“My mum only reached what you might call high school—around age 15, which in Fiji is Form 4. She’s the second oldest of nine siblings, oldest of her 6 younger sisters, so she had to leave her island and come to the city to work, helping her parents with financing her siblings education. All of her siblings credit her for being able to complete their education because of her sacrifice.”
In this home—built on grit and selflessness—education was not optional. It was expected.
Grace rose to meet those expectations. With two of her sisters, she attended the elite Adi Cakobau School (ACS), most famous for preparing future government and political leaders. Located in Sawani, Naitasiri, about five hours from their home in Nadi, ACS blends indigenous culture with the skills needed to address global challenges and lead the nation.
After graduation, she enrolled in the Airports Fiji Limited Aviation Academy and completed the rigorous courts to become an air traffic controller as a way of honoring her deceased father:
“For me, following my dad’s footsteps… that was closure.”
She was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on October 31, 2015. She later met and married Joe, who had also followed the same career path. Alongside her husband, she built a good life grounded in hard work and shared responsibility.
At the same time, Grace was expecting her second child. The demands of air traffic control—long hours, graveyard shifts, and an unforgiving schedule—collided with the needs of her growing family. What had once felt stable no longer aligned with the life they wanted:
“Air traffic control can be a demanding career, especially for families navigating shift work. In our case, our family schedule revolved around our work schedule, and it wasn’t ideal for the season of life we were in. While heavily pregnant, I decided to resign so I could stay home with my baby.”
Grace registered for classes at the nearby University of the South Pacific studying Information Systems. They dipped into savings to pay tuition while balancing life on one income. Then in 2020, the pandemic began to unravel that fragile stability.
When COVID-19 swept across the globe, flights stopped, airspace closed, and the industry they depended on became uncertain:
“Our airspace closed—that’s when it really hit us. Our diploma couldn’t take us anywhere outside of a control tower. That’s when we realized… we needed a different path, we needed more education..”
At the same time, there was a quieter realization forming:
“We always paid our tithing,” Grace later reflected, “but we weren’t really active. We mostly went to church just to pay tithing.”
Even so, others saw something in them. Their bishop and leaders continued reaching out. They were all alumni of BYU-Hawaii. One day, that bishop shared a strong impression: Grace and Joe should apply to study in Hawaii where their tuition would be covered ithrough the IWork program. They could go home debt free in four years;
“What’s IWork?! We talked it through, did the math and realized it was a huge win for us. It didn’t fully make sense. Leaving home and family would be difficult.”
But they chose to trust. That decision became a turning point.
Grace, Iosefa, and their young children moved to Brigham Young University–Hawaii. Life in student housing was simpler and more uncertain—but also more intentional. For the first time, Grace could be more present with her children.
Over time, faith—once peripheral—became central.
“At the time, I didn’t understand,” she said. “Now it all makes sense.”
She now sees the missionaries, the Relief Society sisters, and the persistent invitations differently—as acts of care and love. She has continued to frequently reach out to her former Fijian bishop to thank him for his encouragement and inspiration that has changed and blessed their lives.
Grace and Joe both graduated with honors. They are still the same couple who once built a life in Fiji—but now a transformed family.
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