Two Adventist teachers from the Solomon Islands have graduated from postgraduate courses at the University of Newcastle, NSW, becoming part of a growing group of Pacific educators advancing their qualifications in Australia.
The graduates, Ferol Asa and Esther Leoa Bentley Tasa have both worked for the Seventh-day Adventist education system in the Solomon Islands.
Mrs Tasa, a teacher from Betikama Adventist College, was honoured with carrying the University’s ceremonial mace, a symbol of the University’s authority and history, and presenting the speech on behalf of the 200 graduates in her category. She achieved a high distinction in five out of eight subjects, earning a Master of Education with Distinction.
In many Western University graduations someone is selected to carry the University mace ahead of the Chancellor of the University in the academic procession—especially when academic awards are presented. The mace is a symbol of authority and history for the University. The University of Newcastle’s mace is made from Australian walnut and silver with its head representing an open book for learning. For many of the University’s 60 years, academic staff have carried the mace, however in recent years an outstanding student has been nominated by the faculty to carry it. Normally a different person will carry the mace to the one who delivers the graduation speech.
In her address, Mrs Tasa acknowledged her Pacific heritage, opened with gratitude to God and mentors, and challenged graduates to use their education to shape a more just and compassionate society. She drew inspiration from her biblical namesake, Queen Esther, noting that her journey had been marked by loss and difficulty but sustained by faith.
“I contemplated giving up, but being Esther, I turned to the experience of Queen Esther in the Bible. She displayed faith and courage in the face of adversity. So, the rest of my journey was one of faith, hope and determination,” she said.
According to retired missionary to the Solomon Islands, Dr Alex Currie, “Esther’s speech was much more than a talk. Her presentation was an oratorical master piece that inspired, challenged and brought pride to all in the Solomon Islands.”
“My fellow graduates,” Mrs Tasa concluded. “You have your own stories, but I believe whatever your story may be, we all ended up here today because of faith, determination and inspiration. As we step into the next phase of our journey, remember to carry with you the values and knowledge you have gained here at the University of Newcastle.”
She left them with the words of Nelson Mandela: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” she said. “Let’s go change the world, together. Congratulations once again to the graduating class of 2025. Thank you to you all and Happy Celebrations!”
Guests attending the ceremony were intrigued by Mrs Tasa’s traditional headband or Fo’dara she wore, which is only worn on special occasions. The attire she and her husband Jackson wore was designed to illustrate the shell money utilised in her culture. The couple’s outfits were designed by Threads Investment and Paranga Collections while Mrs Tasa’s aunt, from the Langalanga lagoon on Malaita, designed and prepared her fo’dara and traditional attire.
The Solomon Island Educational and Medical Support Team asked Dr Ed Parker if he would mentor them in their studies, helping them adapt to Australian educational standards.
Mrs Tasa accepted Dr Parker’s mentorship seriously, meeting with him every three or four weeks for a meal and 90 minutes of rigorous academic discussion. Dr Parker describes being surprised by the “deep quality of her academic insight and natural ability combined with a very genuine humility.” Mrs Tasa soaked up what Dr Parker taught, studied diligently, “wrestled with ideas and concepts and then after understanding would immediately incorporate them into her academic tool box,” he wrote.
Dr Parker wrote that being asked to carry the mace “revealed the respect the University had for Esther . . . What really showed the quality of the person was her four-minute student reply at the end of the ceremony. She revealed two things: one, a very high level of academic brilliance; and two, a superb quality of oratorical skill. All I can say is well done Esther, I am very proud of you! I came away from that 12-month experience asking myself, was it me that did the mentoring or was I being mentored too?”
Graduating with a Masters in Leadership and Management in Education was Mr Asa completed a BA in Education at Pacific Adventist University and has taught Maths and Physics in Adventist high schools such as Tenakoga, Kopiu and Betikama. An experienced educator, he came to Australia in 2012 and completed a Diploma in Information Technology before returning to the Solomons to teach. More recently he was appointed assistant education director for the Solomon Island Mission of Seventh-day Adventists.
In 2024, he returned to Australia where he graduated from University of Newcastle with a Master of Leadership and Management in Education.
Mr Asa and Ms Tasa both thanked the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) Scholarship (SITESA) under the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MRHRD) for being their major sponsor for their University of Newcastle studies.
Dr Ed considered it a real privilege to help both Mr Asa and Mrs Tasa in small ways enabling and facilitating them both in their educational success in Australia.
This year the University celebrated its 60th anniversary with its largest ever graduation of 37,000 students. It also celebrated its 200,000th graduate this year.
