When Rumana Monzur was blinded by her husband back in 2011, she was a student at the University of British Columbia – but she refused to let the life-altering attack disrupt her education.
Speaking to CTV News this week, Monzur reflected on that difficult time, and her decision to push forward in the face of new obstacles.
"I still wanted to live a meaningful life," Monzur said. "A meaningful life where I can actually look back and say that I wasn't sitting idle and I didn't waste time crying over what I'd lost."
That drive, and a growing desire to help other victims of domestic violence, ultimately led her to UBC's Peter A. Allard School of Law, which she attended after finishing her Master's degree in 2013.
Now, seven years after the devastating attack, she's preparing to be called to the bar this Friday.
Monzur also already has a new job lined up as junior counsel in Indigenous law at the Department of Justice, where she hopes to finally get a chance to truly realize her dreams.
"My intention was to become a good lawyer," she said. "If I can continue to help people in that capacity … then I will feel that's when I have achieved something."
Prior to the assault, which took place during a trip home to Bangladesh, Monzur was already accomplished, having worked as an assistant professor at the University of Dhaka.
Afterward, she began using her traumatic experience to inspire others through public speaking, all while continuing her education.
"I realized just by creating awareness you can actually motivate people – where individuals feel that they need to take action," she said.
"That to me is the starting point to help women, especially women who are suffering domestic violence."
She said her aspiration is ultimately to help all kinds of marginalized people, including "children, elderly people, men, everyone."
With files from CTV Vancouver's Maria Weisgarber
