UQSPIA CLASS OF 2017 ALUM
Mary Maselina Harm - Samoan/Chinese
Bachelor of Communications with UQ Advantage Award
Major: Public Relations Minor: Event Management
"University. It was like pushing on a door that says pull - at first, I didn’t understand why I wasn’t going where I wanted to go (not that I knew where that was exactly). It was frustrating and a little embarrassing, but it only took a moment of realisation and the ability to laugh at myself to understand why this was. For so long I was fixated on where I was and motivated by where I was going that I further suppressed a dormant part of my soul that yearned to connect and gain a deeper sense of cultural identity and belonging.
To the friends that have become my family, UQSPIA, I thank you for preserving and sharing our indigenous knowledge and creating a space for voices such as mine to flourish. According to statistics many of us wouldn’t make it to university and yet here we are creating a new narrative for our communities and families.
As a young Pacific Islander, the journey to graduation was far from easy and yet has cultivated some of the best moments of my life. Without the love and support of my UQSPIA family I would have never had the privilege to participate in discussions about youth with former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark in the back room of a Fijian Cinema, stand up for Pacific voices in the face of climate change at The Young Diplomats Forum in Croatia or become the first ever female president for the Asia Pacific Youth Parliament for Water in South Korea. It’s been a beyond-surreal experience drawing strength from all these experiences and the inspiring global citizens I’ve met along the way. I owe so much of it to the people who bring out the best in me and have never stopped believing in me. Now, as a professional communicator, it is my hope that I can continue to change the narrative of Pacific people empowering others to engage in new experiences that bring together unlikely communities, disciplines and ideas to create co-benefits.
UQSPIA, my family - may you never forget your humble beginnings, never underestimate the power of your story and know that although you may face failure, it is only part of the journey if you ensure it isn’t your destination. So when it’s your turn to walk through the door, leave it open and create opportunities for others. Only then can we create the change this world so desperately needs."
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