At IBS University’s sixth graduation ceremony, among the many proud graduates one story carried a quiet powerful weight, a story not just of academic success but of resilience, loss, and purpose.
For Bachelor of Information Technology Award of Academic Excellence recipient Richie Manuta, the journey to that stage was not defined by ease, but by a promise rooted in love and tested by grief.
When Richie Manuta stood to receive his award, it was more than recognition for academic performance, it was the fulfillment of a dream his mother would never see, but one she had always believed in.
Richie’s path into Information Technology began years earlier, shaped by a spark in the classroom. A Grade 9 teacher first introduced him to the world of IT, and what started as curiosity slowly evolved into a deep passion.
After graduating from Port Moresby National School of Excellence in 2021, he was accepted into the Bachelor of Information Technology program at IBS University, a transition that would test both his adaptability and determination.
Moving from handwritten assignments to fully computer-based systems was not easy. The shift demanded discipline, technical understanding, and a new way of thinking. But for Richie, technology was more than just tools and systems.
He saw it as a language of its own “Technology is a powerful form of communication, it has its own history and methodology, just like any other field.”
His passion showed not only in his words, but in his understanding. Richie spoke confidently about the key strands of the IT program, including networking, database management, and programming, breaking down complex systems into ideas that reflected both knowledge and curiosity.
But behind the academic journey was a far heavier story. On January 24th, 2025, during his final semester, Richie lost his mother.
The loss shook him deeply “Even though I have my dad” he paused for a while and asked “how can you go on when one of your parents is no longer there?”
Grief lingered, quiet but constant within that pain, Richie found a reason to keep going and it was his mother’s dream of him.
He reflected on the sacrifices both his parents had made for his education and the lessons they had instilled in him about perseverance and purpose. Slowly, that grief transformed into motivation.
“Even though it was heartbreaking, I knew I had no choice but to stay on that path they showed me, and now, that’s what I want for myself,” he said.
His final semester brought another test of resilience.
On the eve of his final presentation, Richie faced an intense challenge. He had to be present with his team debate for an invitation while also preparing for a major group project presentation.
He chose to do both and after the debate presentation, he returned to difficult news that their project server had crashed.
Time was running out and pressure was building so Richie stayed up through the night working to restore the system.
But thought he managed to bring the server connection back the website wasn’t fully operational.
Still, he refused to walk into the presentation unprepared but when standing before the panel, Richie and his group member of fellow website developers shifted their focus on how to explain the development of the website rather than present on ho with website functions so they ended up explaining in detail during the presentation on how the server functioned, turning a near failure into a demonstration of understanding.
It was not perfect, but it was real, technical, and resilient and that was enough.
In the end, Richie Manuta did not just graduate. He carried a legacy forward with his achievement stands as more than an academic milestone but as proof that even in loss, purpose can endure.
Somewhere between lines of code and long nights of perseverance, a promise was kept and it was not just to finish the journey, but to become the man his mother always believed he could be.
