Bary Montu has always been a lad fascinated by the world of finance.
The 21-year-old from Rotuma is currently completing his degree at USP, and for him life has taught valuable lessons about hard work, determination and resilience.
“I’ve lived a life that has taught me a lot about struggles and how to overcome such challenges,” he said.
“However, I’ve been very grateful to have such great parents, especially my mum for her wisdom and motivation to do better and pursue great opportunities ahead.
“Also growing mature and older, I’ve got to learn about people and their behaviour in society.”
Before choosing to study finance and information systems, the former Mahatma Ghandi Memorial High School student had another objective in mind.
“Well, ever since I was in primary school, I remember wanting to become a scientist one day. I was always fascinated by the experiments conducted during science classes back in school and that triggered my interest to explore the wonders of science.”
It was only when he was in Class 7 that his interest quickly shifted to the intriguing and complex area of finance.
“I could remember wanting to work in the banking industry back in Class 7. I guess this was due to my liking of handling money, which drove my interest towards that field.
“Since then, I built my interest towards the financing field in high school and onto tertiary level,” Montu said.
“And even financing has taught me more about handling money, especially in these times of the rising cost of living. That could be an advantage for family financial obligations.”
Montu said tertiary was a shock from the beginning of his first year.
“I’d been slacking back with my studies due to social distractions like friends and social media.
“This resulted in a drop in my academic grades compared to high school, which disappointed me, However, that taught me to be more consistent and focused with my studies and learning.”
In his free time, scrolling through social media and watching movies at home are some of his go-to methods for relaxation.
“I also like helping in chores at home, surrounding myself with a clean and neat environment.
“I love hanging out with friends, going to cinemas, playing card and board games, relaxing at the park or going swimming.”
Montu hopes in the next 10 years to be living a simple and prosperous life.
“I’d like to see my family living in a better home with a car, a backyard garden and farming area, and to also see myself being able to travel abroad for family visits and explore the wonders of the world.”
Montu will always be appreciative of his devoted parents for helping mold him into the person he is today.
“The support given by my parents was great, they have not only supported but also motivated me financially, academically, spiritually and in terms of living a healthy life.
“I’ve appreciated their efforts towards raising me to be a disciplined and mindful person.”
Montu advises those planning to study the same career field to have a keen interest in calculations and coding.
“The program blends fields in finance and IT. It would be best to keep continuous updates with learning topics each week to familiarise yourselves with learning objectives.
“It’s not challenging, but it would require focus, consistency and determination to achieve exceptional results.”
