At the University of the South Pacific’s graduation, MBA graduand and Fiji Airways pilot Gideon Leweniqila used his Session One address to urge fellow alumni to stay rooted in family and community — and to return home armed not just with wealth but with intellect. His speech, delivered amid mortarboards and leis, underlined how collective support and personal sacrifice turned study into service.
Leweniqila, who said he hails from the village of Drekeniwai Navatu in Cakaudrove, framed his achievement as shared. “In the midst of doing this course for two years, they were the very ones who carried us on so many challenges,” he told the assembly, acknowledging family and friends as co-contributors to the milestone. “For me, they are the ones that actually deserve the recognition along with us.”
The graduand — a pilot by profession — described the logistical and emotional juggling required to complete an intensive MBA while working in a highly regimented and unpredictable industry. He recounted being rostered for duty during mid‑semester exams and negotiating with his employer around flights, meetings and assessments. Leweniqila credited USP with strengthening his communication and problem‑solving skills, which he said helped him “diplomatically liaise” with colleagues and management to find practical pathways to complete his studies.
He used the platform to thank those who enabled that flexibility. Leweniqila singled out his wife, Amelia, and their children for personal support and expressed appreciation for senior captains and fellow pilots who stepped in to take on extra duties — at times covering flights so he could meet deadlines and attend the graduation ceremony. His closing appeal returned repeatedly to identity and responsibility: “Please remember the Pacific,” he urged, asking graduates to give back not only material resources but the knowledge and leadership they had gained.
Beside him on the graduation stage, Bachelor of Commerce graduand Adi Finau Adimailomaloma offered a complementary narrative of perseverance. She spoke candidly about personal and financial hardship during her studies, recalling moments when continuing felt uncertain. Despite those pressures, Adimailomaloma said she kept showing up and that graduation was proof the effort had been worthwhile.
“Nothing is impossible,” she told fellow students, urging persistence and faith. Her advice was framed not as a silver‑bullet solution but as a hard‑won conviction born from small, steady choices to press on when progress felt slow. For Adimailomaloma, the certificate is both culmination and a beginning — a tool to be used in the next chapter, whether that be employment or further study.
Together, the two graduates used their brief moments in the spotlight to shift the tone of the ceremony from celebration to responsibility. Both framed graduation as a transitional handover: a recognition of sacrifice and a call to action to lift communities. For Leweniqila, the next shift may see him back in the cockpit; for Adimailomaloma, the next step could be a first job or another course of study. Their shared message to the newest USP alumni was clear — remember those who carried you, remember where you come from, and use what you have learned to give back.
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