Barbara Niumatalolo really wanted her middle child to pursue medicine in some capacity.
Va’a Niumatalolo certainly had the intelligence to get into that profession and also seemed to have the right mindset.
“As a child, Va’a was always so observant and detail-oriented. He was really good at all the science courses. I think he would have been awesome as a researcher,” Barbara Niumatalolo said. “I really pushed Va’a in that direction because I love medicine and wish I had done it. Of our three children, he was the one I thought would excel in that field.”
For a while, Va’a followed his mother’s advice with regard to career choice.