GLOVINI Hatamara Tibon, an upcoming lawyer, seeks to help those who cannot seek justice on their own or lack the means and resources to do so.
The 20-year-old is one of six siblings. Her mum hails from the beautiful island of Rotuma and her father is from the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Before making the ultimate decision to study law full-time, she had also considered either being a doctor or teacher.
Ms Tibon said despite growing up in a secure and safe environment, her hard working and caring mother ensured all her siblings received the best life had to offer.
“Life growing up was pretty simple and as I look back I feel content as I don’t feel that there was anything missing,” she said.
“Although I was raised by a single-parent, my mother did her best to provide for my basic needs.
“My maternal grandfather also played a significant role in my upbringing being the head of the house and a father figure I needed.
“Academics have always been a huge focus in my family and since a handful of them were teachers, I was fortunate to receive academic assistance from them.”
As she moved through primary and secondary education, her passion and interest to study law grew.
“My passion to study law begun in the later stages of primary school and continued to grow throughout secondary school.
“A key reason I wanted to study law was because I believed there is a need to help the less fortunate and those silenced by injustice.
“Another reason was to make my family proud. I would be the first lawyer in the family.”
Ms Tibon said she made the decision to make it a reality by enrolling at the University of the South Pacific to pursue a law degree.
“I believe that studying law challenges individuals to perform their best and to me, personally, studying towards achieving that law degree has got me out of my comfort zone — like publicly speaking which has improved my confidence level.
“When we have moot assignments it gives students a good opportunity to experience and practice proper legal etiquette.
“Another thing I enjoy about studying law is that we find out a lot about the history of the legal systems not just in Fiji, but around the Pacific as well. There are a tonnes of eye-opening and significant cases that have been assigned to us to read.”
Ms Tibon said the journey was never easy and she too faced challenges most young people encountered.
“But the best advice to help fight the trials and tribulations of life is to always put God first in whatever you do, but also do your best and let God do the rest.”
In five years, Ms Tibon hopes to work in a law firm, either in Fiji or in the Marshall Islands.
She advises those interested in studying law to first prioritise their mental health before anything else.
“As much as it is important to prioritise your studies, you must also take care of your health, particularly your mental health. You also must be ready to put yourself out there and be confident.”
