Zoey Ayong’s success story

“Study well at school and jobs will come running after you but if you don’t then you will go running after jobs”.

Once media personality Kaltau Ayong reiterated the above encouragement to his four children and one of them, Zoey Ayong, is most thankful for her dad’s wisdom saying it was those words that pushed her to complete her academic studies in Year 14 at the Lycee Antoine de Bougainville then she dared to enter the University of the South Pacific to take up her studies in English to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Environmental Studies and Conservation last year.

The 24-year old bachelor landed a job as the country’s first Provincial Climate Change and Disaster Risk Officer for Shefa Province eight months ago.

Ayong says she discussed her career path with her parents who were both supportive. “In fact I had wanted to become a lawyer and my dad was happy with that while mum asked me to follow my heart, that as long as I was happy with whatever subject I selected”, she recalls.

She was accepted to do law at the Faculty of Law in Port Vila but later she changed to Environmental Studies.

While in Year 14 at LAB, student Zoey Ayong was a member of the LAB Coral Reef Association. The objective of the association was to protect coral reef from pollution and rubbish.

“In 2008, we fundraised and travelled to Santo and worked with coastal communities to care for their coastlines. This was a good experience for me and it stayed with me,” she says.

When she enrolled and started her studies at Laucala Campus in Suva, it opened up a whole new world in front of her. “All the field trips I took were each an interesting adventure which I really appreciated. Each new course was a new beginning for me,” she remembers.

“I do not regret having started work at provincial level because from here, I am also acting as the focal point for all climate change activities in the Province. All the consultations at national level, I am there rubbing shoulders with senior professionals. My SG sends me to the meetings and all Government senior personnel in climate change know who Zoey Ayong is.

“At the prestigious meetings that I attend, I look around and see ministers and senior representatives but no junior officers but I am present,” she adds with a smile.

“I am already building up my network and people get to know Zoey Ayong and Shefa Province better. I do not regret my choice one bit.”

Her target is to work for a maximum of three years then return to continue with her studies. Eventually she has her eye sight on heading some global organization such as World Wide Fund for Nature.

Her advice to all students currently in school is, “Make sure that you achieve your academic qualifications. That is my advice to you. If you don’t then jobs won’t come running after you but you will go running after jobs. What is more, the job you enroll in may not be your choice based on your academic studies so you won’t really enjoy it.”