Solomon Islander, Myrielyn Serina Komolo is excited to return home with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree majoring in Human Resource Management and Public Administration from the University of the South Pacific.
The 28-year-old flew in earlier this week to receive her much-anticipated Degree during the Laucala Campus graduation in Suva today and said four years of hard work has finally paid off.
“I feel really happy and humbled to hold my Degree in my hands today,” an excited Komolo told Fijilive.
“I’m really thankful that through the Solomon Islands Government Scholarship, my dreams have come into reality.”
“When I came to Fiji, I told myself that I really need to return home with a degree and although it took me four years, I’m thankful to God for giving me strength and my lecturers for guiding me on the right path.”
Sharing her experience of coming to study in Fiji in 2019, Komolo said at first she found it difficult to adjust in a country where she barely knew anyone.
“I felt alone although we came in a group but all of us were from different provinces in Solomon. Everything felt different from the environment I came from.”
“Making friends was like a nightmare for me because communicating with the Fijian students was difficult since my English was not good but then I took some additional English classes at the University and started to gel with the students here.”
“I had to understand the way of life here because it was my first time ever to stay away from family. In that journey, I learned a lot of things such as the value of money, striking the right balance between my studies and outdoor activities and also getting used to the food in Fiji.”
She also highlighted some of the key challenges she faced in her journey to obtaining a degree and how she overcame all of them.
“This was my first time studying at a University and student life is very tough. Each semester I took four units and the amount of pressure I underwent was nothing less than the biggest battle of my life.”
“At times, I felt like giving up but my parents were very supportive and they would help me calm down over the call whenever I cried. I had to stay up till late nights to complete my tutorials and also ended up skipping meals so that I am able to complete my assignments on time.”
“I’m thankful that whenever I reached out to my tutors and lecturers for assistance, they always helped me no matter how busy they were. They also taught me how to utilise my time wisely which helped me succeed today.”
Komolo dedicated her achievement to her family in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands for their never-ending support in life.
“It’s a special graduation for me that my family and sisters are here to witness this occasion. My family is my pillar of strength and this is an achievement for them.”
“My parents had the trust in me and that is what kept me striving for the best in my studies. Whenever I felt that I was lacking behind in my studies, I reminded myself that I was here to study to give my family a better life.”
“My message to the current students at the USP is to never give up. Sometimes you might feel like you cannot do, just believe in yourself and have faith in God because he never fails to guide you and help you.”
