Proudly marching out with her fellow recruits onto the parade ground in Nasova and striding up to receive her award from the Prime Minister was not just a personal achievement for Police Constable Lilian Kalouvinaka Bolatolu.
She is now following in the footsteps of a woman who had inspired her journey into policing from the very beginning — her grandmother, former acting assistant commissioner of police Unaisi Bolatolu-Vuniwaqa.
Now serving as the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Safety and Security, Ms Vuniwaqa is regarded as one of the pioneering senior female officers of the Fiji Police Force.
For the 24-year-old recruit, her grandmother’s example played a major role in shaping her ambitions.
“She was my role model and a major source of inspiration for me,” PC Bolatolu said.
Originally from Dravuwalu Village on Totoya in the province of Lau, with maternal links to Motusa on Rotuma, PC Bolatolu graduated as part of Batch 69 of the Fiji Police Academy, comprising recruits from both Fiji and Tuvalu.
Her success was further recognised when she received the Commissioner’s Book Prize for excellence in both the physical and theoretical components of the training programme.
Before joining the Force, PC Bolatolu worked as a credit officer at Central Finance and also served as a Special Constable. However, the transition from civilian life to recruit training was far from easy.
She recalls that some of the greatest challenges were adjusting to the academy’s demanding routine, particularly the early mornings, sleepless nights and finding enough time to study.
“The most difficult challenge I faced during training was getting up early and coping with sleepless nights,” she said.
“It was also very difficult to find enough time to study.”
While the physical and academic demands tested her endurance, another challenge weighed heavily on her throughout the course — being separated from her children.
“I really did miss them,” she said.
Rather than becoming discouraged, she used that sacrifice as motivation.
“Being away from them motivated me to push myself even harder.”
She said recruits were required to complete rigorous exercises designed to develop resilience and prepare them for the realities of policing.
The support of family also played a crucial role in helping her reach graduation day.
PC Bolatolu credits her grandparents for making significant sacrifices to help her achieve her dream of becoming a police officer.
Despite facing their own challenges, they continued encouraging and supporting her ambitions.
Looking back on her journey, she admits there were moments when she doubted herself.
However, the encouragement of family, friends and fellow recruits helped her persevere through the academy’s toughest moments.
Now wearing the police uniform with pride, PC Bolatolu regards graduating from the academy as one of her greatest achievements.
