Beating the odds

Ruth Ueselani is one woman who has beaten all odds to prove that she is more than just a high school drop out with no future.

Last year, she graduated with a Masters in Business Administration (M.B.A) from the University of the South Pacific (U.S.P). Then on 9 April of this year, she attended a ceremony in Fiji where she was awarded a Gold Medal for her excellence in obtaining the highest scores in her MBA studies.

“All the glory to God for his endless blessings on me,” she said.

The mother of two gives the impression that she has had a carefree life. She draws your attention with her warm smile. According to her, that’s a sign of strengthen and wisdom.

Something that she has had to learn after enduring so much and going through the most roughest roads to achieve success in her life.

“Winning the gold medal was so satisfying because I not only sweated but personally paid for it - trying to earn it. It is a different feeling from the person that was sponsored because it isn’t their money,” she said.

“I guess that’s another reason why I was very determined. I didn’t want to waste my money and I went through so much to get there - it wasn’t an easy road.”

Ms. Ueselani claims that the achievement is far more fulfilling especially since “I was a teenage mother”. Last year, she lost her second husband.

“It was a sad time for me because my husband passed away in September and I graduated in December. Although he departed before I completed, I know he has been with me supporting me throughout my journey.

“I’d like to dedicate my Gold medal to him and my daughters.” Today at 32, she is a single mother of two. Her eldest is 17 - a year older than she was when she fell pregnant with Sonya.

“My achievements are very much dedicated to my late husband Sosefo Fatai Lama, my two daughters Sonya and Lynn, my dear parents and my family and friends.”

She prays that her endurance, patience and success will motivate her young daughters to live the right path when they become young women. But for now she hopes her story will inspire other women that struggle daily to make a better change in their lives in this world.

“Change is a choice and only you can make that choice for a better tomorrow.”

Achieving change is not always the easiest or most peaceful path, she said. But Ms. Ueselani believes that each person is different and achieving what she has needs heart and determination.

The Gold Medal is an award for the top student for the Masters in Business and Administration at U.S.P. It’s not only for Samoa but students from Fiji, Tonga, and the Solomon Islands and other Pacific countries.

“It’s such a prestigious award and I’m very humbled by it all.” Ms. Ueselani is originally from Pago Pago, American Samoa, but lives here in Samoa.

She currently works as a Coordinator for two of Samoa’s environmental initiatives at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (M.N.R.E). Her first government job was with the Samoa Water Authority in 2010 following her graduation with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2009.

Last year she moved to M.N.R.E. When she graduated from U.S.P. with her B.Com she had very high grades.

As a result she was recommended to tutor the students. Today this is part of her busy schedule – tutoring at the University here.

Her story is even more amazing because she never completed School Certificate or Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate, nor did she attend University Preparatory Year.

When she entered U.S.P. she was a mature student. So how does she feel achieving so much in her life despite continuous challenges? “I feel like I’m superwoman!”

And it’s a feeling she hopes will inspire other women, young or old, that have had to give up school at an early age to have babies.

“I am not encouraging young girls to have babies but what I am saying is that if it is happening in their lives they can achieve so much if they put their hearts and minds into it.”

According to her when her first marriage failed and she already had two children she told herself that she had to do something to “get out of the hell I was in and that was education – it was one thing that I was very good at”.

So, then started her long winding road juggling motherhood and her studies, and then tutorials and a job as well as being a wife again. But to Ms Ueselani it’s all been worth the while.

“I have been juggling everything in the past three years during my MBA and I came out with the winning gold medal.

“I came out on top – it’s a big milestone also for Samoa to inspire other women to have faith in yourself.”

She wants women in Samoa to remember: “You can do it, and you can rise to the top; it’s just a matter of hard work and commitment”.

She also acknowledges other Samoans that received awards from U.S.P.; Jenny Bennett and Iemaia Gabriel and also her MBA 2013 class.