A total of twenty-five students were recently given the Ha’amonga Awards at The University of the South Pacific Tonga Campus to encourage them to study hard and continue with the excellent performance.
The Ha’amonga Awards was first organised in 2017, recognising students with the highest GPA from Semester 2, from each School. The awards are divided into four Categories; One Course Category; Two Course Category; Three Course Category; and Four Course Category.
Awardees were clustered according to the number of courses they took and the student with the highest GPA was selected from each category.
The students were awarded a Certificate of Recognition and out of the twenty-five awardees, seven were from Pacific Technical and Further Education (PTAFE); five from School of Accounting, Finance and Economics (SAFE); seven from School of Pacific Arts, Communication and Education (SPACE); and six from School of Information Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Physics (STEMP).
Representing the awardees, Mr Tapuakiloua ‘Ioane, awardee with the Highest GPA in the Three Courses Category, STEMP, acknowledged the presence of the Guest of Honour, Dr Mo’ale ‘Otunuku, Robin Havea, Campus Director, and Staff of USP-Tonga Campus for all their support and assistance.
He highlighted the effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on students’ studies and encouraged students to work hard and have a positive mindset.
He also gave a special thanks to all parents and guardians for their support from home and then reminded students of the importance of seeking God’s guidance and support for their studies.
Guest of Honour, Dr Mo’ale ‘Otunuku (a Fellow with the Institute of Education, IOE), in his address, urged the students to continue to study hard and know that achieving a high GPA is of crucial importance to their academic journey and also in the future when they look for
employment.
He congratulated the awardees and reminded them to work hard and always seek assistance when needed.
‘Ilaisaane Taufa, one of the SPACE awardees and a Master of Education student, was awarded the highest GPA award in the “One Course Category” with a GPA of 4.5.
She said winning the award evoked a lot of positive feelings and encouraged her to keep striving to be successful in her academic journey.
“It gives me a lot of energy to strive forth to accomplish my last and final degree. It presses me forward to look ahead and do my best again knowing USP recognised our hard work and commitment to our studies,” said ‘Ilaisaane.
“Believe in God! Get your priorities right! Don’t underestimate yourself! Be positive! Believe in yourself! Always ask questions. Budget your time wisely. Do your best! The sky is always the limit!”
