Абитуриентка Divine Word University получила награду за выдающиеся достижения выпускников

STUDENTS such as Melisha Sindiwan who pass through the Divine Word University embrace the quote Sic Currite Ut Comprehendatis – meaning “run to win”. Melisha, one of the DWU 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients, said: “I took that quote to heart and pushed myself against all odds, aiming to be among the best.” Melisha was one of four recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award. The others were Rhonda Wohemani, Maria Huaniangre and Theonila Roka Matbob. The award acknowledges graduates whose professional achievements, leadership, service and contributions positively impacted their professions, communities, and the nation. “I am honored to have been recognised with three remarkable Papua New Guinean women. This recognition belongs to not only me but also the many underserved communities, women, young people, institutions, mentors, colleagues, development partners and family members who have supported my journey. “Being inducted onto the Alumni Wall at the DWU Alumni Park is a humbling milestone and a reminder of the responsibility we carry as graduates to use our education in service of others and to contribute meaningfully to PNG’s development.” Melisha, 32, is from Salata Village in Maprik, East Sepik, but born and raised in Madang which she calls home. She is the middle child in a family of five whose father Reuben is a police officer in Madang and mother Priscilla a housewife. She started her education at the Kusbau Primary School in 2000, Kusbau Primary in 2008, and Tusbab Secondary School from 2009 to 2012. She attended DWU from 2013 to 2016 and attained a Bachelor of Business Studies (Business Management). “My connection to the Divine Word University began long before I became a student. Growing up in Madang’s Kusbau police barracks, I would often visit an aunt Maria Huaniangre who was studying at DWU. She was also an award recipient. Those visits inspired me and planted a dream in my heart to one day walk through the university gates as a student myself. “ The DWU instilled in me the values of faith, discipline, leadership, service, and integrity that continue to guide my life and career and personal life today.” “My parents’ unconditional love, sacrifice, and faith had also been the cornerstone of our family and my success. “My family has been my greatest support system. The work I do often takes me into some of the most remote and challenging parts of PNG. Whether travelling into villages, providing financial literacy training, banking services on the wheel, engaging with market vendors, meeting small-medium enterprise owners or working in communities with limited access to financial and banking services, I know that my family is constantly keeping me in their prayers and thoughts.” Her final-year thesis titled “A study to investigate the factors affecting the performance of women entrepreneurs in micro and small enterprises in urban areas of Madang” was one of the most defining moments of her academic journey. “At the time, I did not realize that this research project would become the blueprint of my life’s work. Through my research, I discovered that many hardworking SME women were not lacking ambition, determination or capability. What they lacked was access to affordable finance, training, opportunities, and support. This realization shaped my career and inspired my passion for financial inclusion and economic empowerment.” After graduating, she taught at the Caritas Technical Secondary School in 2017 before joining the Women’s Micro Bank (Mama Bank) from 2017 to 2024. Melisha today is the manager (member experience) at Nasfund. “I continue to work in PNG and the Pacific region, championing financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, retirement security and economic empowerment which I owe to an excellent institution that guided my academic life. More importantly, the DWU instilled in me the values of faith, discipline, leadership, service, and integrity that continue to guide my career and life today.” Her mission is simple: To educate, empower, and create opportunities for people. Her message to young Papua New Guineans is to dream big, stay curious, continue learning, serve others, create opportunities where none exist, and to always remember to “run to win”.