"Education is my pathway to empowerment returning to study after decades of family and community service has equipped me to lead youth programs like 'Ātui'anga ki te Tango and Rising Stars, preserving our Pacific culture while tackling environmental and social challenges."

Jackalyn Rongo

Jackie Rongo brings a lifelong connection between sport, environment and community to her role as Secretary. An educational background at the University of Hawai'i at Hilo and a former national Guam volleyball player, she has drawn on that grounding in team and discipline to help build connection and belonging among Cook Islands youth, alongside a strong commitment to environmental stewardship. She is currently undertaking a Postgraduate Diploma in Islands and Ocean Stewardship at the University of the South Pacific, returning to formal education after decades of family and community service. That combination of lived experience and study now equips her to lead youth programmes like 'Ātui'anga ki te Tango and Rising Stars, work that preserves Pacific culture while tackling environmental and social challenges facing the next generation. Her path reflects a belief that connecting young people to sport, culture and the natural environment together strengthens the wider community.