Seventeen-year-old Mercy Tautua believes her key takeaway from the three-day Catholic Youth Conference is that education should be the number one priority for a student. 

She said she was inspired by Brother Afaese Afaese's session on Thursday at Leauvaa.

"I came here with the mentality that this is just another youth gathering. My reason for coming was that it was compulsory, but I also wanted to meet with other youth members from all over Samoa," said Mercy.

"But on Thursday, I got here, and Br. Afaese, the principal of Saint Joseph's College was doing his session. He always used his students at Saint Joseph as an example. He spoke about how his students would skip classes and even school. 

"He mentioned our callings as youth members and as students. What I took from his session was that I should keep my education as a priority. No matter what my calling is from God for the future as of now, education should be the main one."

She said not everyone becomes priests or nuns but it is important to have a clear pathway for the future.

"As a Catholic, I have always dreamed of becoming a nun. But during the sessions yesterday and on Wednesday, it reminded me that not everyone can become a nun," she said.

"We have different purposes in life. I can become a nun but if it's God's call for me to be a lawyer or teacher then that's where my future lies. We must trust God's plan and timing. Which is why prioritising our education is very important."

Mercy challenges the youth, especially those still studying to keep on going. 

"If things get hard, just remember your parents are working day and night to ensure you get the education that you need. So we need to pay back by finishing our studies and making our dream jobs a reality," she said.

"I know education is not easy but with God anything is possible. As Father Mosese said during our closing mass, we all have our calling and every life has a purpose."