WOMEN IN THE KNOW: Rica Ann Sablan Dela Cruz

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. Andrea Hofschneider was previously featured for earning her Master of Accountancy from Golden Gate University in 2013. Hofschneider has recently passed all four sections of the Uniform CPA exam and is currently working on additional requirements to become a licensed Certified Public Accountant. This week’s Woman in the Know is Rica Dela Cruz.

When she was in high school, Rica Ann Sablan Dela Cruz said she would not have imagined pursuing a career in public health. Now, the 27-year-old will be graduating with a Masters in Public Health, with a focus in epidemiology, next June from the University of California, Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health.

Rica Ann Sablan Dela Cruz

Dela Cruz grew up on Navy Hill and attended Whispering Palms School for grade school and middle school.

Before matriculating to the West Coast, Dela Cruz graduated from the prestigious Punahou School in Hawaii. During her time there, she was an avid high school cross-country and track-and-field athlete as well as a member of the clay club, which made ceramic pottery art.

After graduating from Punahou, she attended Bryn Mawr College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she earned her bachelors degree in biology.

“I chose to study biology during my undergrad because I was very interested in learning how living organisms functioned and it fascinated me how such tiny cells and molecules made up our bodies and every living thing around us,” she added. “ Although, I did not continue studying biology after college, my biology degree definitely provided a strong foundation to study public health.”

A strong foundation, she said, that was strengthened by her parents, Jose and Rita.

“Growing up in the CNMI definitely helped me become the open-minded, service-oriented, and humble person I am today. Growing up in a small island, you learn to share resources, help one another, and appreciate the simple things in life,” she explained.

After moving to the mainland, Dela Cruz said she learned how unique of a place the CNMI is and” how imperative it is to sustain its people and communities”.

She noted that learning how to better serve her island community has been the driving force for her success.

“I have always had an interest in the healthcare field because of my desire to have a career where I am helping people become healthy and happy and I am giving back to my community,” she said. “… I chose to specifically study epidemiology in public health because one of the goals of epidemiology is to answer why people get sick in the first place.”

Discerning what university to attend for both her undergraduate and graduate degrees involved much research.

“I did a lot of research on not just the school, but the specific program I was interested in.”

She explained that student population size, available funding, curriculum requirements, and the overall environment were salient factors in selecting an institution of higher education to attend.

After narrowing her options to five universities, Dela Cruz said she chose UCLA because of its “rigorous curriculum and funding opportunities”.

She urges young local students to find heir passion and a career that suits it.

“I think students get hung up on what is a ‘prestigious’ career and what other people tell them to do,” she opined. “Listen to their suggestions, but in the end pick what you want to do because it is going to be your life and you should do what you love.”

She reminds the island youth to not fear failure; “Failure can teach you a lot about yourself and what you truly want.”

Dela Cruz added, “On that same note, don’t give up if what you failed at really is what you are passionate about. Just remember, hard work and kindness go a long way!”