Cabrera is 2012 Teacher of the Year

Saipan Southern High School’s 12th grade teacher Jonathan P. Cabrera was named the CNMI Teacher of the Year for school year 2012, besting 18 other outstanding classroom public school teachers. He will represent the CNMI Public School System in the national teacher of the year competition next year.

The State Board of Education led by PSS chair Marylou Ada, Education Commissioner Rita A. Sablan, acting governor Eloy S, Inos, CNMI Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (MP-Ind), and the PSS leadership team made a special trip yesterday morning to the SSHS campus to personally present the prestigious award to Cabrera.

Expressing himself surprised and humbled by the recognition, Cabrera dedicated the award to his fellow Teacher of the Year nominees and his students.

“I am profoundly humbled by the honor bestowed upon me by the selection committee and I am really happy. It’s a good day for SSHS and a good day for the entire PSS. I congratulate other TOYs and this award is also for them,” he said.

In his message to students, Cabrera said: “To my former, current, and future students, this is what I have to say: I believe in you, I believe in your future, I believe in your greatness, and I believe in your dreams.”

SSHS students cheered as Cabrera accepted plaques of recognition from both the Education Board and Delegate Sablan. Students also offered him flowers, gifts, and mwars.

As the CNMI’s most outstanding teacher, Cabrera will have the opportunity to meet with U.S. President Barrack Obama in April next year during the traditional national teachers’ convention.

Commissioner Sablan said the Teacher of the Year will also participate in several activities at the national level such as the space camp and other conferences sponsored by the national organization. Sablan said she will join Cabrera when he meets with the U.S. President in April 2012.

“I am excited for this journey. I look forward to meeting other states’ TOYs and hopeful that everything I will learn over the next year I can bring back to the CNMI and help enhance our profession,” Cabrera told Saipan Tribune.

According to SSHS principal Jesse Tudela, Cabrera is the second Manta Ray teacher to win the statewide TOY award. Andrew Golden first bagged the recognition in 2007; he also competed at the national level.

Tudela feels that he, along with the entire Manta Ray family, are the big winners in this Education Month’s celebration. He said Cabrera truly deserves the honor and credited him for the success and achievement of SSHS this school year, including the offering of advanced placement courses and its accreditation works.

Cabrera, 27, is the son of Frank and Barbara Cabrera. He obtained his undergraduate degree in English and Theater from the University of Hawaii-Manoa and obtained his master’s degree in English from Boston University. As soon as he finished his education, he came back to the island and joined PSS as one of its classroom teachers. Cabrera’s teaching career started in 2008 at SSHS, which hailed him as its most outstanding mentor this school year—his first.

Cabrera, who mentors close to a hundred students in three classes each day, shared that teaching has been his ultimate dream since his younger years. He always admired his teachers and developed from there a great admiration and respect for them.

“Every year, my goal is to become a better teacher. Even though I was selected TOY, I don’t think that I’ve reached the pinnacle of my success as an educator. I want to become better every year because at the end of the day, If I become better my students will learn better, they will achieve more, and they will be ready to go out and get their degrees. I hope they will come back to serve our community,” he earlier told Saipan Tribune.

Winners in the other categories will be announced later.

As early as 9am yesterday, education officials were gathered at the central office, awaiting the dignitaries who will join them for what PSS calls the traditional Education Day bus ride, when education officials are brought to the winning school aboard a public school bus.