Being grateful for life while experiencing its hardships and achievements can shape people.
This resonates with Malakai Vakautawale, 21, who hails from Ono-i-Lau with maternal links to Vanuabalavu in Lau.
While growing up, Vakautawale had his own share of loneliness, but a little television and, later, a new sibling removed the boredom.
“Growing up, I was the only child as far as I can remember, so it was slightly lonely for me,” he said.
“I was one of those children who watched a lot of movies on our small screen. Even in my own room, I had a small TV. I enjoyed watching animations movies.
“Luckily, I didn’t feel that lonely when my sister came into this world five years later.”
Vakautawale says the challenge he faced when he was younger was meeting his parents’ expectations.
Despite this, he has fond memories of growing with members of extended family.
“There’s a lot of good memories, but one that stands out was that the family (maternal side) always had a weekend out and it was so fun to go to.
“I would always go to these gatherings and I would look forward to them every time, just being in the house with my aunties playing around, living life in the moment.”
Vakautawale, like all the other children, had a dream of becoming a pilot or a doctor, but as he grew up he began to see things differently.
“As a child, I was brought up to believe I could be a pilot, however, as time went by my childhood dreams changed.
“I realised what I wanted to go in the medical field and you know it didn’t hit me that much because my parents would tell me, ‘it’s really important to know your career choice’.
“And now, looking back, I am really happy about it.”
Vakautawale is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in animal science, a field that has intrigued him for a while.
“To be honest, animal science was something I just found out earlier this year, and with a little research I felt I could try and apply for this program.
“I was slightly unsure if I picked the right major, but then I entered the door and someone mentioned that I did make the right choice and that gave me so much strength and assurance.
“For some reason, it’s so fascinating to study animals.”
Vakautawale hopes to complete his degree on a good note.
“My main goal right now is my program and hopefully in the future I can get a job in the agriculture sector or at an NGO.
“Or somewhere where I can use my knowledge of animal science for the greater good.”
Everyone goes through challenges and like everyone, Vakautawale has his own method of overcoming them.
“Depending on what the challenge is, if it’s something I can face head on, I face it head on.
“If it’s a huge challenge that requires me to step back, I will step back. If it’s a challenge I can’t cope with, then I just sit down and pray for God’s guidance.”
Besides studying and enjoying family time, Vakautawale also indulges in watching movies, listening to music, cooking and photography.
He says one of his best qualities is his smile.
“The best quality about myself is my smile because it makes me feel good and can make another person feel good too when they see me smile.”
His advice to those who want to take on animal science is “no matter how discouraging everyone around you is, you need to follow your heart”.
