Renee Ofae is a pioneer Imbi Tagune Scholarship recipient from the Papua New Guinea University of Technology (PNGUOT) and is currently working with the Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) as a Community Relations Officer.
Covered by the scholarship in her final year of studies in 2024 when it was first introduced at UOT, Renee graduated this year with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication & Development Studies.
The Imbi Tagune Scholarship program was established in 2023 at UoT through an MOU signed between MRDC and the UoT’s School of Communications and Development Studies.
The Scholarship was awarded to the two top-performing students in the School of CDS that year, and Renee was one of them.
The MOU between MRDC and the School of CDS was signed during the 2023 CANCONEX conference at PNGUOT.
Renee was a student volunteer at the conference and witnessed the signing ceremony.
She was excited about the prospects of being selected, but having registered as a volunteer for the conference, she thought she had lost the opportunity to be selected to her other course mates.
“Before the 2024 academic year begun, I was awaiting the list of the new year’s TESAS awardees when I received an email from my then lecturer, Mr. John Milba, to congratulate me on winning the MRDC Imbi Tagune Scholarship.
Mr. Junior Wafi, who had topped the School of CDS class in 2023, was the other recipient.
Renee’s current role with MRDC is being a Community Relations Officer in the External Affairs Division of the company.
Part of her role involves stakeholder engagement and management of pre-approved funding allocated to landowner directors representing the various gas, petroleum and mining resource impacted communities/regions.
These funding are channeled towards community development initiatives in Health, Education, Church, Donations/Sponsorships, and other community assistance programs.
Initially the transition from school to workforce presented challenges, but she has since settled in.
“I am truly grateful that I had a lot of support, tutoring, and guidance from my colleagues and immediate supervisor.
“It has been two months since my probation ended, and I am now working as a full-time employee.
“While I feel I may have gotten a hang of things, I know I still have a lot to learn and can do better as time progresses.”
Renee has two pieces of advice to give to the students that are still in tertiary and secondary schools:
“Know why you are where you are at this very moment. Know why you are doing what you’re doing right now. Know your PURPOSE.
“Everything in life happens for a reason, even if it can’t be understood or seen at first. So, take in all the lessons, learn from them and keep on moving. Do not dwell on things that cannot be changed, instead work on being better than you last were because in the real world, you are your own competition. If other people can do it, so can you.”
Describing here aspirations, Renee said: “Most people aspire to be successful for various reasons.
“My aspiration for success is rooted with my family. My parents have done everything in their capacity to ensure that my siblings and I are well taken care of, educated, and raised up virtuously, without the support of our extended family.
“I have seen them struggle and sacrifice a lot to ensure that their children got the best, and they did achieve that.
“As a product of their hard work and sacrifices, it is hard for me to see my success as my own without them in it; rather my success is their success.
“So, if anything, I aspire to be successful in everything that I do so that I can honor my parents.”
The Imbi Tagune Scholarship was initiated by MRDC to honor the services of late Imbi Tagune, one of MRDC longest serving managers who passed away in 2021.
