Saturday, June 18, 2016

Student Spotlight… Jones Rufes

(Here is another article from this month’s PIU newsletter, The Tide’s Currents. You can read the whole thing here or send me an email at dowen@piu.edu and I will email you a pdf copy)

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Jones Rufes made his way to PIU from the Mortlock Islands in Chuuk State through Faithwalk Christian College on the island of Tol. He first came to PIU in August of 2014 after four years at FCC. Jones is working towards earning a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies. Here are the responses to questions he was asked recently:

How does PIU help you in your spiritual journey? Like Faithwalk, PIU makes you stronger spiritually. There are opportunities for ministry and for visiting churches. Getting stronger spiritually also comes from what goes on in classes.

What role do you play in the life of the PIU campus? I work hard. Take Clean and Green, I get the jobs done well and other students have noticed that I do the jobs well and accomplish what needs to be done. I show students that exercise is important and I do as much as I can to show that. I participate often in the 5K races around the island. I also try to represent PIU well when I participate in the 5K races.

What are the biggest challenges at PIU? The first major challenge is financial. Paying for the opportunity to stay in the dorms is difficult because of my family’s modest financial situation. Keeping up with the responsibilities for classes, especially when it comes to keeping up with the demands of learning in and showing that I’ve learned in English, is also a major challenge.

How would you describe the relationships among the students? It’s a family of brothers and sisters. It feels like my real family. We do things together. We help each other out.

What advice would you give someone you care about to help him or her decide on coming to PIU? PIU can help you grow in your spiritual life. The people have close relationships. When I have been in tough situations, students, faculty and staff have helped me and encouraged me. If you want to be part of PIU and you are now doing something harmful (like drugs), stop doing it. If you come to PIU, always think of the reasons why you might leave your family and your island to come here and that will encourage you to do your best.

PIU makes transformational, Christian higher education accessible to students like Jones. If you would like to help you can donate to the PIU Rising Tide Annual Fund or Rising TIde Scholarship Fund here.

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