Chamber presents scholarships to 6

Six students—four who have just graduated high school and two who are already in college—got $2,000 each from the Saipan Chamber of Commerce as part of its scholarship program.

The Chamber donated a total of $12,000 to recent high school graduates Giu Hur, Elizabeth Jones, Chloe Salvosa, and Monica Usi, and Northern Marianas College students Julliane Bigueras and Nathaniel Snodgrass.

The Chamber received a total of 43 applications. All applicants were for college assistance; no one applied for the vocational program.

Nine senior high school and six college students were shortlisted.

Chamber education committee members—Randy Yates, Ty Pauling, Gloria Madarang, Janel Pangelinan, and Shamika Ratwatte—interviewed the finalists before choosing the six students.

Chamber president Velma Palacios said the checks will be sent directly to their respective educational institutions “after the awardees have confirmed their choice [of college or university] and provide their student numbers to our office.”

Snodgrass is currently a sophomore at NMC taking a business degree. He is hoping to further his education at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business as he aspires to make a career in the CNMI hotel industry.

Bigueras is a 19-year-old sophomore also at NMC taking up an associate degree in Liberal Arts with emphasis in Education. She is hoping to further her education next spring semester.

Hur, a graduate of Saipan International School, is going to take up environmental science at the College of Natural Resources at the University of California-Berkley.

Jones, who was home-schooled, dreams of becoming a doctor and she’s going to take up biomedical science at Liberty University in Lynchburg in Virginia. She is hoping to further promote the dangers of betel nut.

Usi, who was Mt. Carmel School’s 2018 class salutatorian, wants to become an educator with communications and journalism as her minor degrees.

Salvosa, who was accepted at 12 universities in the U.S. mainland, will be taking up civil engineering after being inspired by one of the engineers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that helped Saipan after Typhoon Soudelor.

Salvosa recently graduated at the Marianas High School and will be going to Seton Hall in New Jersey.

The Chamber also awarded $500 to Kianna Valencia, who was the Public School System’s cooperative education program representative.

The Chamber awarded the scholarships at its monthly membership meeting held last Wednesday at the Saipan World Resort.

Nicole Babauta, Polly Masga, Janel Pangelinan—former recipients of the scholarship—served as guest speakers.