Shivani Kumar.

Self-belief and perseverance have been the pillars of strength for Shivani Kumar in achieving her educational dreams despite facing personal challenges, including the demise of her father.

Kumar said her academic goals and ambitions were ‘up in the air’ soon after she commenced studying Trade Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) in 2015 following the loss of her mentor.

“I was completely shattered. I postponed my studies and took a break to understand about my life better. I started working to assist my family financially,” said Kumar.

“During this phase, my family was very supportive and encouraged me to refocus on my studies. My strength is my mother, Sarita Devi, who has always been there for me. It’s not easy being a working mother, but she kept on pushing me to do better and to never stop believing in myself. She is my inspiration,” said the 24-year-old Kumar.

After a two year break, Kumar rejoined FNU, determined to fulfil her dream in the memory for her father.

“I was easily able to adapt well into the university atmosphere despite the study gap as FNU provided me with a flexible learning environment which was student-friendly and the experienced lecturers also made my studies enjoyable,” she added.

The hardworking FNU alumna is now an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) assistant at the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF).

WAF is the national provider for water and wastewater services, and its operations are spread all over Fiji, including the maritime islands.

“The knowledge and skills gained through my study have enabled me to work in this multi-facet organisation with people of various cultural and professions in enhancing their understanding of OHS,” highlighted Kumar.

“OHS deals with all aspects of physical, mental and social health and safety in the workplace. I love working with people and ensuring that everyone can work in a safe environment every day. When workers are safe the workplace productivity increases as well.”

Kumar said working at WAF is fun and rewarding as she’s able to learn new things from experienced staff and at the same time share her knowledge with them regarding workplace safety.

According to Kumar, the thought of ensuring employees return home safely to their loved ones inspired her to pursue Trade Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) at FNU.

“I would encourage more people to enrol in this programme as there are plenty of career opportunities available. It is an exemplary choice for someone looking to stay in a particular industry but wanting to expand their skills and employability further,” she added.

Kumar recollected the invaluable advice she received when she was studying, which she uses to inspire prospective students.

“Life is not always easy therefore you need patience and persistence to achieve your goals. Often, we tend to give up easily because we still look at how far we have to go in life instead of how far we have come. So work hard to achieve your goals,” she added.

“My future goal is to develop more skills and enhance more knowledge so I can climb my way up the ranks and become one of the managers in any organisation,” said Kumar.