In commemoration of American aviation pioneer, Amelia Earhart’s birthday, the United States Embassy awarded the first ever Amelia Earhart scholarship to pilot, Deborah Bidang, at a ceremony held at the University of technology in Morobe province on July 24, 2024. This broke ground on a monument that will honour Amelia’s legacy and inspire future engineers and pilots. The scholarship will fund Debora’s travel to Hawai’i where she will complete her certification to become a helicopter pilot. She currently works at Manolos Aviation and is currently certified to fly fixed-wing aircraft. Upon completion of her certification, she will be able to assist other PNG women through the Manolos emergency medevac helicopter airlift program, flying women in critical need of care from remote parts of PNG to Lae for lifesaving medical treatment. U.S. Ambassador, Ann Marie Yastishock and veteran astronaut, Marsha Ivins, awarded the scholarship to Debora along with PNG Tribal Foundation founder and president, GT Bustin and University acting Vice Chancellor Proffessor, Shamsul Akanda. During the event, veteran astronaut Marsha on her second time to PNG, shared moments based upon her passion to fly and the possibilities that come with it. “I was fifteen years old when I decided I wanted to learn to fly in an era that was not a standard thing to do, and because there was and had been an Amelia Earhart, it was not considered impossible.” “And so, I thank her for that, and I encourage you to take heart if you’re told no or you can’t or you shouldn’t, because you absolutely can.” This scholarship is the first to be awarded through the Amelia Earhart Memorial and Trust, a joint program between the U.S. Embassy, PNG Tribal Foundation, and the PNG University of Technology, which will award scholarships to women each year so they can pursue STEM and aviation careers. The scholarship was made possible by a generous donation from ExxonMobil PNG LNG. The Amelia Earhart Memorial and Trust commemorates the pioneering aviatrix Amelia Earhart, who visited Lae back in June,1937. Her visit to Lae creates a lasting bond between America and Papua New Guinea, symbolizing shared values of courage, exploration, and breaking barriers. The participants of the ceremony also broke ground on the Amelia Earhart monument, sculpted by a talented team of Papua New Guinean artists including, Gazellah Bruder, Tom Deco, Philip Wessly and Robin Emos. The monument will be transported from Port Moresby to Lae and installed on the campus of UNITECH. Furthermore, these scholarships aim to encourage and empower women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, thereby fostering innovation and development in Papua New Guinea.