Yapese Student Receives Gates Millennium Scholarship

Yap High School (YHS) Class of 2012 senior Prescilla M. Mangarfir received the Gates Millennium Scholarship, making her the fourth student to be awarded from Yap High School.

Ms. Mangarfir has attended Yap High School for four years. During this time, she has divided her time between her regular high school classes and Upward Bound classes. As a senior, Ms. Mangarfir has participated in various workshops and has taken several classes at the Small Business Center in Colonia.

When asked about challenges she faced while being in high school, Ms. Mangarfir mentioned the difficulties she faced in her English Literature class. The honors class proved to be challenging but Ms. Mangarfir recognized the vitality of the class and made the decision to not drop it.
“I knew my weakness,” she says but she also knew that overcoming such weakness would only help her succeed.

Indeed, Ms. Mangarfir completed the 20-sum page GMS application and submitted it early this year.  Ms. Mangarfir along with some of her classmates began the long, rigorous process of completing the application and securing letters of recommendations months prior to the scholarship submission deadline.

Ms. Mangarfir plans on studying medicine and becoming a doctor. Her ultimate goals involve coming back to Yap in order to help to improve the Yap State hospital or to start her own medical practice.

Ms. Mangarfir believes that GMS will help her with achieving her educational goals. She adds that “GMS plays a small portion to success” and that “motivation is the primary key to achieving [one’s] goals.”

Since its awarding in 2005, GMS has helped students from Yap with their educational and career goals.

Julian F. Tharngan, a 2006 YHS graduate and GMS recipient received his Bachelor’s Degree from Chaminade University of Honolulu in 2011. 2007 YHS graduate and GMS recipient Ignatius Kenmanglay received his Associate’s Degree and is currently attending the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa and is working towards obtaining a degree in Architectural Engineering.

In 2010 Yapese students, XHS alumnus Michael Kigimnang and Yap SDA alumnus Zandra Falmeyog, received the GMS.  Both are currently working on their undergraduate degrees.