When 24-year-old Maureen Aniva Volentras stood before the Supreme Court of Samoa to be admitted as a barrister and solicitor, it felt like the closing of one chapter and the quiet beginning of another.

The daughter of Luatutu Andre Volentras and Usufono Leafa Volentras, and the second youngest of four siblings, Volentras hails from the villages of Fagali‘i and Salua, Manono. She credits her upbringing for instilling in her a deep sense of purpose and discipline.

“I was raised in a family that believed in the value of education, not just as a path to success, but as a way to serve others,” she said. “My parents were my first teachers, quietly sacrificing so that we could have every opportunity to grow.”

Volentras’ educational journey has taken her across the Pacific. She began at her late Nana’s kindergarten, Nightingale of Wisdom in Fagali‘i, before attending Vaiala Beach School. She later studied at Woodford International School in the Solomon Islands, Samoa Primary School, Collège du Tuband in New Caledonia, West End State School and Brisbane State High School in Australia, Robert Louis Stevenson School in Samoa, and Epsom Girls Grammar School in Auckland, New Zealand. She went on to earn a conjoint degree in Law and Arts at the University of Auckland.

Yet the road was far from smooth.

“I often questioned whether I was good enough, whether I truly belonged in those lecture halls filled with bright, confident minds,” she said. “The readings were intimidating… I feared opening the pages, afraid they would reveal what I didn’t yet understand.”

She said the turning point came through persistence. “How I overcame those challenges wasn’t through any single breakthrough,” she said. “It was quiet, slow, and unseen. I simply kept going. In time, what once felt impossible became routine.”

Earlier this year, Volentras began working under the supervision of Leone Su’a-Mailo at LSM Law Firm, where she has gained hands-on experience in criminal prosecution and defence, civil litigation, general solicitor work and electoral matters.

“She is the epitome of diligence,” Volentras said of Su’a-Mailo. “Through her example, I’ve learned that good legal work begins with genuine care — care for the client, care for the craft, and care for the details.”

Her admission to the Bar of the Supreme Court of Samoa marked a milestone not only for her but for her entire family.  

“My father stood as my moving counsel, and sitting beside him at the Bar was a moment I’ll never forget,” she said. “That day was not mine alone — it was a shared victory for my family.”

To other young Samoans aspiring to study law, Volentras offers words of encouragement: “Take your opportunities seriously, and when they come, run with them. Be patient with yourself. Growth takes time. Trust in God’s plan and His perfect timing. This profession is a calling — one of service, advocacy, and trust.”