Mom and Dad did for them. The goodness that they do to people, that sort of reverts to me when they're seeking to pay it forward," he said.

But the financial struggles took a toll.

"It caused me to worry every exam," McFarlane said. "For two semesters, I had to sit exams in the summer, not because I failed, but because I didn't get financial clearance in time."

Despite the difficulties, he graduated with Upper Second Class Honours, and also distinguished himself as Faculty of Law Guild representative and president of the Mona Law Society, demonstrating leadership and academic excellence.

"I wanted to give up many times but, whenever I feel like giving up, I take a trip back home," he said. "Back home is my 'why'. I always remind myself that I need to help my family to be in a better place than where they are now," he added.

Being the first in his family to graduate carries profound meaning.

"My siblings are really proud of me being the first-generation graduate of the family. Their children came to the graduation, too. I dedicated the degree to the family," said McFarlane, whose ultimate goal is to become a judge.

"Being a prosecutor is definitely in the books, and, where the Lord takes me from there, that's where I go," he said.