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Cruz brings academic pride to Tinian
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Posted on Feb 27 2018
TINIAN—The island of Tinian is taking pride in the educational achievement of one of its youthful residents, Mariah Cruz, who has already been accepted to two Ivy League institutions in the United States.
Cruz, a senior at Tinian High School who will be graduating in May, has already been accepted to Yale University and Princeton University once she goes to college, but she has yet to decide on one.
Cruz has also been accepted at Stanford University and University of California Berkeley.
Cruz was unsure if she would even make it to an Ivy League schools, so finding out that she had been accepted into two has made her more than ecstatic.
When asked which school she is leaning to, Cruz said the decision remains difficult because all the schools she was accepted to are her dream schools. “I have a deadline which is March 1. I haven’t decided yet because I am still not sure.”
Cruz believes in putting in an extra effort when presented with an activity or opportunity. “If you believe you can do it, you will do it…if I can do it, anybody can,” she said.
At first, Cruz did not tell her parents that she had applied to Ivy League schools, thinking it is best to tell them once she is accepted. She broke the good news to her parents only last Feb. 14.
Tinian Mayor Joey Patrick San Nicolas proudly announced Cruz’s achievement at the annual Pika Festival last Saturday, saying that, as a mayor, he is proud when the youth in his jurisdiction achieve their major goals.
“It is important for me to show our people that if she can do it, you can make it from Tinian High School. I want there to be a sense of pride and love for our local schools,” he said.
San Nicolas said that it also encourages the other youth on Tinian to reach for the skies because there is no such thing as an unattainable dream, regardless of what the circumstances may be.
