At 60 years old, father and grandfather Lavea Lua Nafoi was one of the graduates at the National University of Samoa on Friday. He graduated with a Postgraduate in Executive Leadership. 

He is the national president of SUNGO - the national body for non-governmental organisations and a board of directors of the Samoa National Provident Fund.

"I'm a firm believer that the road to success is to have a good education but in terms of having that mindset that we are old, and can't go back to school? Honestly, it has nothing to do with age. Age is just a number but it's your determination, commitment, and willingness to go all the way. That is my belief," he said. 

"I graduated in 1994 from Australia, returned to Samoa and the Public Service Commission told me to work in the Broadcasting Department in those days. So we started the Samoa Broadcasting Corporation, and after a decade I moved to SamoaTel. I also worked there when Bluesky came in, until Vodafone. 

"It's been two years since I retired. I love serving our people and also our government, and I thought now that I have retired, why not go back to school? And so, I went to the National University and took on the Postgraduate course in Executive Leadership and here I am graduating."

Lavea believes that the sky's the limit and every student should have that willingness, inspiration, and motivation to keep going so they can achieve their goals. He also challenged the young generation and the youth of Samoa to never give up on their dreams and goals.

"My advice is don't give up, don't lose hope. God gives chances and opportunities to those who are willing, and motivated. No matter what age, you can always aim higher. There are always means and ways to achieve our goals. My children have all graduated from the University except for one who is still finishing her Doctor's degree. There is nothing you can't do if your heart and mind are there," he said.

"The challenges for us who are old is trying to adapt to the beat and pace of the course as well as time management. I had to manage my time between my family commitments and school commitments. There's a lot of opportunities out there for our youth and students. There are a lot of courses that's applicable to their skills and expertise."