Miss Marianas 2015 holds workshop for young women

Thirty young women from Marianas High School, Saipan Southern High School, and Rota High School learned about confidence and exploring their potential during a mini-workshop spearheaded by Miss Marianas 2015 Jian Joyner at the Pacific Islands Club Saipan last Friday. The group also had the chance to develop a community project of their own to apply what they have learned.  (Frauleine Villanueva-Dizon)

A mini-workshop to help young women boost their confidence was spearheaded by Miss Marianas 2015 Jian Joyner at the Pacific Islands Club Saipan last Friday.

The workshop entitled “Turn to You” was designed to help 30 young women from Marianas High School, Saipan Southern High School, and Rota High School to learn about self-reliance, explore their potential, and develop a community project of their own.

“There are two meanings behind ‘Turn to You.’ We want to show them that when they want to achieve their goals and dreams they have to rely on themselves, they have to turn to themselves at the same time, with this community project, we want to show that the community can also turn to them to make the islands a better place,” Stellar Marianas president Laila Boyer said.

Aside from acting and dancing workshops, speakers during the workshop included Shirley Sablan of Pacifica Insurance Underwriters, Inc., Superior Court Associate Judge Teresa Kim Tenorio, and Saipan Chamber of Commerce executive director Jill Arenovski.

“It’s kind of a workshop to help boost their confidence to help them see that they can do whatever it is they put their mind to,” Joyner said.

Joyner said she believes the younger generation can do more by actually going out than just relying on technology for their activities.

Joyner shared a video presentation of her “personal experience with confidence from being insecure, not liking what I see to just changing my mindset and becoming confident especially after the pageant.”

“I think the group of friends that I have in high school and the independence that I had to go through in college, helped me to see that I am capable of anything I put my mind to,” Joyner said.

She noted, however, that one must also believe in herself.

“It’s really up to you, people can tell you you’re beautiful, but you really have to believe that you are that in order to see that,” Joyner said.

“Confidence is when you realize that you’re okay just the way you are. I used to be so down on myself, I used to be so insecure,” she added.

This project was part of the award given to Joyner for winning the Miss Marianas title last May.

“We assisted her in developing the community project,” Boyer said, “She really wanted to share the ability to teach other young women how to be more self reliant and be able to explore their own potential and the ability to put together a community project.”