Vanisi Prescott

“I was born in the beautiful Kingdom of Tonga. Both my parents are Tongan, my mother is from Kolomotu’a and my father is from Ha’apai.

My culture and background has shaped me into a respectful, humble, loving woman who has strong faith and love for her family and community. It is in our nature as Polynesians to care and respect our elders, our patients and for each other. We also tend to go above and beyond with everything we do. This is who I am.

I know as Polynesian people we have a lot of commitments, church, family and often need part-time jobs to help our family. We are also often faced with a lot of struggles and obstacles that can potentially get in the way of our studies. But all of this shapes who we are and why we are so unique, anything that life throws at us, we can overcome.

Believe in yourself and don’t let anyone stop you from chasing your dreams. Resilience, perseverance, commitment, support from family and faith is what got me through the hard times. If I can do it, you can too.”