Arthur – the terminator turned engineer

By JIMMY KALEBE
AS a child, Arthur Imona would strip down toys that his parents bought for him, piece by piece, so he could see the insides of those gadgets, and try to figure out how they worked. Never in the minds of his bewildered parents did they figure that this was a genius in the making. The only thing any parent in this kind of situation would think of is the money that was wasted on the toys, or why the child couldn’t just play with the toy, just like other kids do.
But for that young lad, his inquisitiveness and steely desire to destroy things to really find out what made it work, would, later in life, prove to be a blessing.
Mussau Islander Arthur Imona, now 24, graduated from Unitech this year with flying colors.
It was truly a dream come true for him when he confidently stepped up onto the podium on April 21, a smile plastered on his face, to receive his Bachelor of Mathematics and Computer Science degree.
He was also awarded the Council Medal for academic excellence and Degree with Merit.
Being a top student in mathematics and computer science in his group was the cream on the cake for him. It was the stepping stone to a bright future.
Arthur never really planned to be anything when he was little. Maybe he thought of being a pilot or a doctor, he says. All the while he continued to take apart his toys until he was old enough to know how to put them back together.
“I guess the inspiration that strongly motivated me was when I was evaluating myself and looking back to when I was younger. I would strip down radios and keyboards and even my toy cars that worked on batteries, just to see what was under those plastic covers. Little did I know, I would be stripping computers, routers, switches in the future,” he mused.
“Also, during computer classes when I was doing my primary school – grades 3-7 in the Philippines- the teacher would usually help us do websites and little programs that really caught my attention and interest.
The idea of writing lines of codes that actually turn out into an arranged window of tables and window panes with buttons and labels that can be clicked really blew my mind.
That was when I knew mathematics and computer science were definitely my kind of thing.”
With a very supportive family, Arthur was able to complete his year 12 at Kokopo Secondary School in East New Britain in 2012 and was selected to take up mathematics and computer science at the University of Technology the following year.
His determination to really make things happen with computers spurred him on to create something that Unitech will be grateful for once it is completed. It was also a present from him to Unitech for the quality of education he received there.
From the 18 graduates with Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, young Arthur managed to create a mobile phone app called Matheson Library Application.
The application, though half completed, has two main functions that helps students in the vicinity of the campus locate a book of their choice. They have to go to the library to borrow the book.
Being a top student in his field of study has also earned him a job with Bmobile-Vodafone PNG, specifically with the ICT team.
Arthur’s story could best serve as a warning for parents too. When you see your young child acting a bit strangely with their toys at a point in their life, don’t assume there is something wrong with their head.
They could just be another genius in the making.