Leilani tries out everything

By LORRAINE JIMAL
LEILANI Konjib wants to try her hand at many things – including modelling.
“My sister will say that I need to stop wearing cut jeans and stop acting like a boy and start acting like a girl (and for me to) try modeling.”
In 2015, Leilani joined the PNG modeling agencies and got publicity and good exposure from there. She is Miss Sanctuary Rapopo Hotel this year.
She works for the National Identity Registry as a data entry officer.
She is the third eldest in a family of three girls and two boys who grew up in Port Moresby.
Their father Greg is from Morobe and East Sepik and mother Kenney is from Central. She was born on June 21, 1996.
At a very young age, exhibited a zeal for leadership, always taking leading roles in everything although she admits that she is shy.
“It was something I always wanted to do but as a child growing up, I was very shy.”
She attended the Waigani Primary School and Car Memorial Adventist School where she became the school captain before going on to Gerehu Secondary School.
“It was an unfamiliar thing as most of the leaders in schools were boys and I experienced stigma.”
But she was strong-willed and believed in herself.
Leilani completed Grade 12 at the Port Moresby International School in 2014 and applied for as place at the University of PNG Science Foundation. She wanted to be a pediatrician. But she missed out because of a mistake in her grading.
“I studied Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, English and Information Technology but they graded me for Physics which I never took in school.”

“ My sister will say that I need to stop wearing cut jeans and stop acting like a boy and start acting like a girl. So try modelling.”

It spoiled her plans despite having the required GPA.
Officials were unable to rectify the problem.
“If they had fixed it on time, I would have got a placing to continue.”
Leilani worked for her father’s law firm for a while and decided to take up a law programme at UPNG.
In 2018, she had three choices to study in either China, Fiji or remain in PNG.
In China, she was to pursue a Bachelor in Software Engineering programme.
In Fiji, she was to attend the Fiji School of Medicine pursuing a Bachelor in Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) programme.
In PNG she was to study law at UPNG.
“It was a very difficult decision to make because most of my life I grew up with my family and just thinking of being far away from them worried me a lot.”
So she took up law.
“I wanted to help my father’s firm and people in the community as well. He’s the only one from his village who had reached a high level of education with a double degree.”
Unfortunately she didn’t complete her law programme because of some family issue.
Leilani loves to help others who are in need.
While at UPNG, she collected more than 300 books – reading books, encyclopedia and the dictionaries – which she donated to students at the Mumeng local level government in Morobe.
Leilani had collected the books with her friends to improve the reading skills of students at early age in rural area as the delivery of services there are poor.
Leilani believes that everyone should be given opportunities irrespective of their family backgrounds.
She tries to help her people to receive a good education.
Leilani keeps on trying.