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Kinisha Lizama graduates with salutatory honors
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Posted on Jul 18 2023
Kinisha Faythe Kileleman Lizama (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Kinisha Faythe Kileleman Lizama brought smiles and pride to members of her family and island as she turned another chapter in her life with flying colors.
Out of 476 students in her graduating class, this 18-year-old daughter of Saipan graduated with salutatorian honors from McMinnville High School in Oregon last June 9, 2023.
Lizama said that she was “excited, but a little anxious too” on her graduation day. “I have big plans. …I’m going to college starting September this year, so knowing that I have something coming is exciting but also scary.”
As the only Pacific Islander in her graduating class, Lizama shared that one of the challenges she faced in high school was overcoming negative stereotypes, and at times even a hint of racial discrimination.
Although born on Saipan, Lizama was only a toddler when her family relocated to the United States, so she didn’t have much memories of the island and, after being away for 15 years, Lizama finally returned to Saipan this year for a summer vacation.
She shared with Saipan Tribune that she was still contemplating what to major in college when she returned to Saipan, but it was during her time here when she figured it out. “I really didn’t know until I came here back to Saipan. I was like, ‘What am I going to do?’ I didn’t even know what I’m going to do, but coming back here made me want to step into political science.”
It was after hearing a family member share how sad she was that Saipan was not the same that made her sad too, but also motivated to help somehow. “Maybe I’ll come back and help and make it a little bit better.”
Aside from being her class’ salutatorian, she already has college credit completion, career pathway completion, and an honors diploma, and has been accepted to the University of California in Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and Portland State. She has decided to go to the University of Oregon, where she will be majoring in political science.
She shared that she wants to return to the CNMI to work after completing her studies.
