Thank God I’m a fulltime journalist

By MICHAEL PHILP
I THANK God for where I am today – a fulltime journalist with this newspaper.
Through hard work, commitment and dedication, I now know how one can build the passion and skills for a profession.
I am 23, from Nangananga Village in the Livuan Ward just outside Kokopo in East New Britain – a graphic artist by profession and a journalist by passion.
Struggling alone through the years taught me to be strong in what I want to do, to never give up trying.
Being the youngest in the family was not an excuse to take things easy, hoping that everyone will provide for me and everything will fall in my lap.
No, that would be wishful thinking. I started to think outside the box early and use whatever is available to me to work towards my future.
The dream to one day become a journalist began in Grade Four at the Nangananga Primary School. I was always interested in reading the newspapers, watching the evening television news and listening to the radio.
I looked to as my role models senior journalists Scot Waide, Paul Taumik Jnr, Fidelis Sukina and Terry Longbut. They were my insipration.
I completed Grade 12 at the Kokopo Secondary School in 2016 and went on to tertiary education. Unfortunately it lasted for only two years because of some personal reasons. That was when I started roaming the streets of Port Moresby looking for opportunities to build a career.
I felt hopeless after all my dream was shattered due to lack of support for my education. But I could not just sit back and let go of my dream job. So I decided to start small, do my best and make my way up the ladder.
On March 20, 2019, a locally-owned weekend newspaper in Port Moresby offered me a job as a graphic artist. After three months, I asked the chief editor if I can write stories too. Yes.

“ My hard work has paid off, although I didn’t expect it. But I thank the Lord. Today I am happy to be a full-time journalist.”

“So I made use of the little knowledge and skills in English in secondary school to write features and commentaries. After every publication, I checked where I went wrong, learned from my mistakes, and tried to improve by skills one step at a time.
The editorial team recognised the potential I had and allowed me attend to start attending media conferences.
Then I started building contacts in general news and sports apart from features and commentaries.
Thankfully some of my articles at the time were also accepted by this newspaper.
My aim was to start from somewhere, so I told myself that this is that somewhere. I must do my best. I sent my stories to be published for free.
Then my big break came late last year when this newspaper offered me a full-time job as a reporter. My hard work and determination had paid off. I didn’t expect it would come this early. But I thank the Lord for it. I thank sponsor and caretaker Wesley Raminai, Jelita Raminai and all the Kagua family of Southern Highlands for their support and care for me in the past five years.
I am looking forward to graduating at the Port Moresby Technical College as an Advanced Diploma in Graphic Design and multi-media production.
Tough going but I am here and enjoying every minute of it. Today I am happy to be a full-time journalist. My dream job.
So my advice to young people is never to quit when you are down. Get up, dust yourself, try and try again!