Three GCA students on NSDA national team

Grace Christian Academy students bagged several awards in this school year’s regional forensic arts competitions in all divisions, from Kindergarten to 12th grade.

Three GCA students will join the CNMI team in the upcoming national competitions for National Speech and Debate Association this June in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Joshua Pajarillaga, GCA’s gold medalists in two events will represent the CNMI team in International Extemporaneous Speech. He also won another gold medal in Commentary.

It will be his first time to compete at the national level and he said, “I am super grateful for the NSDA tournament. It has given me a place to express myself as it is for the other students. I gained more confidence in my abilities. I am happy that I placed in all my events, and I am looking forward to competing in the national competition.”

Lanz Jabez Victoria, who will represent commentary in the CNMI team, is happy to join the CNMI team also for the first time. “I plan to compete with all I got. The regional competition was quite difficult and stressful. I am still shocked and amazed that I won, and extremely grateful for the opportunity to compete in the national competition in the U.S.”

Melody Woo, who won first place in Poetry Reading, will represent that event in the national competition. She also joined the CNMI Thespian team representing monologue event in the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska in June.

“I am very thankful for the opportunities to participate in both NSDA and Thespians regional competitions,” she said. “It was difficult to balance schoolwork, practice, and my personal life, but I learned to manage time sufficiently from this experience.”

Fifth graders Moira Grace Ernest and Jennifer Woo, who won both first place in Impromptu and Dramatic Interpretation, will represent GCA at the Primary Grades Forensic Conference special banquet presentation for the PGFC gold medalists at the end of the school year.

Like all the older gold medalists who started competing in PGFC competitions during their younger years, Ernest and Woo have been competing since Kindergarten.

“I can’t believe I won first place in Impromptu Speaking! I feel very blessed for getting first place and I hope others will win next time,” said Ernest. She thanked her brother for making her practice at home.

Woo feels very happy for winning first place at the PGFC regional competition. “I hope when I join NJSDA I will have a chance to compete in the national competition in the U.S.,” she added.

Organized by the National Forensic League board with Harold Easton as the chairman and supported by the CNMI Public School System, PGFC, NJSDA, and NSDA competitions encourage public and private school students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts: reading, debate, public speaking, and interpretations.

Easton urged all coaches to recognize the regional competition winners, including the first round, quarter finals, semifinals, and, if they made into final rounds.

GCA’s PGFC coach/coordinator and competition registrar is Esther Manzano, its NJSDA/NSDA coach is Grace Duran, and its thespian coach is Allison Burnett.
Below is the list of all the GCA regional winners in all divisions.

PGFC (K-5th Grade)
FINAL ROUND WINNERS

K-2 DIVISION
Impromptu Speaking 
Hans Gabriel Ordas, 2nd Place
Prince Jhulz Reyes, 3rd Place
Eliane Nerisse Pagaduan, 4th Place 
Hannah Gabaldon, 5th Place
Humorous Interpretation 
Anne Gabriel Arriola, 4th Place
Jonathan Rosh Vivero, 5th Place

Dramatic Interpretation 
Hans Gabriel Ordas, 5th Place

Reader’s Forum 
Eliane Nerisse Pagaduan, 3rd Place 
Prince Jhulz Reyes, 4th Place

3-5 DIVISION
Dramatic Interpretation 
Jennifer Woo, 1st Place
Tae Hee Kim, 2nd Place

Humorous Interpretation 
Moira Grace Ernest, 4th Place

Impromptu Speaking 
Moira Grace Ernest, 1st Place
Janus Roman Calayo, 2nd Place
Nestor Ablog Jr., 2nd Place

Readers Forum Masters 
Eunice Nicole Pagaduan, 5th Place

FIRST-SECOND ROUND WINNERS
K-2 DIVISION
Impromptu Speaking Semi Finals A
Prince Jhulz Reyes, 1st Place
Hans Gabriel Ordas, 2nd Place

Impromptu Speaking Semi Finals B
Eliane Nerisse Pagaduan, 1st Place
Llyana Jaira Manalang, 2nd Place

Impromptu Finalists
Prince Jhulz Reyes
Hans Gabriel Ordas
Eliane Nerisse Pagaduan
Llyana Jaira Manalang
Avania Clarise Quichocho
Jonathan Rosh Vivero

Humorous Interpretation
Semi Finals A
Jonathan Rosh Vivero, 2nd Place
Anne Gabriel Arriola, 5th Place

Humorous Interpretation
Semi Finals B
Aiyana Victory Fatialofa, 5th Place

Humorous Interpretation Finalists
Jonathan Rosh Vivero
Anne Gabriel Arriola
Aiyana Victory Fatialofa

Readers Forum Quarter Finals A
Prince Jhulz Reyes, 2nd Place
Hannah Gabaldon, 3rd Place

Readers Forum Quarter Finals C
Eliane Nerisse Pagaduan, 2nd Place
Llyana Jaira Manalang, 4th Place

Readers Forum Semi Finals A
Prince Jhulz Reyes, 1st Place

Readers Forum Semi Finals B
Hannah Gabaldon, 2nd Place
Eliane Nerisse Pagaduan, 3rd Place

Readers Forum Finalists
Prince Jhulz Reyes
Hannah Gabaldon
Eliane Nerisse Pagaduan

3-5 DIVISION
Impromptu Speaking Semi Finals A
Janus Roman Calayo, 1st Place
Nestor Ablog Jr., 5th Place

Impromptu Speaking Semi Finals B
Eunice Nicole Pagaduan, 1st Place
Jessica Yao Ma, 5th Place

Impromptu Speaking Finalists
Janus Roman Calayo
Nestor Ablog Jr.
Eunice Nicole Pagaduan
Jessica Yao Ma
Moira Grace Ernest

Humorous Interpretation
Semi Finals A
Earljean Jonathan Pantaleon, 2nd Place

Humorous Interpretation Semi Finals B
Moira Grace Ernest, 4th Place

Humorous Interpretation Finalists
Moira Grace Ernest
Earljean Jonathan Pantaleon

Dramatic Interpretation Finalists
Arielle Mae Matutino
Justine Yao Ma

Readers Forum Quarter Finals B
Jessica Yao Ma, 2nd Place
Ethan John Quichocho, 4th Place
Readers Forum Quarter Finals D
Tae Hee Kim, 3rd Place
Eunice Nicole Pagaduan, 4th Place
Jennifer Woo, 5th Place

Readers Forum Semi Finals A
Eunice Nicole Pagaduan, 3rd Place

Readers Forum Semi Finals B
Jennifer Woo, 1st Place
Tae Hee Kim, 2nd Place

Readers Forum Finalists
Jennifer Woo
Tae Hee Kim
Eunice Nicole Pagaduan
Jessica Yao Ma

INTERNATIONAL THESPIAN SOCIETY COMPETITION
Junior Thespian
Solo Musical Theater
Sara Elizabeth Keaton, 5th Place

Senior Thespian
Monologue
Sumin Melody Woo, 1st Place

NJSDA (6TH-8TH GRADE)

FINAL ROUND WINNERS
Extemporaneous Speech
James Alexander Keaton, 2nd Place
Anthony Jacob DLG Camacho,
4th Place

Impromptu Speech
Anthony Jacob DLG Camacho,
3rd Place
James Alexander Keaton, 5th Place

Story Telling
Filomenaleonisa Iakopo, 4th Place

Duo Interpretation
Soleil Lamar, 4th Place
Brandie Matsumoto, 4th Place

Chamorro Prose Reading
Anthony Jacob DLG Camacho,
3rd Place

FINALISTS
Duo Interpretation
Kei Lizama
Sara Elizabeth Keaton

Prose Reading
Matthew Gabriel Ernest
Maria Elizabeth Bonto

Chamorro Prose Reading
Hannah Tenorio

SEMI-FINALISTS
Poetry Reading
Matthew Gabriel Ernest
Maria Elizabeth Bonto

Prose Reading
Steven Adriatico

NSDA (9TH-12TH GRADE)
International Extemporaneous Speech
Joshua Pajarillaga, 1st Place
Lanz Jabez Victoria, 3rd Place
Ao Fheng Louis Zheng, 5th Place

US Extemporaneous Speech
Arvin Dayao, 3rd Place
Martin Angelo Pangilinan, 5th Place

Commentary
Joshua Pajarillaga, 1st Place
Lanz Jabez Victoria, 2nd Place
Arvin Dayao, 3rd Place

Dramatic Interpretation A
Sumin Melody Woo, 2nd Place

Original Oratory A
Na Lee Christy Lee, 4th Place

Poetry Reading
Sumin Melody Woo, 1st Place

Prose Reading
Na Lee Christy Lee, 3rd Place

FINALIST
Johnny Jin, Finalist