Jamaica-born attorney inspires with TEDx talk

Jamaica-born Florida attorney-at-law Tesha Allison recalled being called a rat while growing up in Clarendon. And it was not because she was a liar or a cheat. Instead, the name had everything to do with the socio-economic conditions in which she was raised.

"We were so poor that we didn't live in a house, as we couldn't afford rent. We lived in an abandoned bakery and everyone in the community referred to our family as rats, because rats are the only mammals that live in bakery, they would say," Allison related.

Now an accomplished lawyer, author and motivational speaker, Allison was the centre of attention at a recent TEDx talk at Barry University in the United States of America (USA).

TEDx is intended to help persons find their purpose.

"I found myself pregnant at 14 years old, and in Jamaica back in those times, remember I am very poor and we have no electricity or running water. I became a high school dropout, as I couldn't go to school pregnant. If there was a time that I ever felt like I was dead, that was it. And so society put a lot of pressure on me, and there were times when I said I don't accept that," Allison said.

"So I began my journey into my mindset of 'Me, why not?' In those moments do you accept the limitations or do you say 'not me?'. Those decisions that we make in this moment are the seeds that we plant that will eventually start growing and push through the concrete," Allison said."

At age 17 she migrated to the USA. She later enrolled at Barry University and subsequently pursued a law degree at FIU College of Law.

She is hoping that her contribution will serve as a motivation for anyone who is struggling emotionally and wants to break free.

"This talk was tailored for anyone at any stage in their life who feels like they are going through some sort of blockage. If they feel stuck, or like they are in a situation that they can't navigate out of, that is who the talk is aimed at. It doesn't matter the stage they are in life and whether it is professional, personal or spiritual," she said.