Who is the woman you look up to?

Saipan Tribune asked 10th and 11th grade students and a teacher at Marianas High School to name the women who inspires them or they look up to.

“The woman I look up to right now is Captain Marvel. I like her because she is fearless and she broke the stereotypical princess-type woman in movies. I also like the part in the movie wherein she was always being put down and told ‘you’re a girl’ but then, in one part, no matter how many times she fell, she stood up and proved everyone wrong. To me that was empowering and she really represents the female population of today.”
— Donna Galvez
11th grade

“I look up to my sisters, Chelsea and Vanessa. Growing up, my mom and dad were usually busy and so I would always go to my sisters for help with schoolwork or money. They would put my needs first before theirs. I wish them the best and I would like to thank them for what they’ve done for me because they really made me for who I am today.”
— Stephen Bartolo,
11th grade

Bartolo

“My sister Grace because she cooks for me all the time. My favorite dish of hers is kimchi fried rice. Also, whenever I need to go somewhere, sometimes she takes me there and she…keeps track of everything I do, especially when it comes to music. I play the violin while she plays the piano.”
— Joseph Zhang,
10th grade

Zhang

“My piano teacher, Mrs. Yoon. In piano, sometimes you want to give up but she helps me through. She wouldn’t force me to play and she gives me space to come around. Her encouragement built my passion for playing the piano and, overall, she is just the best teacher.”
— Nan Xie, 11th grade

Xie

“It’s my good friend whom I shall call ‘Ferrer.’ She was the Art Club president at MHS when she was still here and she influenced me in many good ways on how I interact and talk to people. She reached out to a lot of people in our club and made sure that everyone felt included. I wasn’t really comfortable talking to people before. …She encouraged and brought me out of my shell. Even now, though she’s in college and far away, she still encourages the club and encouraged me to become the president which I am now.”
— Jed Pagcaliwagan,
11the grade

Pagcaliwagan

“I was really inspired by Oprah Winfrey when she won the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes and that award is usually given to the most outstanding entertainer. I especially liked how she delivered her speech because, instead of shining light on herself, she included all women and spoke about the #MeToo movement. I thought that was very powerful that she used her spotlight to talk about other women and somehow embraced the movement, which is I think necessary in the present times.”
— Samila Semgan,
11th grade

Semgan

“I don’t really have a favorite woman because I believe that every woman is powerful in their own way and an inspiration to many. In a world that is dominated by men, every woman is powerful because they can stand up in the workforce, business, politics and just anywhere in the whole world. Women have inspired many, led revolutions that men thought women are not capable of. …I believe they lead governments better because they have a different level of care that touch people.”
— Trey Hocog,
11th grade

Hocog

“I would say Mrs. Yoon because she really motivated me to ‘crack’ the piano a lot more and helps me to play the piano better and produce prettier music. She taught me perseverance, how to relax through music and how to be competitive.”
— Grace Zhang, 11th grade

Zhang

“My younger sister, Jia Xiang, inspires me because she always gives me encouragement. I am new here on island and sometimes I find myself not believing in myself but my sister picks me up and always tells me ‘I am the best’ and that I could do anything.”
— Jiani Wang, 11th grade

“I’d say my grandmother. She took care of me when I was a child as she moved near my mother when I was born so that she could watch me. She had a really big impact on my values system and the way that I see the world. She is no longer here with us but I will always remember and love her.”
— Ashley Beck,
teacher MHS

Beck