PNG

Rowena’s parents were young teachers who initially taught in Bougainville but moved to Port Moresby following the Bougainville crisis. In spite of their hardship, they raised a family in the capital, hoping for a brighter future. In 2011, at 12 years old and in 8th Grade, Rowena’s father was incarcerated at the Bomana Prison, and 2 months later, she lost her mother following a 3-year battle with breast cancer. Suddenly, her world had turned upside down.
‘It was not easy to juggle stress and trauma as a teenager, so I tried to maintain a positive mindset and have faith that all would work out in the end. I was determined to prepare myself to get the right kind of educational opportunities; to be informed, stay engaged and have a sense of service to those around me—my family, my community.’
Rowena had one explicit goal that kept her going during the toughest times: to complete high school and chart a path for herself. Rowena moved to East New Britain to live with an aunt after her mother’s passing. There, she attended Grades 9–10 at OLSH Secondary School, before transferring back to the capital for Grades 11–12 at Marianville Secondary School, thanks to the support of her family members.

Her motivation to study law was strong. She sought to understand how the law, which had so impacted her life, was defined, created, legislated and enacted. In 2018, in her 3rd year of Law at the University of Papua New Guinea, Rowena’s story of determination and resilience was immediately recognised by the recently arrived leaders of CareerTrackers. Hearing the vision and opportunity at hand, Rowena immediately assumed a sense of responsibility for the future of the program in PNG: if she and her 9 CareerTrackers colleagues performed well and set this program on course, many more after her, who shared similar stories of hardship and grit throughout their lives, could have the same opportunities she had.

Rowena interned with Dentons for 3 months every Christmas holiday over 3 years. By January 2021, Rowena had graduated from the University of Papua New Guinea and the PNG Legal Training Institute as a lawyer. Multiple internships did not simply provide Rowena with exposure to a law firm: within it, CareerTrackers had embedded goal-setting, mentoring relationships, performance reviews and professional development training that had supercharged her dreams and leveraged her determination.
‘I’m forever grateful for the opportunity provided by CareerTrackers to give me another educational opportunity; to intern at Dentons.’ Upon being admitted to practice as a lawyer of the National Supreme Courts of PNG, Dentons contacted Rowena to offer her a place within their office. Their investment in her development and their belief in her ability, having challenged her and observed her growth over many years, made her an ideal candidate. Like Rowena, all CareerTrackers students are trailblazers: they represent a new generation of PNG business and community leaders.