Camacho, Duenas lead Interact clubs

Interact Club members from Kagman High School and Marianas High School join Rotary Club of Saipan president Curtis Dancoe, center, for a group photo after yesterday’s meeting at Giovanni’s restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Saipan. (Jon Perez)

Cousins Andrea Camacho and Coleen Triana Duenas have been leading the Interact clubs of their respective schools, setting a good example for the youth of the CNMI.

They and close to 30 of their members have been volunteering in a number of projects by the Rotary Club of Saipan, which have been guiding them with community work.

Camacho is the Interact Club president at Kagman High School, while Duenas is her counterpart over at Marianas High School. Both are in their junior year. Both were present along with their respective members in yesterday’s Rotary Club meeting at the Giovanni’s restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Saipan.

“She (Duenas) introduced me to Interact last year. I was not that active first but I became more involved when I learned more about the group and the work they do for the community,” said Camacho.

“I started going to meetings and participate in community events as a volunteer,” she added.

Duenas, meanwhile, had her sister to thank for in getting involved with Interact Club. “My sister was the Interact president in her senior year and I was a freshman back then.”

“She was a part of my decision to also join Interact. I just want to follow her footsteps because I also like to volunteer and help out the community in any way that I can,” Duenas said.

Last Feb. 6, the KHS and MHS Interact clubs painted a bus shelter in Middle Road near Conwood. This is part of Rotary Saipan’s project of repairing and improving a number of bus stops on the island that were damaged by Typhoon Soudelor last year. The Interact members were also volunteers at Rotary Saipan’s Las Vegas Night fundraiser last month.

“We are focusing on one bus shelter every Saturday. We’re still looking for bus stops and bus shelters that need repainting or repairs,” said Duenas.

Kloe Borja, Daisyleen Kouka, DeFaustina Camacho, Noreen Angui, Steffany Calantog, Cindy Castro, Jasmine Blas, Charles Punzalan, Erika Coronado, Elisha Ogumoro, Michael Bandoja, Machael Rebamba, and Jonathan Maniego joined Camacho at the Rotary meeting.

MHS Interact vice president Do Hyeon Kwon, Carol Mae Lumasag, Remeily Percil, Janelle Pangilinan, Naureen Lozada, Cullen Pinaula, Corlaine Camacho, and Fritz Manzano accompanied Duenas.

Camacho and Duenas were also the Saipan Interact members that participated in the Rotary Youth Exchange Project between Rotary Club of Saipan and Rotary Club of Tokyo Hachioji South.

The program involves two students each from Saipan and Japan to have the opportunity to experience and learn the culture in both countries. The Japanese club and the families that hosted Camacho and Duenas included a study-visit program at the Keimei Gakuen High School, fun time at the Fuji-Q Highland amusement park near the base of Mt. Fuji, and exploring downtown Tokyo in their itinerary.

Rotarian Elly Stoilova said Camacho and Duenas spent a week in Tokyo. “This was our first trial to see how it works and test the logistics of the program. We are looking in the future to do such exchanges for a month and even a semester.”

The Interact Club is for students ages 12 to 18 while the Rotaract Club—which started in 2014 at the Northern Marianas College—is for students 18 to 28 years old and when you reach 30, that is the time you become a Rotarian said Rotary Saipan board member and president-elect Ivan Ilmov.

Ivan Ilmov has been a part of the Rotary International since he was 14 year old in Vladivostok in Southeastern Russia.