Single Mum’s Circumstance Motivates Daughter , Meeshal
The motivation to work hard and help her single mother of three children look after the family was what drove 19-yearold Meeshal Ayushna to succeed in her studies.
The Ba lass was lost for words after she was given the 2022 Dux award for Nakasi High School yesterday.
Flanked by her mother, two younger siblings, uncle and grandmother, Meeshal dedicated her achievement to her two uncles who helped raise her from when she was a child.
“My father left me when I was 8months old so my maternal uncle raised me as a father figure and I saw him as my role model. I wanted to be like him,” she said.
As an arts student Meeshal chose
to study Accounting, Economics and Computer Science so that she could follow in her uncle’s footsteps and pursue a career as an Accountant.
When questioned on the challenges she faced while studying she said during the COVID-19 pandemic her mother was laid off from work as an office girl and the family faced financial difficulties as a result. With the help of her teachers and
close family members she managed to continue with her studies uninterrupted.
Another hardship she faced was the recent passing of her grandfather which left a void in the family’s life.
“I feel proud after receiving the Dux award because I didn’t think I would receive it. The competition in Year 13 was cutthroat,” she said.
Her advice to students is not to
concern themselves with irrelevant things and to focus on their studies. Meeshal hopes to pursue her Post Graduate in Accounting and Finance at the Fiji National University in the future.