WOMEN IN THE KNOW: Roberta Kay Guerrero

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 Johora Paeda, who graduated in May with her Masters in School Counseling from Northern Kentucky University. This week’s Woman in the Know is Roberta Kay Guerrero.

Roberta Kay Guerrero graduated in May from University of California, Berkeley, considered the most prestigious public university in the country, with a B.A in English Literature and Composition.

62-year-old Roberta Guerrero is all smiles during her graduation at University of California, Berkeley in May. (Contributed Photo)

The 62-year-old’s path in higher education might be considered unorthodox to some, but Guerrero never let that thought hamper her burgeoning desire to immerse herself in the works of literary geniuses such as Milton, Chaucer, Spencer, Alexander Pope, and Wordsworth.

“The list does on and on,” she added. “The studies of literature that spanned four centuries gave me an insight into the human spirit and that the imagination that is an open slate for creativity.”

Guerrero attended St. Rose Catholic grade school in Crofton, Nebraska, and graduated from Crofton Public High School in 1971. She graduated from Chabot College in Hayward, California with an A.A. in Theater Arts in 2012 before going to UC Berkeley.

She told Saipan Tribune that the decision to pursue higher education later in life was influenced by a mentor at Chabot College. It was then, she said, “I set my aim high and applied.”

Her dream to attend an institution of higher learning was solidified when her children completed their college educations and started raising their families.

“I knew it was time to realize my dream of going to college. I had no SAT scores, and I thought my high school transcripts had already turned to dust,” she added. “…I discovered that I loved academia, and although I felt a bit insecure, wondering how I could possibly be accepted for a Bachelor of Arts program, I wrote an essay that qualified me for a scholarship. UC Berkeley liked what I wrote, and I got accepted as an upper-division student there for the Spring Semester of 2013.”

Before investing her time and energy in a college education, Guerrero enjoyed life on the island. After arriving on Saipan in 1973 as a young bride, she instantaneously fell in love with the island.

“I was captivated by the culture and adapted quickly by learning to speak Chamorro,” she explained. “I spent the next several decades raising my children, working in family-owned business ventures including Herman’s Modern Bakery and MITA Travel.”

Guerrero was also heavily involved in community volunteerism. She served as a volunteer for the American Red Cross, Marianas Visitors Authority, Off the Beaten Path, and Friends of the Arts.

Reaching higher in education
Guerrero is taking the extra mile in academia and is currently studying to earn her Masters of English at the California State University East Bay. Guerrero plans to return to the island after completing her studies and instill a passion for creative writing in young college-bound students.

She hopes all island youth understand the power of a college education. “Education opens up the world to a way of thinking that expands the imagination and an understanding of humanity.”

She urges them to live their dreams, expand their horizons, and be diligent.

Guerrero noted that she believes that opportunities at the Northern Marianas College can adequately prepare students to advance toward transferring to four-year programs as well.

“There will be days when you really miss your home and your families, the work will be hard and rigorous, and there may be times when you just want to wrap yourself in a cocoon and give it up,” she said. “Remember always that from that cocoon emerges a beautiful, new beginning. The rewards far outnumber the struggles, so never give up.”