Paying it Forward - 2006 Profiles
Dr. Mele Lavinia Uata-Fangupo
Alumna - Nuku’alofa, Tonga Island
Dr. Frangupo earned a Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership in 2003. Then she founded The Leadership Center in Tonga, whose motto is “Dare to Dream.” The Center matches scholarships and opportunities with its students, who have big dreams for education or business but limited financial resources. Dr. Frangupo helps her students discover their talents and encourages them to keep pursuing their educational goals. She is proud to nominate one of her students to receive the Paying it ForwardSM Scholarship. “He is a natural leader with high hopes.” said Dr. Frangupo.
Mapa Ha’ano Taumalolo
Recipient - Vava’u, Tonga Island
In 2006, Mapa’s family sacrificed all they had to send him to school in New Zealand. Mapa lived with an uncle in Auckland, but he struggled to find continued funding for his education. Mapa is the youngest registered member of the Friendly Island’s Human Rights and Democratic Movement in Tonga and worked as a journalist for a Tongan newspaper in New Zealand. The Paying it ForwardSM Scholarship Program is helping Mapa follow his dream to earn a bachelor’s in education. More than anything, he wants to be a teacher.