WILMER JOEL
Seventy-three Taiwan-RMI Presidents’ scholarship recipients, consisting of students and educators, were honored at the fourth scholarship award ceremony in the Marshall Islands Resort’s Melele Room in December.
In his remarks, Public School System Commissioner Kanchi Hosia characterized the event as a “milestone” in the relationship between RMI and Taiwan in education and capacity building. “This initiative will add greater value to our relationship,” he said.
Taiwan Ambassador Steve Hsia said his country is committed to strengthening ties with the RMI, including through education. “Education is essential for building a society,” he said. Hsia reiterated a popular proverb about the value of education. “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.”
Following the ambassador’s speech, a motivational video message about life featuring Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey was played.
In order to qualify for the financial scholarship, students must score good grades on the Marshall Islands Standard Achievement Test (MISAT) that is conducted annually at the end of each school year.
PSS then selects the top scorers from grades three, six, and eight in the elementary level and grades 10 and 12 in high school. Students from the colleges on Majuro, the College of the Marshall Islands and the University of the South Pacific, are also included. This scholarship also covers in-service educators.
Presenting the awards to the recipients were Minister Kessai Note, Ambassador Hsia, and President David Kabua.
President Kabua told the Journal that he hoped the recipients would complete their assignments and not become distracted by their phones. “My advice to them would be for them to be completely focused on their homework and reduce screen-time on phones.”