WELCOME !

Welcome!

 It is a great honour and privilege to be asked to write the first blog post on the SUPS blog page  but  before I get into it ,  let me tell you a little about myself and my journey to Sydney University .

For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to go to Sydney University and study something. I didn't know what exactly, but something that would allow to me essentially “save the world” and achieve world peace ( A bit hippy I know) .  I have always had an extremely stubborn mind set on Sydney University and didn’t even consider going anywhere else, even after being advised very strongly by a careers advisor and being told countless times by teachers in high school that I should consider “keeping my options open” and put other universities on my UAC preferences.

Finally towards the end of high school about 2 weeks out from graduating I decided I wanted to do civil engineering! Hands down absolutely the most random decision I have ever made in my life but one that has turned out to be the best I have ever made. In 2011 I got an offer to study civil engineering and Arts at none other than Sydney University!

Fast forward a couple of weeks and then  BOOM ! I met a pacific islander. A  Fijian girl in a microeconomics lecture in Merewether . I was extremely shocked but very  excited to finally meet another P.I .We got talking and thought it would be great to get a P.I society going even though we didn't know if there would be enough members to make a society. Fast forward to 2012 and it was still just the two of us . Then one of my cousins enrolled and we met some P.I’s who were studying engineering ! The funny thing is, is that once you meet one P.I you meet about 4,5 others.  Finding enough P.I’s to be in our society was our first mission and by far the hardest aspect of getting this society off the floor. We found people for the society by the only way we could think of; randomly approaching people who we thought looked islander and asking them if they were ,and praying that they said yes because if they weren’t it would be extremely embarrassing. I’ve only got it wrong once! (He totally looked like one though ) ,and telling them about what we were trying to do .  This is how we built up our little network of P.I’s at USYD. We have met P.I’s all over the place on campus , at a stall at O week , at the printers at SciTech library , fisher library , lectures and tutorials , Subway , Parma Cafe , News agency , the Footbridge  and even at the uni gym.

The number of Pacific islanders going into tertiary education  in Australia has increased greatly over the past decade which can be seen through various  pacific organisations at universities popping up such as PATHE at UWS  and the Pasifika Association over at Griffith University and UNSW. Pacific Islanders are a minority at USYD but collectively we have so much to share not only between ourselves but with  the rest of the student body and  the university.

Everyone that I have met so far each  have their own  amazing stories of their journeys to tertiary education at USYD some  filled with many challenges. The society seeks in one way to be a hub for P.I students local and international where they can openly share their culture and build a support network of P.I’s who know what it’s like to study at USYD as a P.I . The society is much more than just a social hub but also forum for which issues in the pacific can be brought to light  . We are seeking to connect SUPS with other societies at USYD , environmental and political  for example to make issues  such as climate change on the pacific well known.  We wish to connect SUPS with other P.I societies at other universities in order to build networks between P.I’s at USYD and P.I’s at other universities all over the country. The society is not only for P.I’s but all students at USYD who have an interest in the Pacific whether it be environmentally , politically or culturally.

We are also looking at connecting our members with  USYD alumni to set up a mentoring program through which P.I alumni can assist current P.I students in making industry connections and career planning. We have already made some connections with USYD P.I alumni and are looking at expanding this network of people.

Through hosting social events we seek to bring the other P.I’s at USYD out of hiding and into the society. There are a significant number of P.I’s at other universities where there is no representation for P.I’s and we endeavour to reach out to these students and also provide them with some support during their study.

This society has been established with the help of so many people some of which have already graduated and it is extremely exciting to finally see this society finally moving after all the hard work that so many people have put in. I have great hope and faith in this society that it will grow and connect people of pacific heritage at USYD  and  provide the much needed support to  all P.I Students to get the most of their education at the University of Sydney. I’d like to leave you all with one my favourite quotes:

“In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure”

Goodluck to all P.I’s at USYD for this academic year , Happy studying ! =]