A University of the South Pacific graduate dedicates her Bachelor of Commerce to a grandmother who traveled to see the moment—and calls it a family-powered lesson in perseverance.
The day Maria Luisa Aperto crossed the stage, one person’s presence stood out: her 78-year-old grandmother, Lusiana Vanua, who traveled from Lautoka to witness the moment.
Aperto, who graduated from the University of the South Pacific with a Bachelor of Commerce, describes the achievement as far more than a qualification in accounting and information systems.. For her, it is a personal thank-you—an acknowledgement of the steady encouragement she says kept her moving through the hardest parts of study.. She frames the graduation like a letter to the woman she calls her “pillar of strength,” while also urging young women to hold onto self-belief.
The excitement of graduation, Aperto said, came with the weight of what got her there.. She pointed to late nights and exam pressure, but she didn’t present it as a solo struggle.. Instead, she credits family support for turning stress into momentum.. “She’s been with me ever since then,” Aperto said of her grandmother.. “She has been like the backbone and the pillar of our family, keeping us together.”
That sense of family support is central to how Aperto views success.. While she dedicated the moment to her grandmother, she insists the milestone belongs to the whole family—her parents, too, and especially her late aunt.. In her telling, her extended family played a role not only in motivation, but in what counted as celebration.. “She would be like the first person to congratulate me in any achievement that I had ever gotten,” Aperto said.. “So, this one is to my family.”
For Vanua, being present wasn’t just about watching a ceremony.. She described it as an act of faith and pride—something anchored in gratitude for what she believes guided her granddaughter through the university years.. “Firstly, I would like to thank God for his guidance and protection over my granddaughter during her university journey,” Vanua said.. She also spoke about the values Aperto carries—respect and kindness—particularly toward parents.
Her message to young people carries a practical edge. Vanua hopes others will learn to listen, respect, and stay connected to family. “Learn to listen and respect your parents,” she said. “It will bring you to places and make your life better.”
Aperto’s own advice to young women echoes the same theme, but with a stronger emphasis on mental resilience.. When asked what she would tell girls who feel they are “not enough,” she did not soften the reality of challenge.. She told them not to underestimate themselves, because life will throw problems at them.. “People will throw things at you.. Life will give you a lot of challenges… but you need to keep going,” she said, adding, “Keep looking at the goal.”
That kind of guidance matters because it addresses both motivation and doubt—two forces that shape how students push through demanding years.. Commerce degrees often require sustained focus, careful preparation, and the ability to manage pressure over time.. Aperto’s framing suggests that grades and exams are only part of the story.. The other part is emotional stamina, and she says that stamina was strengthened by family closeness.
In her view, grounding yourself in family is not a distraction from ambition—it is part of the route to it.. Originally from Rotuma and brought up in Lautoka, Aperto described how she measures success through the lens of belonging.. “You have to keep your family close,” she said.. She also addressed the fear many young women carry when they face setbacks, suggesting that seeing failure or difficulty as “the end of the world” can trap people instead of pushing them forward.. “Plenty of girls or women… think that it’s the end of the world.. But it’s not,” she said.. “You should take on the challenge.”
Taken together, the tribute from Aperto and Vanua reads like more than a graduation speech.. It’s a reminder that achievement often has invisible hands behind it—care, presence, patience, and the quiet decision to keep supporting someone when the journey becomes long.. For young women watching from the sidelines, the message is clear: ambition grows faster when it has a foundation, and sometimes that foundation is as simple—and as powerful—as a grandmother’s encouragement showing up in person.
As graduation photos fade and next steps begin, the real test is whether the encouragement that carried Aperto through study continues to shape what comes after.. Her story suggests it will.. The degree may mark a completion, but her emphasis on perseverance, respect, and self-belief points toward how she plans to move forward—still anchored to the family she calls her backbone.