Mrs. Jovalyn Ilong Koshiba-Ngiraingas graduates with a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Chaminade University of Honolulu, Hawaii earlier this summer. Completion of her degree was made possible through the Bill Raynor Micronesia Challenge (BRMC) Scholarship. Back in 2019, Mrs. Koshiba-Ngiraingas was fortunate enough to be chosen as a recipient of this BRMC Scholarship. She was able to graduate six months earlier than originally expected. Due to the global pandemic, Chaminade University of Honolulu conducted a virtual graduation ceremony.
This past year, she was able to manage her full-time job as a Grants Program Officer at the Protected Areas Network Fund (PAN Fund) on top of being a full-time graduate student. It has been quite the journey for Mrs. Koshiba-Ngiraingas. She put her graduate studies on hold when she decided to move back home from Hawaii to Palau to spend time with her father, Mr. Fritz Koshiba, who encouraged her to finish what she started despite the move. With the BRMC Scholarship, her father’s wishes, her passion, and determination, Mrs. Koshiba-Ngiraingas pushed onward; attended virtual lectures and group discussions at odd hours due to the major time difference but managed to graduate with high marks.
Mrs. Koshiba-Ngiraingas will continue to work for PAN Fund by overseeing various grants, developing marketing and communications strategies for the organization, and engaging with partners and stakeholders for PAN. She wishes to contribute to the Micronesia Challenge (MC) goals as well as explore other innovative ways to establish a robust sustainable financing mechanism for the Palau Protected Areas Network.
Mrs. Koshiba-Ngiraingas humbly thanks all those that made this major milestone in her life possible, especially to God; her parents, her siblings, and her husband. The Protected Areas Network would also like to congratulate Mrs. Koshiba-Ngiraingas on her achievement. May this inspire more young, passionate, and aspiring resource managers to continue higher education and contribute to the betterment of Palau.