THE University of the South Pacific (USP) Solomon Islands Campus on Monday held its annual Open Day program at the regional institution’s new facility in East Honiara with one of the key messages for students to prioritise their education.
The keynote speaker was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) and former USP student, James Dolarii.
The program convened under the theme ‘Our people our stories’ also saw the participation of selected students from 30 high schools in Honiara.
Mr Dolarii, in his keynote address, encouraged all students gathered at the event to prioritize their education and make use of opportunities to enhance themselves in their educational journey.
Elaborating on the theme, Mr Dolari said the face of every student present at the program hold their own unique stories.
“As you prepare to embark on this journey, I encourage you to dive in head first. Look at the opportunities that are ahead of you now, engage, learn and create your own unique story in life,” he said.
He said the world, the wider Pacific region and Solomon Islands need their unique voices, their ideas and most importantly, their stories.
“You and me who are here today: we are the resources of this country – the great nation of Solomon Islands.
“Today and in the near future, we need more doctors, we need more entrepreneurs, we need more businesses and I am happy that you are all listening to me today, speaking to about over 500 businesses for Solomon Islands in the next 15 or 20 years.
“If I live to see that year, I would be excited to see you all get into business, do business and create more jobs for our people,” Mr Dolarii emphasized.
Mr Dolarii also shared his own educational journey and correlated it to the current struggles of high school students and USP students, who are going through their educational journey in pursuit of their dreams to become somebody in the future.
“So, please make your decision. Prioritize your educational journey and remember to have a higher motivation and a bigger dream in your growth.
“As I look back, I truly acknowledge the decisions I made in life. Decisions that favor my educational growth over everything else and the valuable advises and encouragements I got from my families, friends and people that surround me through my journey.
“In fact, I would not be standing in front of you all today, had it not been for the first steps of faith that I took during my Primary School days, High School days and my university days.
“Thank you Dr Billy Fitoo and the USP team for letting me share my piece of journey. I can’t wait to see incredible stories as I’ve said earlier today. Behind the faces that we see here, we have a lot of good stories to tell and I can’t wait to see the incredible stories you will all create at USP at which you chose to study. I encourage you to study here to create your history. I am convinced as a USP alumni.
“I would like to extend my acknowledgement to the USP team in Solomon Islands and also in Fiji and around the Pacific for creating an environment of growth that I experienced during my education journey until today,” Mr Dolarii said.
By IAN LADDS OSO
Solomon Star, Honiara
