Tonga High School’s Head Girl, Molipala ‘o Pangai Finau, was named Dux for the 2023 academic year, at the government secondary school’s prize giving ceremony, held at the Queen Salote Memorial Hall, on Friday 24 November.
Molipala took the awards of top student in her Form 7 class and Dux, with three different trophies, cash prizes worth over $3,000 pa’anga and a scholarship from the New Zealand High Commission to study in New Zealand.
She was also the recipient of the King Tupou VI Coronation Prize, presented to her by the Deputy High Commissioner of New Zealand, Leitu Sa.
In a statement, the New Zealand High Commission says it is proud to sponsor the King Tupou VI Coronation Scholarship awarded to the Dux for Tonga High School 2023, Molipala Finau.
In 2021, Molipala watched the graduation with her father who then said to her, “I want the big cup!” In her acceptance speech at the 2023 graduation, Molipala, with emotion addressed her father and said: “Today Dad, the big cup is yours!”
Molipala’s father, Kelikolio Finau, is a fireman in Tonga. He proudly escorted his daughter to receive her prize at the graduation.
The King Tupou VI Coronation Scholarship is one of 31 New Zealand Scholarships for study in New Zealand or in the Pacific region.
Her cash prizes were earned by standing out as top student in five different subjects including, English, Mathematics-Calculus, Mathematics-Statistics, Accounting and Economics.
![Molipala Finau THS Dux 2023 Talaho Tonga Photography](https://talanoaotonga.to/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Molipala-Finau-THS-Dux-2023-Talaho-Tonga-Photography-1024x702.jpg)
Molipala, who has family connections throughout Tonga, said she hails from the villages of Palesi, Fungamisi, Falaleu, Talau, Kameli, ‘Utungake Vava’u, Kolonga, Ha’atafu, and Ha’afeva, Ha’apai.
The Proxime Accessit 2023 award went to Falepaini Timani.