Timoci Natutusau, remembering his humble beginnings in the Nadarivatu mountains, found it difficult to contain his tears.

At the Fiji National University’s April graduation, Natutusau was one of the 1592 graduates.

Timoci said, “I am the first person in my family to graduate!” with pride.

This moment is for my mother and father, who both work as subsistence farmers and take care of our family. Our lives have never been the same as they are now.

In order to arrive in time for their son’s special day, his parents departed Nadarivatu in the early hours of the morning.

The graduate of the Bachelor of Commerce in Human Resources, Industrial Relations, and Management is appreciative to the Buyabuya villagers for their financial support, which he says was his greatest challenge while pursuing his education.

In my situation, the adage “it takes a village to raise a child” is accurate! I am incredibly grateful to my village friends and family for their financial support of my academic endeavors.

“I am committing this accomplishment to my people in Buyabuya, and I intend to return the favor as soon as I find employment,” Natutusau stated.

The advice given by Natutusau to the young Fijians living in the isolated and rural communities of Fiji was incredibly motivating.

“If your heart is genuinely willing, nothing is impossible. You can accomplish anything if you put your heart and mind into it and are committed to doing it!”