Monisha Shivani Prasad

A single sentence from a biology teacher, changed the course of Monisha Shivani Prasad’s life.

It was an ordinary Form 5 biology class at St. Joseph’s Secondary School in Suva, when the topic of ship captains came up. Her teacher, Mrs Davui, remarked that she had never seen a female captain before. The words stayed with Monisha.

“I remember thinking, ‘Then I want to be the first,’” she recalls.

That thought would eventually take her from the classroom to the open sea and, years later, back to the very classrooms where her own maritime journey began.

Today, Monisha is an Assistant Instructor in the Safety and Survival Department at Fiji National University’s Pacific Centre for Maritime Studies, the same institution she joined as a cadet in 2017.

Returning to FNU means more to her than moving forward in her career. It gives her the chance to share what she has learned and help a new generation of seafarers find their own path.

“I once sat in these classrooms dreaming about the person I wanted to become. Now I have the privilege of standing at the front of those classrooms and helping the next generation of seafarers, find their own direction. It feels like coming home, but this time with a responsibility to give back,” Monisha said.

Monisha’s connection to the sea began long before she considered maritime studies as a career. Her mother is from Koro Island and her father is from Rakiraki, and fishing was an important part of her family life. Her grandfather and uncles worked as fishermen, so the ocean was a familiar part of her upbringing. She rarely missed an opportunity to go out on the water.

“In many ways, the sea was already in my blood,” she added.

Still, maritime studies was not the career her parents had first imagined for her. Coming from a pure science background, they hoped she would pursue medicine. Monisha, however, had already found something that felt right for her.

Choosing that path meant entering an industry where women remain underrepresented. As a young woman starting out in a traditionally male-dominated field, she knew there would be challenges. As an Indo-Fijian woman, she was also stepping outside some of the career expectations she had grown up around.

“There were moments when it would have been easier to question myself. But I had started the journey, and I was determined not to walk away from it simply because it was difficult,” Monisha expressed.

Her apprenticeship with Government Shipping Services gave her valuable practical experience and allowed her to complete the sea service required for her training. It was also where many of the lessons she now shares with students began to take shape.

For Monisha, maritime education is not simply about what is written in a textbook. She wants cadets to understand what their training means when they are on board a vessel. She encourages them to develop discipline, situational awareness, communication, teamwork, responsibility and confidence.

Monisha Shivani Prasad out at sea.

“A seafarer needs to be able to listen, communicate clearly, follow procedures and make responsible decisions, particularly when safety is involved. Going to sea does not mean you have finished learning. In fact, that is when another part of your education begins,” she explained.

Monisha also reminds her students that earning a qualification is not the end of their learning. Her own connection to the ocean has also shaped the way she talks to students about protecting the marine environment.

“The ocean has given so much to my family and to Fiji, so I believe our responsibility to protect it should be something every maritime student understands,” Monisha highlighted.

Monisha knows what it feels like to enter an unfamiliar environment as a young woman and wonder whether you truly belong. That experience has shaped the message she now shares with female cadets.

“When I speak to female cadets, I want them to see that their gender does not have to define the limits of their career. They can be competent, confident and capable seafarers,” she reiterated.

Monisha encourages young women to remain true to who they are while building their knowledge, skills and professionalism.

“If my journey can make another young woman think, ‘If she did it, maybe I can do it too,’ then I believe I am already making a difference. My journey is deeply personal, but I also recognise that it represents something bigger than myself,” she said

For Monisha, that possibility is particularly meaningful. As an Indo-Fijian woman who has built a career in maritime studies, she knows that seeing someone who looks like you in a role you may never have considered can change what you believe is possible.

She hopes that when a young Indo-Fijian girl sees her teaching at the Pacific Centre for Maritime Studies, she might begin to imagine a future she had not previously considered.

“I do not want young women to feel that their background, gender or culture determines how far they can go. I want them to understand that they can create their own path while still being proud of where they come from. Walk into the room knowing that you belong there,” Monisha added.

Monisha Shivani Prasad during her graduation from FNU’s Pacific Centre for Maritime Studies.

Monisha is encouraging young women who are considering a career at sea to know what they want, understand their responsibilities, respect others, build their skills and have confidence in their place.

For Monisha, the journey from that Form 5 classroom to the open sea, and back again has come full circle. She hopes that somewhere among those students is another young woman who will hear her story and think, ‘if she can do it, maybe I can too.’

The student who once heard her teacher say she had never seen a female captain, is now standing in front of a new generation of cadets, sharing what she has learned and encouraging them to believe in themselves.