ROTC awards 90K scholarships to 3 NMC students

From left, SROTC/Criminal Justice program coordinator Zerlyn Taimanao, Gavin Pangelinan, Dan Ryan Tumaquip, Bert Magallano, and interim president Frankie Eliptico. (NMC)

Three cadets of the Northern Marianas College’s Reserve Officers Training Corp Program have earned about $30,000 in scholarships each to continue pursuit of their bachelor’s degrees at the University of Guam.

NMC ROTC cadets Gavin Pangelinan, Bert Magallano, and Dan Ryan Tumaquip will all join UoG’s ranks as juniors in fall 2020.  Pangelinan and Tumaquip earned two-year scholarships to complete their Criminal Justice degrees, and Magallano received a 2.5-year scholarship to complete his degree in Health Sciences.

The scholarships pay either tuition or $5,000 per semester for room and board, and each scholarship cadet is also authorized an extra $1,200 per year to pay for their books. Additionally, once the cadets finish their requirements for contracting, which includes passing a physical fitness test, they will receive a stipend of $420 per month.

LTC Thomas Anderson, the director of the NMC and UoG ROTC programs, said, “The hard work that these three cadets put in at NMC has literally paid off for them. They worked hard in all of their classes at NMC to earn a good GPA, and they also gave it their all in ROTC to build their leadership skills. Well done and well deserved!”

“These students have worked really hard and are very deserving of the scholarships that have been awarded to them,” said Frankie Eliptico, NMC interim president. “We encourage other students who are interested in pursuing a military career to consider the ROTC program at NMC.”

In addition to cadets enrolled in the NMC ROTC program, high school students are also eligible to apply for ROTC scholarships to pay for their educational expenses at NMC and UoG, as long as they take either the SAT or ACT.

Anderson said that those high school students who just completed their junior year should schedule now to take the next ACT or SAT test offered. The first ROTC scholarship board for high school students is actually in October of their senior year, but they must take the ACT or SAT in order to be eligible for an ROTC scholarship. NMC cadets who have already taken one semester of college do not need the ACT or SAT scores.

NMC’s ROTC program is the premiere leadership development program in the CNMI, producing dynamic leaders for the CNMI, the Pacific, and the United States. For more information about the ROTC program, visit www.marianas.edu. (NMC)