Badges of excellence

March is International Women’s Month and the CNMI is blessed to have a circle of women in education, community outreach, corporate, judiciary and sports who not only make the community a better place but also inspire, empower, and help others to realize their dreams.

An educator in school and in life

Visiting Hopwood Middle School after Super Typhoon Yutu in October last year and seeing the extent of the school’s devastation was a heartbreaking sight for principal Rizalina Liwag as they had so many plans for student success.

Rizalina Liwag

“One thing was clear—the pursuit of education was the focus. Despite the things that needed to be done with infrastructure, we remained focused to ensure that we provide education for the students,” she said.

Currently, Hopwood stands in a temporary campus in Koblerville. “Getting to where we are right now was not an easy journey. …There were times when I just felt like giving up, but then I think of my colleagues who depend on me. I have to be resilient to make sure I give them strength, as their strength is my strength and my strength is their strength,” she added.

‘We see you, we believe you’

Maisei Tenorio

This is the message that Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence executive director Maisei Tenorio wants to tell survivors and victims of violence.

“Our mission here is to promote, nourish and sustain a collective movement against violence here in the CNMI as we want to create a CNMI where everybody feels safe,” she said. “We see you and we believe you. …If there’s anything that we can do to help you heal and move past the trauma, please let us know.”

Her vision for the CNMI is where any one, male or female, who is a victim of abuse can come out and “we surround this person as a community and we lift them up.”

Excelling in a male-dominated workplace

Rose Soledad

Rose Soledad, who oversees the CNMI operations of IT&E as its general manager, finds solace in working alongside rather than competing with men.

Working at IT&E where she manages male network engineers or employees “has been good because I am always looking for efficiencies and, instead of competing with them, working with them creates far better results,” she added.

“In our company, there a lot of high potential for highly productive men and women. I encourage the younger ones to go to school and finish their degree and, if your path is telecommunications or in whatever career, don’t just do what you’re asked to do but you also have to branch out and learn other things so you can maximize your full potential and, in the process, grow constantly,” she said

A black robe for an armor

Ramona Manglona

Being a woman of many firsts in the CNMI means that U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona Villagomez Manglona is paving the way for more women.

“We have a lot of talented women in the community that could possible serve in the same capacity…. Look at what’s happening in Guam. They have a woman governor, woman chief justice, chief district judge. …Communities are…acknowledging that women are effective not just in the household,” she said.

Women who lift each other up

Kathy Pagapular Ruszala and Robyn Spaeth (Joseph Chin)

Long-time friends Kathy Pagapular Ruszala and Robyn Spaeth had their eyes set on conquering the half marathon of the 2019 Saipan Marathon last March 9. They both clocked in at the same hour, minute, and second at the finish line and they couldn’t be any happier overcoming a mental, emotional, and physical feat than finishing alongside a best friend.

“I think women who lift each other up is empowering. We are fortunate to be living in a generation where women succeed and thrive in any area she chooses. As the former first lady, Michelle Obama, so eloquently spoke, ‘There is no limit to what we as women can accomplish,’” Ruszala said.

Spaeth agrees. “As a woman, we already have enough obstacles in our way that we really should focus on trying to build one another one. Lifting up other women is the greatest gift you can give,” she said.