From tropical heat to academic beat

Rene was in hospital in Tonga, recovering after giving birth to her daughter Sauliloa, when she received a call telling her she would be starting her study in Aotearoa New Zealand the following month. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Manaaki Scholarship had been awarded to Rene two years prior, but was delayed due to COVID-19.

Rene says she had to make her mind up quickly on whether to proceed, as she had only a week before she would have to make the move.

“The scholarship had been awarded to me when I was still teaching and not yet married. In those two years since, I had married my husband Steve and had my first born. To be told I had to commence studying so quickly was a lot, but that’s life. I went straight from the maternity unit in Tonga to the cold winter of Palmerston North. In Tonga, it is summer all year, so moving to a freezing winter meant I could barely go outside and could feel my flesh shaking even inside our flat. It was a hectic start of the semester for me!”

The scholarship allowed Rene to graduate into the field of environmental management via Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University, though four years prior this line of study had not been in her life plan. Rene graduated from the University of the South Pacific in 2017, majoring in Geography and Education. Rene says that it was when she started teaching geography in Tongan high schools that her dream began to shift.

“Rather than teaching, I found myself wanting to be out in the field and building a better environment for all, such as having more green spaces in public areas for individuals to enjoy living in a healthy environment."

It was this thought that motivated Rene to apply for the scholarship so she could pursue her studies in environmental management and could one day have the job she dreamed of. The 28-year-old says while it was a challenging experience, she is glad she took the scholarship.

“There was a real struggle between wanting to spend more time in the library but knowing I needed to get home to my daughter and husband. My daughter couldn’t drink from a bottle, so my husband would stroll her to sleep around campus so I could come out between lectures to feed her. It wasn’t easy, but I found I enjoyed the struggle. I made sure to balance the work with family time on the weekend. We would walk from Victoria Avenue to The Plaza to the parks and enjoy our time together.”

Rene says she is grateful to all who have contributed to her chance to experience life at Massey.

“I am grateful to have an awesome God where all my blessings are from. I’m thankful for the Tongan community here in Palmerston North and the Fale Pasifika Team for all the love, from food provisions to emotional encouragement to proof reading assignments. I cannot thank them enough. Also, to my humble and loving husband for always supporting me 24/7.”

“My success comes from above. Grind, hustle and pray hard – these are the secrets to my success. I am proud to say that despite being a first time mom in the winter season of Palmy, the tears were worth it.”