Leadership award student to witness the last Parliament sitting

From a classroom in rural Gembogl, in Simbu straight to the floor of Parliament in Waigani.

Andrew Wena, the Leadership Award winner for Mount Wilhelm Secondary School, will travel to Port Moresby to witness the last Parliament sitting of this year.

Wena will also tour the city and visit the office of the Member for Usino Bundi, Vincent Kumura, who is also the Vice Minister Assisting the Prime Minister.

The announcement was made by Willie Yagoi from the Kumura Foundation during the Grade 12 graduation at the Mount Wilhelm Tourist Hotel in Kundiawa today.

Mr Yagoi said the trip will be fully sponsored by the Kumura Foundation, funded by its Director and Member for Usino Bundi, Vincent Kumura.

"This is a prize that goes beyond the classroom. It is a chance for a young man from Simbu to see how the country is run, up close," Mr Yagoi said.

The Kumura Foundation also sponsored K1,000 each to the Science Dux and the Social Science Dux.

Wena said he did not expect the award.

"I just tried to lead by example in school, but now I have the chance to see Parliament with my own eyes," he said.

Simbu Governor Noah Kool was also present at the graduation.

Governor Kool spoke about discipline, respect and commitment, the three values he said will decide whether a Grade 12 certificate becomes a successful future, or just a paper on the wall.

School Principal Kaupa Gomna said the school decided to give special treatment to the 2026 Cohorts because they are a special group.

"These are the students who survived the worst of the El Nino. But they stayed, they continued, and they finished their exams," Mr Gomna said.

For Mount Wilhelm Secondary School, this year's graduation was not just about finishing school. It was about survival, history, and what leadership can open.