Prasad juggles roles of mum, worker and student to excel at university
Angeline Prasad became the first student to graduate with a Masters of Commerce (Economics) at the University of Fiji.
The University of Fiji staff graduated this month, after it took her more than two years to complete it. She had to take a semester break in 2020 after giving birth to her first child.
Though raising a child and trying to juggle study was a challenge, she managed to succeed with assistance from home and her siblings.
“The quest to conquer advanced education takes aptitude, determination, positive self-esteem and hard work,” she said.
“These attributes I believe allowed me to embark on the journey of my educational goal and propel me to take on the challenge of completing the master’s degree.”
Education and employment journey
Ms Prasad, 30, was born in Nadi and attended Nadi Primary School.
She later attained her secondary qualification from Sangam Sadhu Kuppuswamy Memorial College (SSKMC).
After completing her Bachelor’s Degree in 2012, Ms Prasad enrolled into the postgraduate programme which she completed in 2015.
“I had a passion to study commerce ever since I was in high school and the zest behind it came from my dad, my first and foremost inspiration,” she said.
Ms Prasad was able to secure a job at the University of Fiji well before her graduation that year.
She started her career as a part-time tutor in Economics and later joined the Finance team as the first procurement officer at the university in 2015. She is employed as grants officer.
“My achievement did not come easy; my lecturer’s rigid training and support helped me achieve my goals,” she said.
“I can proudly say I am the first Masters of Economics graduate from the university. I would like to show my appreciation to my employer, the University of Fiji.
Conquering difficult times
Speaking about the challenges after giving birth to her son, Shivanah Kumar, in 2020, she said: “I had broken sleep for months on end and still continued with my final units.”
She thanked her husband Akshay Kumar and her three siblings Ashleen, Anjali and Vikashni Prasad for helping her get this far.
When she was struggling to finish her studies, she never had to worry about preparing dinner after attending classes as late as 8pm; her sisters would prepare it for her, making life for her much easier.
“I made many sacrifices to follow my dreams. And every single one of them has paid off in the end,” she said.
“He (her husband) has been my pillar of support all along. If not for him, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
Roles models
She credits her hard-working parents, Kamlesh Prasad and Angie Prasad as her role models.
“This passion for education came at an early age as both my parents have always encouraged not just me, but my other two siblings as well to study hard,” she said.
“In order to achieve what we really want in life; we have to make sacrifices.”
Her husband, Akshay Kumar, 30, said that he is very proud of her great achievement.
“Being a working mum, she manages all her responsibilities well. It has been a long journey and it wasn’t easy either, but certainly have made an impact,” he said.