WOMEN IN THE KNOW: Johora Paeda

Author’s note:  Saipan Tribune will be featuring leading women in higher education every week in its newest 10-part series, Women In The Know. Last week, we featured Anne Rase Atalig, who graduated from Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, with a Doctor of Medicine degree. This week’s Woman in the Know is Johora Paeda. 

Johora Paeda graduated with her Masters in School Counseling from Northern Kentucky University in May. (Contributed Photo)

Johora Paeda graduated in May with her Masters in School Counseling from Northern Kentucky University.
“I wanted to become a medical doctor for a long time and had no idea I would become a school counselor. It had not even crossed my mind until I graduated from Northern Kentucky University with my B.A. in Psychology,” she told Saipan Tribune. “I learned very quickly that my college years was a time to explore and through that process, I learned about my interests, true values, and what made me happy.”
The 2009 Rota High School alumna also earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychological Science are Northern Kentucky University, with a concentration on human services and metal health, graduating magna cum laude in 2012.
Before entering the university, Paeda earned her Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts in 2011 at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, immediately after completing courses at the Northern Marianas College. 
Besides being one of the top students in her class, Paeda was also civically engaged while on Rota, participating in the AmeriCorps tutoring program, JROTC, National Honor Society, Close-Up, American Red Cross, and the Youth Senate. 
“Through these organizations, I was able to serve the community and help people, a deed that I truly enjoyed,” she said.
Paeda’s passion for service did not end at her high school commencement ceremony. As an undergraduate student, she was a member of the International Honor Society in Psychology and the Golden Key International Honor Society. During this time, the Rota lass served as an undergraduate student researcher for a college professor, studying the effects of energy drinks and alcohol mixed with energy drinks on behavioral control. 
As if those activities did not occupy her enough, Paeda interned at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, for the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology the same year. Eventually, she had the opportunity to travel abroad to Ireland to study resilience in children, an aspect of her studies.
Paeda explained that she returned to NKU because of its rigorous academic courses and evidence-based, data-driven school counseling program. 
“After graduating with my bachelor’s degree, I wanted to pursue school psychology; however, after doing my research, I learned that I wouldn’t have many interactions with children aside from testing them. I learned about the school-counseling program at NKU and decided to pursue it,” she added.

Rooted in the island life
As a child growing up on Rota, Paeda said she enjoyed spending quality time with friends and family. 
Her drive to extend a helping hand to those in the community who need it, she said, stems from seeing her parents, Nurul Islam Paeda and Elizabeth Paeda, work tirelessly to provide for her and others.
“My mother showed me the value of helping others. She was the first OB-GYN Nurse Practitioner on Rota and the only child among her 11 brothers and sisters who attended college. My father showed me the value of persistence, hard work, and education by encouraging me to strive for the stars,” she explained. “He was a farmer and a former PSS employee, and now a successful small-business owner. Growing up, I have spent many times trying to help others, while also working hard to reach my goals.”
As a student on Rota, she said she never received proper guidance from a counselor for college and career planning.
She explained that the most significant factor that influenced her to pursue this vocation was the thought of one day returning to the island to make a difference in her community. 
“I also saw a need for school counselors in the CNMI. I knew that many families were facing difficulties with our economic situation, which can significantly impact the children,” she said.
She urges students to seek guidance from friends, family, and teachers if they do not have a school counselor. 
She hopes that local students will “keep on trying and take the time to think about what success means to them, and strive to reach it.”