NMTI students awarded scholarships to cover tuition

Two scholarships worth $500 each were awarded to a pair of students from the Northern Marianas Technical Institute to help cover the cost of their tuition.

The students, Dramina Sablan and Josh Muna, began their courses in hotel and restaurant management in February and finished in April.

Sablan works in the accounting office of Hyatt Regency Saipan as a general cashier and Muna as a bellman at the same hotel.

Muna who lives all the way in San Antonio—NMTI is located in Lower Base—said it took a lot of “sacrifice” and time to finish his courses, but appreciates the scholarships and expects if they were more funds available NMTI would have more students.

He said he has been telling his friends about the professional training he received, as he says he has many friends his age who are in tough financial situations and that learning the right skills will help them get employed.

“Without NMTI and hotel and restaurant [courses] I don’t think I’d be working in a hotel,” said Sablan.

The Saipan and Northern Island Municipal Council awarded the scholarships.

Ramon B. Camacho, the council’s chairman, said this is the first year the award has been given to assist NMTI students with their tuition.

“They are unemployed. There is no way for them to secure funding for their tuition, so we need to help. The willingness is there to further their education and skills,” Camacho said.

The scholarship money came by the way of remaining yearly dues from Association of Mariana Island Mayors, with Saipan, Tinian, and Rota getting a $1,000 share every year.

Camacho expects the scholarship to be awarded yearly.

“I’m in support of college students, but college students can avail grants, NMTI students cannot avail grants,” he said.

Victorino Cepeda, education director at NMTI, said the relatively low number of students at NMTI would increase if there were more funding for students as the two hurdles for interested students in the institute are transportation and tuition.

Nevertheless, he said he encourages students to come as payment can be negotiated once the student enters the workforce.

“When they finish and they get a job, then they can start paying back at least $50 every payday,” he said.

Both students began their jobs at Hyatt while taking courses at NMTI. After work during the day, they attended 6pm classes.

“It was worth it,” Muna said, “Because in the end, I got a job.”