Karrie Jionisi says “put God first, think positive, work hard and do well in School” is a driving force to achieve goals in life.

She says this is her strategy which made her become one among the 60 recipients of the Queen Young Leaders Award 2017.

Karrie Jionisi, a 25 year old from North Malaita, part Lau and Mbaelelea, residing at Tanuli Honiara, will be honoured by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 2nd, to receive the Queen’s Young Leader Award at Buckingham Palace in June this year.

She will be awarded for outstanding work in providing young people in her community the chance to acquire professional skills and further educational opportunities, many of whom have left school early.

Along with her professional skills in Media, Karrie helped to form a group called Girls for Change, and support them to tackle unemployment for both girls and single mothers in her community.

During her time with the Girls for Change she helped out in organising a Digital Storytelling Project, in an attempt to encourage young women channel their stories using different forms of media.

Karrie also underwent volunteer work with the Honiara City Council-Youth Division particularly with young people, helping out in event planning, facilitating, media promotions and mentoring – a thing she is passionate about.

For the Queen’s Award, Karrie said it means a lot to her personally and professionally to continue working with young people on her Back to School project.

She feels honoured and blessed by the biggest achievement, a rare opportunity which she believes is beneficial for future ambitions.

“It is a biggest award I come across in my life, I have been awarded with other recognition but this one is remarkably huge and unique, I thank God for such magnificent award,” she said.

“When they phone called me from United Kingdom as winning recipient, I was excited, and I paused for a minute then the woman caller have to say Hello, are you still there—I was thrilled with the news to representing Solomon Islands,” Karrie said.

Her parents are extremely proud, and they have shown a kind of reaction never seen before saying she is the one that scores highest in achievement within their immediate family.

Karrie’s passion is working with young people because being a school dropout herself she suffered lack of education opportunities, and the project called Back to School is an initiative to support youths in informal and formal education.

“I want to avail an avenue for them to voice their concern in media. I see this Queen’s award as an opportunity to help other young people when I return,” Karrie said.

At the moment, Karrie’s plans is to start implementing ‘Back to School Project’ with the Tanuli community, provide capacity training to young people on know-how basics about media then linking with community youth groups registered under HCC-Youth Division.

Meanwhile, Karrie is a form five drop-out from King George VI.

Despite leaving school early she volunteered with HCC-Youth Division as Technical Media Volunteer, and discovered her strength in Media and leadership.

With those potential acquired, she decided to do short courses with the Don Bosco Technical Institute— Filming and Multimedia from 2011 to 2012.

She then moved on to study at the Solomon Islands National University in 2013 to 2014, and graduated in 2015.

Currently, she works with the National Statistic Office of Solomon Islands as a Media Officer.

“Whatever you do, you must put God first in your life, and anything you do must glorify God. Only putting God first but work hard, when you work hard God see your hard work then opportunity will flow” Karrie said.