An aspiring future composer, Sosoli Tupou, is the recipient of a fully-funded scholarship awarded by the St. Mary's Old Girls Association Class of 1990, presented on Thursday.

The 16-year-old has secured the award for three years in a row, since Year 10. 

It comes with two sets of uniform, Business Systems Ltd  vouchers, school fees plus her Samoa School Leaving Certificate examination fees.

Holding back tears during the presentation, Ms. Tupou said she was "so thankful and felt very privileged" to receive such help.

"I feel very privileged and very honoured to have this opportunity to have this scholarship as a student trying to develop my skills and knowledge at St. Mary's College. 

"So I'm very grateful and very blessed. I pray to God, with all his might to bless you all with your future plans."

Fia'ailetoa Charlotte Chan Mow-Brunt said the initiative was birthed in 2009 and to date, there have been 10 recipients of this award.

"This follows a recent review of the requirements for the scholarship award, whereby the former students agreed to provide this financial support for the nominated student all the way to Year 13," she said.

She said the school nominates a student worthy of the award by looking at girls who are academically gifted but come from families with financial difficulties.

"The school has therefore nominated her (Ms. Tupou) for the SMOGA Class of 1990 Award following her review that while she was a promising student with a bright future ahead of her, she needed financial assistance," said Fia'ailetoa.

Ms. Tupou said some of her favorite subjects are History and Geography. But her favourite is Music.

She wants to be a composer.

"I love writing songs," she said. "I've written many songs and I want it to become my career, it's [the] one thing that I love to do and as a hobby and I want it to be my future occupation."