Aldan is Kagman High School’s most outstanding educator

“Art is everywhere. Art is life.”

This is what art teacher Peter Aldan always tells his students so they can better understand and appreciate its importance in everyday life.

Aldan, who has been an art teacher at Kagman High School for four years now, obtained his bachelor’s degree in art from the University of Hawaii in Manoa and immediately came back to impart his knowledge to Commonwealth students.

His goal? To inspire them to explore, do their best, and strive for excellence in whatever field they want to pursue.

Aldan was bestowed the school’s prestigious Teacher of the Year honor for his exemplary performance and dedication. This is his first time to be selected for the honor and he credits it to the effective collective efforts of the KHS community: its management, staff, students, and parents.

Aldan is from a family of educators, having both parents who’ve taught in elementary public schools, but his desire to become a teacher was also influenced by his college experience. “Fortunately, I am one of the students who was able to leave Saipan to study and see the outside world. I feel that it would be nice for these students to experience the same…and then come back and teach what you’ve learned from those experiences.”

Aldan shared that the world of art teaches students to see beyond the surface and helps them become more critical and analytical thinkers.

“Art class helps students see things behind those colors and shapes. I teach them not only to just look for something but perceive it so they can have a deeper awareness. A chair, for example, there’s a purpose and history that you can see behind it,” he said. These approaches, he said, are key to solving problems in all content areas.

Aldan attends to an average of 75 students from 9th to 12th grades everyday. Despite his limited time with them, Aldan finds these moments the most rewarding.

“Despite having only an hour with them everyday, you can really establish a good relationship with the students because we also teach about character, citizenship, and being responsible, which would help them become productive in life,” he said.

One of the greatest lessons Aldan has learned from teaching students is that what you instill in them will be returned to you the same way. “They are different persons and you cannot treat them all the same. As a teacher, you have to use different approaches because they learn in their own different ways. Because you show them respect, you will receive respect from them. They acknowledge you because you acknowledge them as well. Just seeing students in the hallways saying ‘good morning’ or ‘thank you’ are enough reward for me,” he said.

Other awardees

This year’s Support Staff of the Year is Clifford Nekai, the school’s truant officer for four years now. The first-time awardee said he is truly honored by the recognition and vows to continue doing his best for students. Nekai ensures the safety and well-being of students on campus. Among his tasks is making sure that parents are informed about their children’s situation in school and he assists teachers and staff in ensuring that all students are in classrooms on time.

KHS conferred its Maintenance of the Year award on Lucy Mongami, a PSS employee for 11 years. Mongami started at Marianas High School in 2003, then she moved to Kagman High in 2006. This is her first award from PSS.

Named Librarian of the Year is Gina Lynn Camacho-Sanbilay, who has been with Kagman High since 2009 and was also the school’s Support Staff of the Year last year.

Besides assisting students in their daily needs at the school library, Camacho-Sanbilay also works with students who seek her advices and guidance. “I love this job and I know I still have so much to learn for our students.”

She accommodates an average of 700 students at the library each day, including about 200 students who frequently visit the facility.

James Burk, the senior Army instructor for the JROTC program, was bestowed the Instructor of the Year award. He has been serving PSS for 14 years since 1998 and was the one who started the program at KHS when it was built in 2001.

Burk first served MHS for almost three years from 1998-2001 before joining Kagman High. Prior to these positions, he worked at the University of Guam’s JROTC program for three years. This semester, Burk is handling 106 students.

“It’s always nice to be recognized. This is my first time and I appreciate it,” he told Saipan Tribune.

Among Burk’s proudest moments was the recent visit of the director of the U.S. JROTC during which KHS was rated No. 1 in the nation for command staff briefing.

Hailed Counselor of the Year is Sharon San Nicolas, who been a system employee for 10 years. San Nicolas started as a teacher at Tinian High School in 2002 to 2006. She then transferred to Saipan Southern High School for less than a year before moving to KHS as its counselor.

Everyday, San Nicolas attends to an average of 50 students who seek her advice and guidance in both their studies and personal lives. Her goal, she said, is to see each student successfully graduate and be prepared in their chosen career.

KHS principal Alfred Ada praised all his staff, especially the awardees, for a great job done. “I want to praise all of them because they are the right team. …I am thankful for the team because they complete Kagman High School.”