Media release from Georgia Northwestern Technical College:
A commitment to self-sufficiency prompted Mayahuel Yaoapoqa, a Micronesian native, to pursue a career in Precision Machining and Manufacturing at Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC).
Seventeen-year-old Mayahuel Yaoapoqa will graduate with her associate degree in Precision Machining and Manufacturing at GNTC’s 2026 Spring Commencement Ceremony at the Forum River Center in Rome on Thursday, May 7.
GNTC will hold two Commencement Ceremonies on May 7. At noon, a ceremony will be held for graduates in Business and Cyber related technology programs and Nursing and Health Technology programs. A second ceremony will be held that afternoon for graduates in Aviation and Industrial Technology programs and Public Service programs at 4 p.m. Mayahuel will cross the stage at 4 p.m., and her 19-year-old sister, Sueann, will also graduate with her associate degree in Business Management at noon.
“It was difficult when I first arrived in the United States,” Mayahuel Yaoapoqa said. “I didn’t speak the language or understand the way people behaved compared to where I’d lived previously.”
Mayahuel Yaoapoqa spent her early childhood in Chuuk, a cluster of volcanic islands in the Federated States of Micronesia in the Pacific Ocean. She said she is proud of her Chuukese ancestry and the opportunity to be surrounded by her aunts, uncles and grandmother.
She grew up moving around the globe, including a brief residency in Israel. The family moved to California in 2015 and then to upstate New York.
After her father Olin Yaoapoqa left the U.S. Army, the family moved to Georgia in 2021 because they had additional relatives here, Olin Yaoapoqa said. The family now lives in Trion and attends GNTC’s Floyd County Campus in Rome.
When Mayahuel Yaoapoqa and her sister finished homeschooling, they toured GNTC’s Floyd County Campus. The family said they had heard many success stories from GNTC graduates, thought that the college met their needs and liked that it is close to their home.
Mayahuel Yaoapoqa said several programs intrigued her. She was curious about where everyday products come from and how they are made.
“If I want something, I’ve always wanted to be able to make it or make sure it happens,” she said. “I chose Precision Machining and Manufacturing because being a machinist means creating beneficial products that people use every day.”
After her father saw how well she and her sister were performing in college and how much their character had developed, he enrolled in GNTC’s Horticulture program, Mayahuel Yaoapoqa said.
Mayahuel Yaoapoqa is taking flight lessons at Richard B. Russell Regional Airport in Rome and expects to earn her private pilot license this summer. Her sister started lessons before she did.
“Flying a plane has taught me to value my life,” Mayahuel Yaoapoqa said. “Being prepared and knowledgeable before stepping inside a plane or doing anything else has improved my attitude. I make sure to plan and even have backup plans.”
She said she would like to pursue a career as a certified flight instructor —even if she can only do so briefly. Sueann Yaoapoqa said she is also interested in starting an aviation training school.
Mayahuel Yaoapoqa said she has not mapped out her long-term career plans yet, but she would like to invest in “businesses that focus on bettering communities, especially communities that I am a part of.”
Her education at GNTC has helped her not only to develop the skills she would need in a machine shop, but also to explore the business behind machining and many similar trades, she said.
“I was fortunate to meet many classmates from different fields and hear their experiences,” Mayahuel Yaoapoqa said. “As a young and unemployed student, this was eye-opening and gave me insight into being employed and owning a business. I also learned that productive communication between people creates success.”
Sueann Yaoapoqa echoed those sentiments, adding that she valued finding out how her older classmates juggle family, work and classes at GNTC.
Mayahuel Yaoapoqa said her instructors and classmates have urged her to always ask questions and to not fear making mistakes.
“What makes Mayahuel stand out is not just that she’s one of the few young women pursuing this career path in a male-dominated field, but how confidently and capably she’s doing it,” said Bart Jenkins, program director and instructor of Precision Machining and Manufacturing at GNTC. “While there is a gradual increase in women in the field, students like Mayahuel are still the exception, and she sets a strong example of what’s possible for others considering a similar path.”
Jenkins praised Mayahuel Yaoapoqa’s confidence, determination, maturity and strong work ethic. She willingly steps into challenging environments and proves her capabilities through action rather than words, he said.
“Mayahuel shows solid technical ability and isn’t intimidated by hands-on tasks or equipment, taking the initiative to learn and improve her skills,” Jenkins said. “Mayahuel adapts quickly, handles pressure well, stays organized and approaches challenges with a calm, determined mindset. Combined with her curiosity and willingness to push herself beyond her comfort zone, these traits make her especially well-suited for a rigorous and high-responsibility career path.”
Mayahuel Yaoapoqa credits her father for teaching her how to improve and understand herself.
“My daughters have been all around the world,” Olin Yaoapoqa said. “Wherever we go, the sky is blue, and people are people. The food may be different.”
He said he has been teaching his children to farm and training them to lead, prioritizing food self-sustainability as a key component of self-sufficiency and independence. He used the GI Bill to enroll in GNTC’s Horticulture program so that he could learn to farm more efficiently.
“I saw Israeli farmers make raw, dead desert blossom by using soil enrichment techniques and natural fertilizers,” Olin Yaoapoqa explained. “Horticulture breaks down farming into a science by teaching about working the soil, the interaction of different plants and dealing with pests.”
His wife, Shana, operates a small business, Olin Yaoapoqa said. He and his daughters view their education and experience at GNTC as an investment that empowers them to further diversify their pool of collective knowledge. After completing his diploma in Horticulture in summer 2026, he plans to enroll in GNTC’s Cybersecurity program to earn an associate degree.
“The moment you learn something, it changes you,” he said.
Through the GNTC Foundation, Olin Yaoapoqa has received the Rabbit Valley Farmers Market Scholarship, and Mayahuel Yaoapoqa is a two-time recipient of the Gene Haas Scholarship.
In the GNTC photo:
Olin Yaoapoqa (center) is proud of daughters Sueann (left), who will graduate with an associate degree in Business Management, and Mayahuel, who will graduate with an associate degree in Precision Machining and Manufacturing, at GNTC’s 2026 Spring Commencement Ceremony at the Forum River Center in Rome on Thursday, May 7.
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