Sekou Kesselly ’10, ’12: From Refugee to Attorney
Advanced Degree: J.D. from Elisabeth Haub School of Law, Pace University, ’26
John Jay Degrees: B.A. in International Criminal Justice ’10; M.A. in International Crime and Justice ’12
Programs/Clubs: Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, Student Council, Model UN; Peer Ambassador, African Students Association
Mentors: Rosemary Barberet, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology
Hometown: Bronx, NY; Monrovia, Liberia
Career Aspiration: Public Advocate/Lawyer
What was life like before John Jay College?
I was born in Monrovia, Liberia. My mother traveled there from our town, Lofa, to receive better care during childbirth. Not long after I was born, there was a civil war in my country and we had to run to Guinea. Fortunately, my mom was from Guinea, and she had some people there. We were refugees, but we had it a little better because we knew people. In Guinea, I started going to refugee school. Then in 2002, when I was 16 years old, I moved to the United States. I entered through Washington, D.C., and made my way to New York City, where the Bronx became my second home.
At first, it was a huge culture shock. America was everything to people in Africa. Then, when you finally make it here, all these differences hit you—different neighborhoods, cultures, languages, and perceptions. You’re in a constant state of trying to figure things out and assimilate. I was happy to be in the space, but confused about how to carry myself. I had to constantly confront stereotypes of what people believed to be African. At times it was a humbling experience, but I learned and grew from it.
Why John Jay?
As someone coming from a war-torn country, the concept of justice really overwhelmed me. I thought about all the war crimes being committed and injustices happening around the world. Living as a refugee, I saw what people were going through and there simply was no justice. I associated justice with fairness, and I wanted people to be held accountable for their crimes. I wanted to find a space where I could learn to be a moral anchor and of service to others. Then I started reading about lawyers and it felt like they were people in positions of leadership who could get stuff done. John Jay was the clearest option for me. When I got accepted, I immediately felt welcomed. Now, I’m the first in my family to get a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and law degree. I believe that I’m the first Mandingo (a tribe in West Africa) man in New York City to earn a law degree.
What sparked your passion for the legal profession?
When I was in refugee school in Conakry, Guinea, we had debates. Since the two main countries that were represented in the school were Sierra Leone and Liberia, that’s how the teams generally formed. There were fewer Liberians, so we felt very underrepresented and almost scared to speak up. Something in me made me speak up and represent Liberia. The more I debated, the stronger my speaking became. In the end, my team won the final debate and it affirmed my goal to become a lawyer.
How did John Jay help shape your goals?
Without John Jay, I would not be where I am now. The classes I took laid the foundation I needed for law school. Dr. Rosemary Barberet was tough on me, she pushed me to be the best writer I could be. I would sit down in her office and she would go through my papers with a red pen. “Does this really sound like you?” she’d ask me. “What’s your real analysis of this topic?” “I need you to really break this down.” She wouldn’t let me write down a bunch of words because I thought they sounded smart. She made me dig deeper, truly research a subject, and become a better writer. After working with her, I felt like I was ready for almost anything—including law school. She wrote one of my law school recommendation letters and I can’t say enough good things about Dr. Barberet. To this day we still talk and I always try to reach out to her on Mother’s Day.
As for public speaking, being the President of the African Student Association, Student Ambassador, Student Council Junior Representative, and member of the Model U.N., I learned how to effectively convey my messages. These roles gave me more confidence in representing my fellow students, the College, and unique international perspective.
How did your master’s degree help advance your career?
After earning my master’s degree, I worked at a law firm as a paralegal and then a compliance associate at an asset management firm. After a while, I realized that the corporate world wasn’t my thing. The pay was good, but I was bored. So, I reached out to Dr. Barberet. She suggested that I teach something that interested me. I applied to be an adjunct professor at John Jay and I got the job. Without my master’s degree, I’m not sure I would have gotten that position.
What was your experience like applying to law school?
The application process was tough because I had taken some time away from school. There were a lot of moving pieces, but once again, Dr. Barberet pushed me in the right direction. I remember her saying, “You’ve been talking about this law school thing for years, just go ahead and do it!” I took the LSAT three times. The first two times, I didn’t do as well as I wanted to. Then I studied harder and got a good score. I applied to 10 law schools and I got into seven of them. I decided on Pace Law because they allowed me to start in a January program—meaning that I could finish in two and a half years. I liked that Pace had a renowned environmental law program, which I could use to help African countries still developing their environmental policies regarding climate change. Pace also offered me a pretty generous scholarship, which made the decision a no-brainer for me.
What do you hope to be doing in 10 years?
I’d like to be the owner of my own law firm. There’s a clientele that is woefully underrepresented, and in many cases, those who get representation are not getting the best representation that they need. I want to fill that gap right here in the Bronx. I want to focus on immigration law, criminal defense, and personal injury. I want to be the person who helps people who have faced abuse or discrimination from others in positions of power. I want to help hold those people and agencies accountable for their actions. When clients sue for damages, and those agencies have to pay money to marginalized groups, that’s when unfair policies start to change. It’s about holding the system accountable.
Please finish this sentence: Because of John Jay…
I’m a better human being. I actually met my wife, Habibatou Sammoura Kessley ’12, while I was a student at John Jay, and we’ve been married for 14 years. We met when I was the president of the African Student Association and I was helping to advise her. I was telling her, “Take these professors. You need to get these books. Check out the writing center,” big brother stuff like that. One day when Habibatou and I were talking, my friend Edwin Hernandez said, “Okay amigo, what’s up with the two of you?” We both looked at him like we didn’t know what he was talking about. He laughed it off, but after he walked away, Habibatou and I started to question what really was going on between the two of us. Then, in a very African way, we started to map out how we would date each other moving forward. Habibatou said, “If I’m going to date you, these are my rules.” It was almost like a contract, but culturally, that’s what both of us were comfortable with doing. I reached out to her parents in Guinea, agreed that we would not get married until we graduated, and the whole thing ignited because Edwin saw our connection and broke the ice for us. Habibatou and I got married in 2012, and we have a beautiful 13-year-old daughter. Everything good in my life started at John Jay.
