Graduation speaker, Rosalind Pedron says her success is rooted in the balance she found between academics, faith, family, community and motherhood
Pursuing education and spiritual growth led Winter 2025 graduation speaker Rosalind Pedron to BYU–Hawaii—a path she hadn’t initially planned, as she once expected to attend a local university. But her family, her mission and life experiences ultimately inspired her to study at BYUH where she gained both education and personal growth, she shared. Reflecting on her college experiences, she said, “When I think of how my skills grew, I feel like I got different parts of different people inside me.” Great leaders and mentors poured so much love and learning into her, and being around them influenced her leadership skills and style, Pedron added.
The groundwork for success
Pedron, a Samoan student who is graduating with a double major in political science and Pacific Islands Studies, said she was born in New Zealand and moved to Australia when she was about 10 years old. Despite the relocation, she said her family remained connected to their Samoan heritage by preserving cultural traditions at home. She said she owes a huge part of her success to her upbringing and the diverse places she found herself in during her lifetime.
Growing up learning about different cultures, she said she gained precious lessons from each experience. “I learned a lot about community in New Zealand. In Australia, “I learned the opposite,” she said. Life there taught people to fend for themselves—something that aligned with the independence her parents instilled in her early on, she added. “When I was 6 years old, they sometimes had us catch the bus to school by ourselves,” she shared with a laugh.
However, when it came to love, support and forming close bonds with each other, she said her ohana never fell short. “My family is very tight knit,” she said, adding as the youngest, she is especially close with her brothers. “They mean the world to me in this journey. My family shaped who I am today,” she expressed.
Pedron served her mission in the Philippines and Australia. The decision to study at BYUH, she said, was influenced by Elise Wang, her mission companion in Australia and first college roommate. She said during one of their conversations about their future plans, Wang talked about attending BYUH because it offers both academic and spiritual growth. “And I thought I also wanted that,” Pedron expressed.
“If you’re wanting spiritual security, BYUH provides that,” she stressed, saying she could not have found that kind of environment elsewhere. She said after finishing her mission, she was worried about falling back into bad habits, so being in a community where people shared her values helped her stay grounded. “It took a bit of time, but I was changed fundamentally. Now that I am at the end of my journey here, it’s nearly like I am not dependent on my environment anymore,” she shared.
A world that never stops turning
Studying was not the hardest part of the journey for Pedron, who explained, “It was more adjusting to the life that continues to move around you.” Reflecting on her time at BYUH, she said she was often overwhelmed by the fact the world around her won’t stop just so she can finish her degree. “You still have to go out and get a job, find an eternal companion, create a family and make a life for yourself,” she explained. She said finding balance between academics and her life outside the classroom was the most challenging part.
She said college was a rollercoaster ride full of twists and turns for her, which took a lot of prayer, tears, faith, a solid support network and a strong sense of purpose. “School was kind of flat for me for the first two years. I just did not know where I wanted to end up,” she shared. However, she said taking a Pacific Studies class changed everything for her. Her involvement in the department, she said, gave her direction and introduced her to the groups and communities she learned to love. Compared with her earlier years at BYUH, Pedron said her circle of influence, which now includes academic and spiritual giants to whom she owes much of her personal development, has already grown so large.
Pedron also shared the impact of her first job on her growth. “I worked as a tour guide at the Polynesian Cultural Center for years, right up until this semester,” she shared. She said her work at the Guest Services Department, with all the opportunities it presented to meet people from all over the world and learn about history and legacy, taught her lessons about being a better person.
The beauty and challenges of motherhood
“My proudest moment throughout my time at BYUH was becoming a mom,” Pedron expressed. In December 2022, she got married to Didier Pedron, a graduating student from Tahiti who majored in business management with a marketing emphasis. Then in July 2024, they had their first child together. She said she draws much of her drive to keep pressing forward from her family. “When I saw my baby, my motivation to finish what I started was at an all-time high,” she shared.
“Your children and your family are more important than anything else,” she emphasized. While she acknowledged academics and work are also significant, she said she firmly believes family should always take precedence over everything else. “Put your family first, and that will spill out onto everything else,” she voiced.
Pedron said this is why BYUH holds a special place in her heart— it allowed her to pursue her education while creating a family. Whenever they had to bring their son to class due to scheduling conflicts, she said her professors were always so understanding and her friends were always eager to offer their support. “Honestly, this is the best place to go to school and raise kids at the same time,” she expressed.
Reminiscing on her pregnancy, she shared she had discussions with his husband about deferring her studies to focus on motherhood. “That was the point where I wanted to give up, or at least just put it on pause,” she expressed. She said her spouse was the person who helped her get through the negative thoughts and emotions and did everything he could to support her during that time. She said she will always be grateful for him.
Her husband, she said, has been a strong influence in helping her maintain balance. She thought she understood time management until she got married and became a mother, she shared with a laugh. “Time management means a completely different story when there are other people involved,” she explained. In this respect, she said she follows her husband’s example and draws inspiration from his approach.
She also said she strives to maintain a clear boundary between being a student and being a mother. “When I am with my child, I do not like to do schoolwork or tasks related to my job. I just want to be there,” she shared. She said keeping her responsibilities separate and not spreading herself thin helped her manage her time and energy. “Just be wherever you are, and be there 100 percent,” she stressed.
Moving forward and giving back
Thinking about what comes next after turning her tassel at graduation, she said there are a couple of things in the works for her first year out of college. “I got my internship next semester over in spring at the Office of Compliance, and then after that, I got my academic training, which I plan to do for one year,” she shared. She said after her academic training, she also hopes to pursue her master’s degree at the University of Hawaii in its Pacific Studies program.
“All that I do—all of my research, my writing, my goals—are all centered in my community, my family and my identity as a mother,” she expressed. She said she hopes to give back to the university that has given her so much by continuing to live the values and wisdom she gained along the way. “I hope to just live in a way that gives goodness, brings goodness and preserves goodness,” she shared.
Pedron also said the connections she made here will always be held dear to her heart. “I wish I could name every single person. Dr. Kruse, Professor Akanoa, Dr. Hafoka, Dr. Ligaliga, Dr. Funaki, Dr. Blimes and Jimmy Mapu,” as she called out the names of the instructors and mentors who left an indelible mark in her life. Along with the friends she made, she said knowing these people shifted her perspective, and her accomplishments could not have been possible without them.
With her devotion to the Pacific, she also said she aims to eventually publish stories and expand the written literature in the Pacific. “I want to eventually write a book. I really hope to contribute to Pacific fiction,” she shared. As storytelling is a form of restorative justice, she said she believes it will help make the world a better place.