At just 26 years old, Tuiala Junior Ah Sam says he is now one step closer to achieving his lifelong goal of becoming a Chartered Professional Engineer.

He graduated with a Master's of Civil Engineering from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University in Melbourne.

Hailing from Aleisa, Tuana’i, Matautu Lefaga and Faleu Manono, Tuiala’s journey is rooted in faith, family sacrifice, and hard work. 

“I have six siblings, with me being the fifth. During school days, my dad was the only one working while my mum took care of everything and everyone. Private school fees and expenses for all of us were expensive, but my dad worked hard to provide for them," said Tuiala. 

"My mum made sure we were rooted in God and in our Catholic faith. My mum always told me that achievements didn't matter if we weren’t humble and obedient. This kept me grounded."

Tuiala attended Samoa Primary School before moving on to Samoa College. He later studied at the National University of Samoa (NUS), where he received a scholarship to complete a Bachelor of Engineering Technology in Building Engineering. After graduating, he returned to Samoa and worked for three years before applying for an Australia Awards scholarship to further his studies.

His professional experience includes completing his internship at the Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure (MWTI) Asset Management and Buildings Division during his undergraduate studies. He later worked at OSM Consultants before leaving for Australia to pursue his Master's in Civil Engineering, aiming to upskill and become a qualified Civil Engineer.

Looking ahead, Tuiala plans to use his qualification to give back to Samoa. He plans to use his knowledge, skills and experience gained to contribute to the infrastructure projects for a well-served, connected and developed Samoa. With high hopes to share the gained knowledge and skills with the civil engineering industry in Samoa.

While proud of how far he has come, Tuiala believes his journey is far from over. “‘The goal is to become a Chartered Professional Engineer and after my recent achievement, I believe I am a step closer.’”