Six NMC students awarded scholarship grants

From left, NMC director of Finance Daisy Prospt, NMC acting president Barbara Merfalen, scholars Vicorylie Quijano, Andrea Camacho, Dionne Deleon Guerrero, Thomas Gregory Rabago, Kelly Marie Maligsa Chrystalle Joie Lloren, First Hawaiian Bank branch manager Vicky Concepcion, Guam Business Magazine publisher Maureen Maratita, and 2014 First Hawaiian Bank and Guam Business Magazine Business Woman of the Year Shirley Sablan. (Bea Cabrera)

A sophomore at the Northern Marianas College is a recipient for the second time of the First Hawaiian Bank and Guam Business Magazine scholarship award.

Vicorylie A. Quijano, who is pursuing a double major in business management and elementary education, was one of six NMC students chosen to be awarded a total of $14,670.75 in scholarship funds on Friday at the NMC conference boardroom.

The other beneficiaries at NMC were Andrea S. Camacho, Chrystalle Joie S. Lioren, Dionne A. Deleon Guerrero, Kelly Marie D. Maligsa, and Thomas Gregory A. Rabago.

In Guam, three students at the University of Guam and one at the Guam Community College were also presented with the First Hawaiian Bank and Guam Business Magazine scholarship awards.

“As one of the recipients last year, and it really encourages me to work harder. I’m planning to hopefully be one of the recipients for the scholarship until I finish I college,” Quijano said

According to Maureen Maratita, publisher of Guam Business Magazine, scholarship recipients were selected based on their total number of credit hours enrolled for the semester, grade point average, involvement in the community, and potential for success in business.

“Other stipulations for the scholarship include a GPA of over 3.0 and we ask for an essay, so it is fair the say that these scholars are high achievers,” Maratita said. “We opened the applications in July and we are very pleased that all the students who applied for the scholarship are receiving an award. We are very pleased with the efforts that they are making, particularly at this time, which is such a time of change in the NMI because the only thing you can rely on at this moment is education.”

The First Hawaiian Bank and Guam Business Magazine scholarship has been awarded to 122 student from Guam and CNMI since 2006. A total of $234,325.50 has been awarded since the award’s inception.

Maratita said the program has grown over the years, giving birth to the Business Woman of the Year Award.

“We began initially with the University of Guam and then we saw the need to extend to community colleges. Expanding meant more work but it also provided more rewards for the students,” Maratita said.

“We recognize the need for such a scholarship as we know that there are students who carry a heavy load who don’t always have the financial backing that they should [have] so we are very pleased to be able to support them,” she added.

Maratita said they get updates from graduates who were recipients of the scholarship.

“Some of them have gone on to further studies…or they are making a mark in the business community,” she said.