A couple teaching at Dawasamu Secondary School in Tailevu graduated with a Post Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of the South Pacific Laucala Campus in Suva today.
42-year-old Poonam Anjali, who is the Science Head of the Department at the School said her husband Rajnil Singh, who is a Mathematics teacher, encouraged her to pursue her education further.
“It was a bit challenging for me because I am teaching; I have children and a big family as well. It was hard to grasp everything at once like doing house chores then going to school to teach children and also attending lectures and reading the weekly notes.”
“Making a return to USP was a decision my husband took for himself and then he asked me to join him. I knew it would be challenging yet I took it because he was very supportive. I had to manage my time wisely because I am a HOD and I have a lot on my plate.”
“Sometimes I fell behind in reading my notes because that was the main thing we had for our assignment. Basically, I sacrificed my weekends and re-listened to the lectures and read the notes. My in-laws were very supportive towards me and took care of the children and the house while I was studying.”
“My husband believed me and he also sat with me and explained topics that were difficult to understand. Our lecturers were also very helpful as they frequently responded to us whenever we faced any difficulties. My major challenge was that as a mother I had to keep a strong focus on my children because they needed me a lot so I had to balance things and take out time for studies.”
Her 40-year-old husband said it was an emotional day for him to see Anjali walk up to the stage and collect her certificate.
“I always gave my wife an equal opportunity in life and today seeing her with a post-grad certificate; it’s a very emotional moment for me. I never dreamt of this day in life when my wife and I will graduate. It’s a big achievement for me because I always wanted my wife to be by my side on my happy and tough days and she is. I’m really proud of her because she really held our family together and was always focused on achieving success.”
“The reason why I wanted to study at USP was to upgrade my qualification to take up some leadership roles and the environment at USP was very helpful to me. I have been in the teaching field for over 15 years so I thought that it was time to take up new challenges.”
“I had to balance my professional, family and school work because it was a bit difficult to take time out from school and family and study. Daily after teaching in school, I sat back in the office and went through the readings to keep myself on the right track.”
“My message to the young students and those who feel that it’s late for them to pursue their education is that if we can achieve all this in our 40’s then why can’t you at least try. The biggest winner is those who try and you never know, you might succeed.”
