Sotamanuia Mefi Pau Talisali was awarded three gold medals for academic excellence as she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of the South Pacific. 

The 32-year-old was recognised as the most outstanding graduate in Psychology, the most outstanding graduate in Sociology, and the most outstanding graduate in the School of Arts, Communication, and Education. 

The awards were presented during the university’s graduation ceremony held on Friday at the Maota o Tupulaga Hall in Sogi. A total of 181 students graduated from USP, of the total graduates, 122 were females. The graduation session featured students from Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, United States of America and Vanuatu.

Talisali's achievements reflect her dedication and outstanding performance throughout her academic journey.

The graduate expressed her emotions after receiving her award, saying, “Overwhelmed, and excited, and thankful, and grateful, and everything.”

 Her achievement marks a significant comeback after she first began pursuing her Bachelor of Science but gave up in late 2015 following the birth of her son. She shared that it was the birth of her daughter in 2018 that helped her “rekindle her trust in God’s timing.” Reflecting on that turning point, she said, 

“That day I vowed more to him than to myself, that if given another chance,” she said,

 “I would earn a medal for the Sotamanuia who once failed. I held onto my faith, knowing he had already seen my future and guided my steps.” Her journey was far from easy. 

“It wasn’t easy. I battled mental health problems, struggled financially, mourned loved ones, raced against the clock, endured sleepless nights, missed deadlines and doubted myself,” she recalled.

In her final year, she made peace with letting go of her gold medal dream and focused instead on simply graduating.

Hailing from Ulutogia Aleipata, Sotamanuia is the second of six siblings and the daughter of Alataua and Mefi. Despite the demands of motherhood and her responsibilities at home, she successfully balanced family life with her academic pursuits. Now equipped with her qualifications, Sotamanuia has ambitious plans for the future, with a strong desire to use her education as a tool to uplift and empower others.

Sotemanuia’s journey to success was inspired by her two children, her parents, and the experience of failing her Bachelor of Science in 2015. After a seven-year break to focus on motherhood, she made the bold decision to return to her studies in 2022. 

Currently, she is pursuing her postgraduate degree full-time, with just one semester remaining and plans to graduate next year. “There’s a lot of plans. But, mostly to, you know, use education as a tool to elevate people,” she said. 

As a private student, her education has been largely funded by her husband and siblings, along with a scholarship that covered three semesters.