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17 graduate from SCS
Saipan Community School promoted 17 students to high school last Thursday during a graduation ceremony at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center. (Erwin Encinares)
Saipan Community School promoted 17 students to high school last Thursday during a graduation ceremony at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center.
Jason Sablan, the valedictorian of the Class of 2017, said he is thankful to SCS for helping him in his journey, especially his teachers and his family.
“The teachers at SCS are so unique. They created a bond with the students that you would find in a family. I would miss chapel, having chapel buddies, and the family we created every Friday,” said Sablan.
One of the many things that Sablan learned from SCS was that family “makes everything easier” and the benefits from being with SCS include building relationships “with not just students in your grade but students from other grade levels as well.”
According to Sablan, he learned to place God as his No. 1 priority in life and “to trust Him in everything you do.”
Sablan would be entering Saipan International School with his older siblings.
Jason Sablan’s mother, Shirley Sablan, is extremely proud of her son’s achievement. She described Jason as a “consistent over-achiever since Kindergarten” and a “young perfectionist with a strong ambition.”
“[Jason] does well in almost everything he sets his mind to. He excels in sports, band, and a number of extra-curricular activities, including the CNMI junior high mock trial, the Public School System Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Fair, CrossFit, basketball, and cross country,” she said.
In his spare time, Jason Sablan is interested in video production and can be found on YouTube as “j.warp.”
SCS salutatorian Mark Nam said that, although he has not been with the class since Kindergarten like most of his classmates, he is still grateful to have known them.
“I am thankful for them. Since 4th grade we all have been friends. They have been excellent friends to me. They helped me study and learn during class time and played with me at recess. They have been real good friends,” he said.
The ceremony’s keynote speakers were three of the school’s teachers: O’Rania Sikayun, Ashley Sikayun, and Tamiko Winkfield, all of whom are about to leave the school.
