A 30-year-old mother of four and a local teacher of over five years has made her dream and her mother’s come true, graduating with a Bachelor of Education from the University of the South Pacific (USP) amid a hectic lifestyle.

Rangi Mariri, at teacher at Apii Avarua Primary, completed her degree in eight years while juggling building her new home and looking after her four children.

She is one of four local teachers confirmed to graduate next year with a Bachelor of Education from the USP Cook Islands Campus.

Growing up in Mauke, Mariri always had a passion for teaching, strongly inspired by her mother who pushed her to aim for more than just an average job and seek a brighter future.

“I always wanted to become a teacher although my teachers back home didn’t encourage me to go because they said it’s hard work,” she shares.

“But I think out of all my classmates that we went to school, I was the only one that continued to pursue that dream in becoming a teacher and now I have been teaching for five years.

“But what inspired me to take up the course was my mother. She had a scholarship but she couldn’t go because she prioritised going back home to look after family and my grandmother.”

In her college years, Mariri’s mother had been pushing her to graduate with a “piece of paper” and not just any certificate but a teaching certificate.

Mariri says “it’s her dream and also mine”.

“She said I have to get a paper instead of just getting a job and think that’s it. She said my paper will take me as far as I can go and I when I got that message that I got my paper, the first person I went to see was her and she said it doesn’t stop there.”

Mariri is now excited and enthusiastic to pursue a postgraduate degree in education and other opportunities that come her way.

“Obviously I love teaching and I love kids. I am a mother of four and kids are my happy place,” she explains. “This year, I spent more time at school than being at home and even holidays, looking at planning, what to do, how to help, looking at where my kids are and where I need them to be at the end of the year and all those.”

“Those eight years of study, I had a year off because they couldn’t offer me any course and I had to go over to Fiji and come back.”

Mariri acknowledged the government for funding her academic journey and especially for making the course available locally as she didn’t have to leave home to pursue her dream.

“You don’t need to leave home to do that as you can do that here at USP and lots of people they have to go to New Zealand and earn money but there’s a lot of opportunities here.”

When questioned about the salaries local teachers get paid, Mariri emphasises that salary was never the reason behind her drive to pursue a degree in education, but it was her students.

“When you’re a teacher aid you don’t get paid during the holidays and I feel like they’re always comparing but they never knew about those days where we would go three weeks without pay.”

Fellow graduate, Marie William, who also teaches at Apii Avarua, finds Mariri’s journey inspiring.

“I said to her, you’re an inspiration and she asked why and I told her, ‘Girl, you studied, you had your kids, you built your house and you got married’,” recalls William.

“I hope that becomes an inspiration for all of the young girls and boys of the Cook Islands and the Pacific to know that you can still achieve all of that and get that degree.

“Working with Rangi, it’s a lot of humility but I think if you come from the right place and your reasons are right then you can do anything.”

For Mariri, being a teacher is a lifelong commitment and she believes it’s a role that extends beyond the classroom.