UQSPIA CLASS OF 2021 ALUM
Douglas Tukutama - Niuean
Bachelor of Engineering (Civil)(Honours) - Majoring in Construction
"The decision to study Civil Engineering came to me as I had always been fascinated by the structural integrity of large buildings, bridges but most importantly, the design process. It was later in my studies that I found my passion for project management, hence why I decided to Minor in Construction Management. I have since graduated and working in my industry as a Contracts Administrator for a Civil Construction company, and one day, I hope to be a project manager managing my own construction projects, I really hope so because I told my mum I would be.
Let’s wind it back a little bit, my time at uni was mostly fun like 60% of the time, I mean aside from the stress of assignments and work, it was enjoyable. I will always remember those late-night study sessions with friends, the $5 chicken parmi on Wednesdays and the free Wi-Fi while catching the shuttle bus to and from Campus, these things may seem so simple, but it was by far one of the best parts about apart from the actual degree itself. Moral of the story here is to always take the time to enjoy the smaller and finer things in life. Things weren’t always easy, at one point I was juggling 3 jobs and studying full time as I did not have HECs and had to pay for my course upfront, I missed out on a lot of family time and some social experiences but I’m making up for it now don’t worry, so shout out to my family for dealing with my mood swings and being MIA when chores needed to be done, it is what it is.
UQSPIA would have to be one of the most integral parts of my educational journey funnily enough as I was a student at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) which was under 100km away lol. I do however, owe it to UQSPIA for helping me reconnect with my Pasifika roots, guess you could call it my ‘Cultural Reawakening’, not saying I completely abandoned my cultural roots but being surrounded by people who were culturally alike really helped me realise how much I missed being around my Pasifika people, there is just something so homely about. Although it was supposed to be temporary as I was only supposed to be there for Culture Night 2019 but I ended up sticking around a little longer and then joined the executive community for 2020 a couple months later, this ended being one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. In my role I volunteered at Mana of the Pacific where I met some amazing people, was part of the team who planned the first ever UQSPIA ball but most importantly I made memories with amazing people and that’s what joining SPIA is all about, making memories. So take that as your sign to join UQSPIA.
My only piece of advice is to not compare yourself so much to your peers and how fast they are progressing, we all have our own unique journeys with our own little battles, we just need to slow it down take it one step a time."