Mogia driven to achieve dream

By ALBERT KAMANI
HAVING a university degree is not the end of education, says Michael Mau Mogia.
Mogia was accepted again in 2018 by the University of Papua New Guinea as a part-time law student at the Law Faculty – for his third degree.
“In order to stay-competitive in the job market and stay in touch with the world as it continually evolves your skills, there are amazing education opportunities available that will help you take the next step forward in your career or the attainment of knowledge as an individual,” Mogia said.
“I want to be a team player, drive change, solve conflicts, motivate individuals, be transparent and fair and uphold Christian principles to take back PNG.”
The 30-year-old from Kere Du village in Sinasina-Yongomul district in Chimbu was one of the many students who dropped out from Papua New Guinea’s formal education system.
Mogia was not accepted through the formal school leavers’ selection process in 2009, at UPNG.
He was not accepted internally by the UPNG through the school leavers’ form to study Law.
“I sat down and recalled those days, how I used to cope with struggles from day one at the preparatory up to the secondary education,” Mogia said.
He said despite failing to make it the first time through, the formal education process of selection, he did not give up and pursued his interest and drive to earn a degree.
“The system rejected many of us but I have managed and completed my two degrees already and now I am into my third degree in law,” he said.
“I felt down and hopeless after seeing many of my classmates being accepted by various universities in the country.

“ Education is the key to success in life.
Education only ends when people die, meaning they are no longer existing on planet earth.”

“But I didn’t give up my dream to become a lawyer and never abandoned the goal of continuing my tertiary education,” Mogia said.
The key to his success and ability to stay despite the obstacles and challenges life threw at him was the value he placed on learning and receiving an education.
“Education is the key to success in life,” he declared.
“Education only ends when people die, meaning they are no longer existing on planet earth.
“As long as you are breathing, the education is like a driver to drive you around the world, even if you grow old to be 80 or 90 years, education or learning never ends.”
Mogia acknowledged the UPNG Open campus for giving him a second chance.
“A big thank you to the UPNG Open Campus for accepting and giving me the second chance and allowing me to enrol in 2009 where I upgraded my marks in Math (1 & 2) and Applied Finite Maths from 2009 to 2010.”
Mogia was accepted in 2011 by the School of Business and Public Policy and enrolled as an internal student in the second year of the degree programme.

He said it was a great relief for his parents who supported him with finance and other essentials.
“My desire to achieve my long term dream in education started to grow even though I encountered a lot challenges.
“The challenges I went through at the school I saw as a stepping stone to enhance me in goal,” he said.
Mogia said the main campus (UPNG) was a multilingual society with students and academics from all parts of PNG and aboard.
He said UPNG was a place to be, a school full of happiness and challenges, a real training institution for intellectuals.
“I completed a bachelor’s degree in business and management double major in strategic management and public policy management from 2011-2014 and graduated on April 12, 2015.
“I then started as a trainee officer in the Graduate Development Programme (GDP) with the National Housing Corporation.”
Mogia was promoted to manager training, performance and evaluation at the NHC in 2016.
“While working at National Housing Cooperation, I still wanted to further my education so I got loans from various financial institutions totalling K35,800 and paid for my own way to study for a Master’s in business administration (MBA) from 2017-2018.
“I completed my Master’s degree at UPNG and graduated on April 26 this year.”
Mogia is employed by the Finance Department as a senior human resource officer but that has not stopped him from pursuing his dream to attain a law degree.
“I am currently studying for a bachelor’s in law, into my second year as a part-time student at UPNG.
“I am looking forward to completing my law degree in two years’ time.”
Mogia though does not see that as the end of the road in terms of his acquisition of knowledge, particularly with the momentum he has generated.
“I will pursue my doctoral degree in public policy management and strategic management afterward. I thank God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit for the blessings I have,” Mogia said.
“I’m very happy with my parents, my dad Mogia Mau Korol and mum Bethy Uwi Maima who invested a lot in my schooling. Without them I would not have been able to achieve my dreams.”
Mogia said he was proud of what he had achieved and said it would benefit not just his family, tribe, district or province but his community and country as well.
“You don’t have to listen to people who say negative things in life, it’s your life, stay positive, listen to your heart and keep on moving everything else will just fall in place,” he said.
“Forget the past, live in the present, create a future because education never ends,” Mogia said.

• Albert Kamani is a senior communication and reporting officer at the Finance Department.