Diana Youssif by Jarred Robertson

Former student striving to make a contribution

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Former Riccarton High student, Diana Youssif has worked hard to achieve a career where she is is not only doing her very best on a daily basis but is also thinking and working towards the bigger picture in terms of how she can utilize her skills to contribute to making society a better place, beyond herself, her work and her clients.”

 Diana was born and grew up in Cairo, Egypt until her family made Christchurch home. After finishing at Riccarton High School, Diana studied at the University of Canterbury towards a Bachelor of Laws with Honours and a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Politics and minoring in French) and “did the typical exchange semester” at the Paris Institute of Political Studies.

“I was very lucky to receive the Bell Gully scholarship when I was a second-year university student,” she says.

“This provided a normal pathway to my graduate job at the Wellington Bell Gully office. This is where I learnt the importance of attention to detail, systematic analysis and structured problem solving. As of this month I have begun a new stage in my career, as a solicitor in the litigation team at Parry Field Lawyers in Christchurch.”

Diana has some exceptional advice which will be extremely helpful for our Year 13 Leavers: “It is important to remember that what will work for you is not necessarily what works for someone else. Do not put yourself in a box, extend lots of olive branches, do not hold grudges and make your own way. Do not be scared to be true to yourself and speak up when you need to. Look after your fellow colleagues starting out too – they are also going through similar things.”

For more of Diana’s story see the NZ Law Society site