Carolyn fulfills dad’s dream, wish

By ZEDAIAH KANAU
IT was around noon on Dec 13 the Waigani National Court welcomed 75 new lawyers into the legal fraternity.
Among them was Carolyn Bomai, who had similar emotions as her fellow students who had just received certificates to practise law.
Coming from a Chimbu-Eastern Highlands parentage, Bomai, 24, had achieved two goals on the day.
She had just fulfilled her dad’s wish and dreams for her to become a lawyer.
Bomai is the second of five children, all grew up at Morata One, Port Moresby.
Dad Cletus grew up in one of the remotest parts of Chimbu at Kuleka village, Gumine district, where vegetation is overruled by the a rocky landscape, making gardening difficult.
Dad’s struggling background has always been Carolyn’s inspiration.
He is a mechanical engineer while mum is self-employed??.
“My role model is my father because he comes from a very poor background and his struggles will always be my drive and motivation,” Bomai said.
“Because of the struggles he had gone through, the only way I could make him feel better is through education which is his emphasis towards us, his children.”
Dad was beaming with pride on April 26 when Bomai graduated from the University of PNG with a law degree after four years of hard work.
“If there is no hard work and support, then expect nothing. You have to work hard and put effort into what you want to achieve,” Bomai said.
“Education is the key to all doors. This is what my father used to tell me all the time.”
Bomai started her journey in 2001 at Noblet Catholic Elementary School and then proceeded to Carr Memorial Adventist to finish her primary schooling.
In 2010, she went to Kabiufa Adventist Secondary (in EHP) for grade 9 but returned to Port Moresby and enrolled at Jubilee Catholic Secondary where she had her secondary school education.
Bomai took up studies at UPNG in 2015, making it through to her final year. She was the vice-president of the Eastern Highlands Students’ Union in 2018.
“Most of the leadership roles during our school years were taken up by males so I decided to take up that role to involve the females and prove that women are capable of leading too.”
Bomai did her postgraduate legal training last year at the Legal Training Institute.
“My interest in becoming a criminal lawyer grew stronger due to one of my instructors at LTI, Vasiti Mauta.

“ My role model is my father because he comes from a very poor background and his struggles will always be my drive and motivation.”

“After attending all her classes and seeing how she conducts herself motivated me to becoming a criminal lawyer. She always tells us to believe in ourselves and know our worth, which is what I stand for.”
One of Bomai’s ambitions is to one day see that all PNG citizens versed in law and know their rights.
“The enforcers of the law have to do more awareness and educate the people. People need to know their rights and when they know their rights that’s when they do things in an acceptable way in the society,”Bomai said.