Adi Elenoa Titokovesi Cagi enjoyed music so much that she decided to make a career out of it.

“I grew up with music as my ‘thing’. Later on, during my high school life, I thought it would be cool to take up Disc Jockeying as a career and even seriously pondered and entertained the idea,” said Cagi.

However, this career choice did not go well with her parents.

“Of course, my parents, frowned upon this and as the ones financing my education at the time, they had a say in my career choices – it wasn’t my sole decision to make,” she added.

Disappointed, she began her journey of experiments which led to her finally realising her dream.

Youngest amongst five siblings, Cagi grew up in Suva. She attended Saint Agnes Primary School up to Class Five. After this, her family moved to Lautoka where she continued her education at Saint Thomas Primary School. She completed her high school education at Saint Thomas High School in Lautoka and Saint John’s College in Cawaci Ovalau.

After Form Six, she enrolled in Stage One Shipbuilding at Fiji National University’s (FNU), Fiji Maritime Academy (FMA). Following the first year of studies, Cagi realised this field was not for her. So, she returned to high school and completed Form Seven.

Upon completion of her Form Seven studies, she took another chance in a field unknown to her – Welding and Fabrication, in an attempt to find something she would enjoy as much as music. Alas! This was also something she did not relish.

Not being one to give up, Cagi did some research, and upon discussions with her parents, she decided to explore Film and Television Production; a field that was more focused on videography and included sound – allowing her to keep her interest alive.

Cagi enrolled in the Certificate IV in Film and Television Production programme at FNU’s College of Humanities and Education (CHE), a qualification she graduated with, in 2015.

As part of her programme, she was required to do a six months practical attachment, which she completed at the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC). After this, she was offered a full-time job as the Productions Assistant at FBC.

“I continued to be involved in the other productions departments for the station that later landed me my next position as a ‘Promo-Producer’ for about two years. I then made a very risky move (but I’ve not regretted that decision) with a rewarding offer as a freelancer, after my stint with FBC,” she shared.

As part of her freelancing work, Cagi worked on praiseworthy projects such as Fiji’s first-ever Disability Gala Awards that was held in March this year.

An offer of full-time work presented itself, and she then joined FNU as the Multimedia Production Assistant under the Office of the Pro–Vice-Chancellor – Learning and Teaching.

“This has been the pinnacle of my professional experience. Not only am I an integral part of this great direction towards providing accessible and advanced learning systems for our respected institution in our ever technologically evolving education systems, I am also blessed to be part of a dedicated team,” she added.

Giving her advice to FNU students, Cagi stated, “Educate yourself, especially outside the classroom. Ask the right questions – asking is learning. Knowledge is attainable; what you do with it, determines your direction. Lastly, be bold! Be creative! And have fun!”

She also shared her top three tips for graduates starting out in their careers.

“Learn and continue to learn – all the resources are accessible. Build your personal brand through your work and output and do not settle for what is expected – always strive to exceed expectations! Reach out to the right people for assistance in your career,” she emphasised.