Laura Haddock
15 October 2015: No stranger to hard work, Goulburn Mulwaree councillor, Sam Rowland has graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Canberra.
"After four and a half years of hard work, it is a great feeling to be graduating from the University of Canberra. Law is a challenging area of study and even more so in practice, so I am very proud to have finished this degree," Mr Rowland said.
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Sam Rowland, the youngest person ever elected into the Goulburn Mulwaree Council adds UC degree to his credentials. Photo: Michelle McAulay
Whilst studying at the University of Canberra, Mr Rowland became the youngest person elected in the history of the Goulburn Mulwaree Council and one of the youngest in the history of Australia when he was elected to the council at 20 years of age in 2012.
Mr Rowland's motivation to study Law and to become a councillor is strongly linked to his passion for advocacy.
"I want to be able to give people a voice and I want to be able to help people in a real and meaningful way. I really enjoy advocacy work and I have the opportunity to do that, both as a lawyer and as a councillor," he said.
In addition to his place on the council, Mr Rowland was also offered a job as a solicitor at local Goulburn law firm, Galland Elder Lulham, before graduating.
"When you are given an opportunity, you take it and make the most of it and that's what I have done at the University of Canberra."
Mr Rowland said the highlight of his degree was the strong focus on practical skills, as well as general skills, such as perseverance and communication, that he said he would carry through his professional life.
Mr Rowland commuted from Goulburn to Canberra for the duration of his degree and said that juggling his role as a Councillor and lawyer whilst studying was not easy, but his hard work and dedication paid off.
'When you love what you do, more often than not you do it well!' he said.
