“I’m glad that all my efforts and hard work have finally paid off. I want to acknowledge my family for their support and prayers. They have always been there for me and that is why I am where I am now” – Telei’ai Dr Lalotoa Mulitalo
A Samoan lawyer and lecturer, Telei’ai Dr Lalotoa Mulitalo, has made her family very proud.
Having recently graduated with a PhD in Law from Queensland University in Australia, Telei’ai says there is one person she wishes was around to celebrate with her.
That person is her father, the late Mulitalo Ropi Seumanutafa. He passed on in 2008.
“I only wished that my father was here to witness this moment,” she says.
The seventh of eight children of the late Mulitalo and Lalotoa Mulitalo, Telei’ai hails from the villages of Apia, Saoluafata, Lalomalava and Leulumoega.
During her graduation in Australia, however, Telei’ai was able to celebrate with her mother, Lalotoa. They were joined by many relatives and friends, including people who made the trip from Samoa for her special day.
What made the occasion even more special was the fact she received an Award of Excellence for her thesis.
“I’m so grateful that I’ve made it this far,” says Dr Mulitalo. “Having had the support of my family along the way really helped me a lot.”
Samoa’s newest doctor acknowledges the support of the New Zealand, Australia and the Samoan government.
Dr Mulitalo’s thesis focused on the development of laws that benefit the people of Samoa and the Pacific.
Her interest in the area follows more than fifteen years of having worked in the legal sector in Samoa.
“In my first five years (at the Office of the Attorney General), I worked in criminal prosecution, civil litigation and providing legal advice on complex matters involving the government,” she says.
Later, she spent another five years as the Parliamentary Counsel, responsible for the drafting and review of Parliament Bills and Regulations.
Before Dr Mulitalo joined the Office of the Attorney General, she worked for four years at the Ministry of Justice and Courts Administration (Samoa).
She also worked at the Land and Titles Court (L.T.C).
Today, Dr Mulitalo says all those years prepared her for what she has achieved.
“I’m glad that all my efforts and hard work have finally paid off,” says Dr Mulitalo.
“I want to acknowledge my family for their support and prayers. They have always been there for me and that is why I am where I am now.”
Dr Mulitalo is currently a Lecturer at the University of the South Pacific Law School in Vanuatu.
But she might not be there for too long.
“I just want to come back home and do something for my country,” she says.
<!-- 336x280 (bottom-article) -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:336px;height:280px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-2469982834957525"
data-ad-slot="1033882026"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>{/googleAds}
<!-- ads-articles(24.03.14) -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:336px;height:280px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-9419815128221199"
data-ad-slot="2395638412"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>{/googleAds}