For years, Asena Tuvukona believed her dream of becoming a teacher had slipped quietly out of reach.
Life, circumstance and responsibility had intervened early, forcing her to leave school before completing her studies.
As 2025 came to an end and as married mother of two juggled work, family and financial strain, Ms Tuvukona returned to the classroom and rewrote her own story.
Originally from Kadavu, Ms Tuvukona completed her primary education on the island before moving to Suva in 2002.
Her secondary schooling took her through Sila Central College and later Saraswati College.
Yet the pressures of life outside the classroom soon proved overwhelming.
“Things were very difficult at the time,” she recalled.
“I was staying with relatives, and my parents were always talking about how hard life was.”
In 2005, she began to contemplate the painful decision of whether to leave school and return to Kadavu.
Like many young people who exit the education system early, Ms Tuvukona entered the workforce instead.
In 2006, she found employment with a company owned by a New Zealand national and worked there for three years before getting married in 2009.
Marriage brought new responsibilities, and she stopped working altogether.
It would be eight years before she returned to paid employment, first at Lyndhurst Ltd in 2017 and later, in 2023, with the Grid Security Services.
It was there, while working as a security guard at the Fiji National University agricultural campus in Koronivia and later in Nasinu, that something shifted.
“Seeing the students every day made me think about education,” she said.
“At the same time, I was earning only $5 an hour. It wasn’t enough for my family.”
With her husband relying on farming for income, with no formal employment, the financial pressure was constant.
Watching mature students return to school sparked something she thought had long gone.
“I realised if they could do it, so could I.”
In 2024, Ms Tuvukona enrolled in Nabua Secondary School’s Matua Programme, designed to give adults a second chance at completing their secondary education.
It meant returning to books, exams and classrooms, all while raising two children and maintaining household responsibilities.
“There were times when I had to leave my children at home for about three hours while I attended evening classes from 6pm to 8pm,” she said.
“It was really hard.”
Her husband, she said, supported her decision, even through moments of strain and exhaustion.
That support, combined with her own determination, carried her through. Last year, Ms Tuvukona successfully completed Year 13 which is a milestone she once believed was impossible.
Now, with that chapter complete, she is setting her sights firmly on the future.
She plans to enrol at the university to study English literature and iTaukei studies, with the goal of becoming an educator.
“From a young age, I always wanted to be a teacher,” she said.
“Circumstances stopped me before, but the Matua Programme gave me a second chance.”
Teaching is more than a career choice for Ms Tuvukona.
It is her own way to give back to the education sector and to show others that setbacks do not have to be permanent.
“Don’t give up. The Matua Programme is legitimate and supportive. It can help you continue your education and work towards your dreams.”
When The Fiji Times asked where she sees herself in 10 years, Ms Tuvukona shared that she hoped for stability, a piece of land of her own, a secure future for her children and a life that still includes the farming her husband enjoys.
But for now, she is focused on what lies ahead – the university campus.
