Candesly’s winning combo

Sacrifice, commitment, hard work and God make a winning combination for any student.
For proof, ask 18-year-old Candesly Takeyako, the dux of Paglum Adventist Secondary School in Western Highlands.
Candesly graduated with 86 other grade 12 students on Sunday, and scooped the top award for science and social science for grade 11-12. She also collected first prizes in Bible studies (compulsory), language and literature, chemistry, and second prizes in physics and geology.
“It was not a surprise, I worked hard for it. Jesus is my strength in all my schooling days from elementary to grade 12,” Candesley said.
“Now I’m looking forward to our major examination in two weeks time (Oct 15-19). I will study hard and give it my best shot.
“I have decided to take up medical science at the Pacific Adventist University. My dream is to become a medical doctor.”
Candesley thanked former deputy principal Freddy Pennington for playing an important part in her enrolment at Paglum in 2015.
“Pennington is one of my role models because he encouraged me and all the students here to be humble, be simple, and all the encouraging and inspirational messages that you can think of comes from him.
“My next role model is Dr Aaron Malts Wai, my big brother, a gynaecologist at the Mt Hagen General Hospital.
“He tells me to always aim high, dream high and never give up.”
She thanked all the teachers, staff, the spiritual directors and Seventh Day-adventist Western Highlands Mission leaders for working together to teach Christian values and principles and impart godly teachings to students.
“Those of us graduating here today will never forget what we’ve learnt,” Candesley said.
“We were shaped, moulded and mentored to be good disciples of Christ wherever we go.”
She thanked her parents and family for their support and prayers.
Candesly is privileged to be a product of Paglum where prominent Papua New Guineans like Finance Minister James Marape, Customs Commissioner Ray Paul, the late Western Highlands businessman Kagul Koroka, late Madang businessman Stanley Pil, Dr Samuel Kopamu, and others had passed through.
SDA Western Highlands Mission chief financial officer Bre Yomba thanked the students for choosing Paglum and encouraged them to be good ambassadors of the school which trained them to be Christian leaders.