Roberts, Kim lead Class of 2012 at Saipan Int’l School

  Saipan International School conferred its highest academic honors on Amber Lynn Roberts and Milin Kim during the school’s 7th commencement exercise at the Saipan World Resort on May 19.

Roberts and Kim were the class valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively, during Saturday’s event that promoted a total of 19 high school graduates-the biggest batch of SIS students to be promoted to college.. Headmaster Dale Jenkins served as speaker.

Roberts, the younger of two daughters of Linda Anastacio and Dale Roberts, is also celebrated for her achievements in sports. She played for the school’s volleyball and basketball teams, a member of the volleyball national team during junior year and the soccer national team during 9th to 11th grade.

Besides her athletic credentials, Roberts is also a volunteer for the American Red Cross NMI Chapter and served as student council president from 10th to 11th grades.

The 17-year-old Roberts noted yesterday that their batch is known to be a “very exceptional” class scholastically and otherwise.

“We’re all the same in my opinion and I’m just lucky enough that I got one more step ahead than anyone else in the class,” she said. “We’re all really great people, we’re all very intelligent, and we all do things for the community and the society.”

Roberts has been accepted for the fall semester to Stanford University and is still trying to make her mind between international relations or environmental engineering for her major.

Roberts, who is of Palauan heritage, said her love for cultures stems from her own lineage and from growing up in an island “where everyone around you comes from different ethnic backgrounds and different cultural idiosyncrasies.”

“That’s definitely what shaped me to what I want to do today,” according to Roberts, who added that she is very much attached to her Palauan roots and hopes to share her culture with fellow Stanford students.

For Milin Kim, she feels “so proud” of her decision to attend SIS from 9th to 12th grades. “I love my school,” she said. “I don’t regret going there.”

Kim, 19, is the younger of two daughters of mom Young Mi Han and dad Seoung Ho Kim. She was born in Korea and came to Saipan when she was in first grade then left for New Zealand. She was back on island at the end of 8th grade.

Kim served as president of the National Honor Society in high school and was a member of the Lincoln – Douglas debate team at SIS. She is active with the World Mission Church and this violin player is among four individuals who perform for patients at the hospital.

Initially, Kim planned to attend American universities but decided against it due to high tuition fees. She said she has sent applications to at least five universities in Korea and plans to major in film and media.

Kim, who looks up to renowned directors Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan, revealed that a film class back in 10th grade inspired her to pursue a career in filmmaking and create short films.

“For typical Asians, parents expect us to become lawyers and doctors but I didn’t want to do those things,” she said. “I wanted to do what I was passionate about, what I always wanted to do, and that’s film.”

Since universities in Korea begin their classes in March, Kim plans to spend her time studying advanced Korean language while waiting for the start of the semester next year.