Mereseini Galu Baro with her daughter at FNU’s Tamavua Campus after receiving her Certificate.

Daily juggle between work, motherhood, family and studies proved rewarding for Mereseini Galu Baro when she received her Higher Education Certificate Teaching in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

The 34-year-old graduated from Fiji National University’s (FNU) College of Humanities and Education (CHE), which offers a diverse range of programmes for careers in teaching, childcare, music, library services and so forth.

Baro and 1640 other students who were to have graduated last year could not have a traditional ceremony due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, these students can now pick up their certificates from FNU’s Tamavua Campus until the end of this week.

“It is a rewarding moment for me to be able to hold this piece of paper today. My certificate is not only the testament of my struggles but also a lesson that we can achieve any goal in life if we put our heart and mind to it,” said Baro.

The proud mother of a two-year-old daughter is a teacher at Christian Mission Fellowship College. Her first qualification was Diploma in Physical Education, Music, Art and Craft (PEMAC) and she later completed a Graduate Certificate in Education from FNU’s College of Humanities and Education.

She acknowledged the continuous support of her family which enabled her to attain the third qualification.

“Most of all I am thankful to the almighty God for giving me the power and the strength to overcome the daily challenges of life and have a successful career. My mother and sister have been a blessing in my life and not forgetting my ever-supportive husband.”

“I work from 8am to 4.30pm weekdays and then had to attend classes from 5 in the evening to almost 9pm sometimes. Due to these timings, it was difficult for me to look after our daughter but I am grateful to my mum and sister for being the motherly figure in my daughter’s life.”

“I dedicate this proud moment to my family,” said the soft-spoken mother.

Baro encouraged youths to prioritise their goals and work diligently towards achieving them.

“We need to have faith in ourselves. Be realistic when penning down your goals and trust yourself to achieve everything that you desire as I believe with positive self-esteem you can concur all your dreams,” Baro added.