For two years, Salome Vatu­waliwali thrived on village work in her province of Ra after she failed some of her units at a prominent university in Suva.

It was in 2014 that she decided to put her studies on pause.

“While being in my village, I al­ways hoped and even dreamt of coming back to school because I knew I had a purpose,” she said.

That dream came true in 2017 when she enrolled at the Fiji Na­tional University to pursue a Bach­elor of Education (Secondary).

The 28-year-old was able to study her favourite subjects – Geography and History – thanks to the Ter­tiary Education Loans Scheme.

She graduated with her degree in both subjects on Friday.

Ms Vatuwaliwali said she was lucky to have been offered a second chance.

“Even though I didn’t do well in my studies before, I decided to give it another try,” Ms Vatuwaliwali said.

“What I have today is dedicated to my parents who have done so much for me.

“I did not manage my time really well and that was a struggle for me. I had to adjust in order to reach the finish line.

Ms Vatuwaliwali’s advice came down to one simple yet hard to fol­low word.

“Prioritise.”

Story By: josefa.babitu@fijisun.com.fj