Peni Turagabaleti was awarded the gold medal for his ex­ceptional Masters thesis research from the University of the South Pacific on Thursday.

His research delves into the integration of urban farm­ing into urban planning in which he was awarded the Best Outstanding Research medal from his lot.

The 32-year-old believed it was commitment to work that enabled him to graduate with his Masters of Com­merce qualification.

“Studying is hard because sometimes you have to stay awake. Student life as a whole is challenging,” he said.

The support from his family both financially and emo­tionally was what kept him on his feet.

“Every parent has a struggle of putting their children through school. Just like my parents who went beyond their means to get me to where I am today,” he said.

“Meeting my deadlines was really hard. I had to man­age my time well in order to get my thesis done. Some­times, I stayed awake late into the night and do my stud­ies.

“A lot of struggles, but they were all worth it in the end.”

He added students must learn how to manage their time well in order to complete their studies.

The Dakuibeqa, Beqa native works as a property officer at the Fiji National Provident Fund.