Elijah Numoi, from East Sepik and Chimbu parentage, received his accolade as the 2020 gold medalist for scoring the highest grade point average (GPA) during Divine Word University’s graduation on Sunday.
A very humbled Numoi described his success as an achievement that was not his alone but for everyone who stood by him and believed in him every step of the way; especially his family, colleagues and friends.
With a GPA of 3.54 out of 4.0, this was an accumulation of consistent high performance academically from the years 2016-2019 from his undergraduate studies in the Madang institution.
When asked on his secret, he said hard work, determination and knowing that you are not doing this for yourself ensured his high achievement.
He added: “I do my best in what I do for everyone who has supported me. Not out of obligation but as appreciation for what they’ve done for me.
“In the end, you’ll somehow find that you’re doing it for yourself too all along. But all these can’t manifest if you don’t believe and involve God who only endeavours to give the desires of your heart.”
His advice to students is, their stories cannot be like everyone else’s.
“If it’s different, it’s you. You can’t fit in when you were born to stand out. So embrace the difference because it is in your difference that you’ll find your strength.”
He dedicates his achievement to his mother Christine Kembi Numoi and late brother Patrick Kove.
Numoi is a graduate from the PNG Studies and International Relations Department under the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
He was among 884 students who graduated with degrees, diplomas and masters from the undergraduate programs and DWU flexible learning centre.