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The Samaratunga triplets, Chanel, left, Chloe and Roselle, who are all graduating from AUT on Monday. Photo / Dean Purcell
The parallel milestones keep ticking over for the 22-year-old Samaratunga triplets who tomorrow will graduate at Spark Arena, watched over by their “very excited” parents.
Chloe, Chanel and Roselle Samaratunga will all graduate on Monday with Bachelor degrees at AUT University with additional postgraduate honours.
The sisters are all now in fulltime work and saving to buy a house in Auckland together, while still living at their parents’ home in Glendene.
Their educational journey has almost been a mirror image, after they all received the AUT school leaver scholarship to begin study in 2018.
“It’s kind of cool to close this chapter together. You know we’ve spent our whole childhood together and all our schooling together so it’s pretty nice to graduate at the same time,” Chloe Samaratunga said.
Graduation day holds extra pride and significance for the Samaratunga parents, who deeply value higher education but never got the opportunity to follow it themselves while growing up in Sri Lanka.
“Definitely [they value education]. I feel like because they moved here from Sri Lanka over 25 years ago and my Mum didn’t get to pursue her education there so she’s really happy for us to get that opportunity here and graduate,” Chloe Samaratunga said.
“I think they’re really excited to finally have us done with education, and a new chapter for adults.”
The Herald has covered the Samaratunga girls’ journey since their mother Jacqueline gave birth to them in 2000.
The Samaratungas emigrated from Sri Lanka in 1989, and ran the Continental Cafe in Henderson for many years.
Dad Rohan Samaratunga set up a bed in the cafe storeroom halfway through the pregnancy so he could keep a close eye on his wife as he continued to work. Mum Jacqueline Samaratunga had had difficulty with an earlier pregnancy and so the couple were anxious about the prospect of triplets.
Now 22 years later, Chloe says the bond the three sisters have is extremely strong, despite the odd sibling argument.
“We get along really well. It’s a very interesting dynamic. ‘Do you guys fight?’ is always the first question everyone asks and we do but it doesn’t last long. We have a bond where even if we are angry with each other it lasts like five minutes. We have each other’s backs.”
Chloe Samaratunga says she adapted to the stress of uni life over the four years she was at AUT.
“I feel like in the first year I definitely took it a lot more seriously, then I kind of realised it’s actually quite chill and you’ve got to just enjoy these years. Especially now that I’m working fulltime, uni was actually such a walk in the park, ha.”
Chloe and Roselle Samaratunga both completed a Bachelor of Advanced Science with honours.
Chloe Samaratunga majored in geospatial science and now works at engineering consultancy Tonkin and Taylor as an analyst.
Roselle Samaratunga majored in food science and now works at Mr Chips in quality control.
Chanel Samaratunga completed a Bachelor of Business, with an additional honours year, and now works in Countdown’s New Zealand head office as a supply manager.
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