Malani Cademartori has a unique appreciation for the opportunities afforded by public education. Born in Thailand and raised in Australia, Malani’s mother moved her daughters to Philadelphia in search of a better education and more opportunities than would have been available to them as half-Asian minorities in Australia at that time. The move changed the trajectory of her life and her ability to achieve thereafter.

Having been taught by her mother to never accept compromise in her academic performance, Malani attended New York University, where she worked her way through school as a full-time waitress and ultimately earned her Bachelor of the Arts with a double major in Political Science and East Asian Studies. Malani went on to graduate from Fordham University School of Law and was elevated to the position of partner with her current law firm of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton in 2010—just 10 days before giving birth to the first of her two daughters.

Although Malani has only lived in Hoboken for six years, her husband, Michael, and his family have deep Hoboken roots. Michael’s grandmother and grandfather, Catherine and Rudolf Bahun, were both born, got married, raised two children and ultimately passed away in Hoboken. Catherine Bahun worked in the Wallace school for over 40 years as an office administrator and is said to have known the name, birth date, phone number and all family members of every student she ever met.

Malani’s daughters both attend Salvatore Calabro Elementary School. For her, the choice of the Hoboken district schools for her children was never a question. “When I moved to public school in South Philly, I found a home in the diverse student body. Discovering and learning from our vast differences and experiences was the best part of my education.”

Malani was recently re-elected president of the Calabro PTO. She has worked diligently to enhance the experiences of the school’s students and support the faculty and staff. She has advocated and worked with the district to create a dedicated and safe outdoor play space for Calabro students and founded a monthly career day panel for kids in the upper grades to get them thinking about career possibilities later in life. Malani was also a main organizer of the district’s first district-wide PTO fundraising event featuring the Harlem Wizards and our various schools’ faculty members.