Meretinai Vaturaiyawa, a student from Nakorotubu Secondary School, has expressed her strong desire to pursue her tertiary education at Fiji National University (FNU). At 16 years old, she aspires to become a nurse, having attended the FNU Open Day where she focused on Food Science and explored the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Science.
“I am eager to learn about the opportunities in the medical field,” Ms. Vaturaiyawa stated. Notably, she pointed out that there is a health center located in Namarai Village, Nakorotubu, Ra, but currently there are no representatives from her village, including Veidrala, employed there.
“It is my goal to one day work as a nurse at the health center in Namarai,” she added. Following her experience at the FNU Open Day in Nasinu, she decided that FNU would be her institution of choice for higher education.
Ms. Vaturaiyawa mentioned that her school was established in 2020 and she enrolled in Year Nine in 2021. She also highlighted challenges within her school’s academic staff, explaining that there were no Biology and Chemistry teachers during the first two terms of the year. While they have finally acquired a Biology and Chemistry teacher in Term Three, Ms. Vaturaiyawa noted the absence of a Home Economics teacher, stating, “Our vice-principal usually issues out worksheets for us in the Home Economics classes.”