By Emmanuel T. Erediano
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
THIRTY eighth-grade students at Tinian Junior/Senior High School marked their promotion on Wednesday morning, May 27, becoming the first class of the 2025–2026 school year to be formally celebrated since Super Typhoon Sinlaku struck the island in mid-April.
The promotion ceremony was held in the school cafeteria, powered by generators lent by Tinian Elementary School and the Tinian Mayor’s Office, a partnership that Commissioner of Education Dr. Lawrence F. Camacho said made the event possible. The same venue will host the Tinian High School Class of 2026 graduation ceremony later Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m., replacing the traditional venue at Jones Park, which remains unsafe due to typhoon debris.
The Class of 2026 chose the theme “Stronger than the storm.”
This year’s valedictorian is Xu Jo Jo Lazaro, the recipient of the Board of Education Academic Achievement Award, presented by BOE Secretary-Treasurer Antonio Borja.
The class salutatorian is Jinnela Rae A. Nuyda, the recipient of the Commissioner of Education Academic Achievement Award, which was presented by Dr. Camacho, joined by Associate Commissioner for Administrative Services Eric Magofna, Federal Programs Officer Jacqueline Che, Acting Senior Director for Student Support Services Donna M. Flores, Acting Senior Director for Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Lorraine Catienza, and Head Start/Early Head Start Director Lathania Angui.
Completing the top 10 are: (3) Ignacio Pangelinan Kiyoshi Jr. II; (4) Joseph Emmanuel Mission Cruz; (5) Jeremiah Jack Sanchez Cruz; (6) Thomas Rembert Bawalan Erickson; (7) Lance Cruz Aldan; (8) Y’thalia’ann Natsuki Atalig Patio; (9) Niziah Joseph Macaranas Dela Cruz; and (10) Sona Kinoshita Cepeda.
The back-to-back ceremonies mark a significant shift for the island’s school community, which has spent weeks in recovery after Sinlaku swept through Saipan and Tinian between April 14 and 16. Schools at all grade levels were suspended in the storm’s aftermath as campuses were assessed for structural damage, mold, sanitation hazards, and other conditions that rendered them unsafe.
School personnel cleared debris and removed storm refuse even as full reopening remained uncertain. The physical cleanup ran alongside a quieter effort to keep students connected to milestones that could not be delayed indefinitely.
Education Commissioner Dr. Lawrence F. Camacho said canceling the ceremonies was never an option. Graduating and promoting students, he said, deserved to be recognized regardless of the circumstances.
Valedictorian reflects on resilience, gratitude
Valedictorian Xu Jo Jo Lazaro reflected on the challenges the Class of 2026 faced during their final middle school year, comparing students to “tomatoes growing in difficult conditions” that become stronger through hardship.
She spoke about the pressures and uncertainty students experienced throughout the year, including disruptions caused by Super Typhoon Sinlaku, but said those moments ultimately strengthened the class.
She also thanked families, relatives, and friends for their sacrifices and support, saying their encouragement helped students persevere.
“As we move on to high school, life will continue to challenge us,” she said. “Maybe challenges are what shape us into stronger and better versions of ourselves.”
A difficult school year
Salutatorian Jinnela Rae A. Nuyda told fellow promotees that the challenges brought by Super Typhoon Sinlaku became part of the class’s academic and personal growth.
She said the extended disruption taught students lessons beyond the classroom, including discipline, resilience, friendship, and the importance of hard work.
She thanked teachers, administrators, families, and friends for their patience, sacrifices, and encouragement throughout middle school, saying their support helped shape the students being recognized.
Quoting author C.S. Lewis, Nuyda encouraged classmates to focus not on circumstances beyond their control, but on how they choose to move forward.
“We cannot control everything that happened,” she said, “but we can choose how we move forward.”
She ended by congratulating the Tinian Middle School promotees and wishing them success as they transition to high school.
Future is shaped by daily choices
Board of Education Secretary-Treasurer Antonio Borja reminded students that the choices they begin making in high school will shape both their future and the future of the Commonwealth.
He encouraged students to remain grounded in kindness, responsibility, and perseverance as they enter the next stage of their education.
Borja said progress is often built quietly through daily effort, resilience, and the willingness to continue learning through adversity.
He also praised students, families, teachers, and the Tinian community for ensuring the ceremony moved forward despite the island’s ongoing recovery from Super Typhoon Sinlaku.
Principal urges students to embrace growth
Tinian Middle School Principal Liz Perzinski encouraged promotees to view their transition into high school not only as the end of middle school, but as the beginning of a new chapter shaped by growth, perseverance, and opportunity.
She acknowledged disruptions caused by Super Typhoon Sinlaku, saying the school year did not unfold as expected. Still, she said the challenges strengthened students in ways beyond academics.
Perzinski reminded students that success is often built through small steps — persevering after setbacks, showing kindness, staying curious, and continuing to learn despite difficulties.
“Your uniqueness is your superpower,” she said, encouraging students to surround themselves with people who challenge them to grow.
She also thanked teachers, staff, parents, and families for supporting students through one of the most difficult school years in recent memory, saying the ceremony itself reflected the resilience of the Tinian school community.
“You don’t have to have all the answers to begin,” she said. “You just have to be willing to try, to learn, and to grow.”
‘You matter’
Commissioner Camacho told students, families, and school staff that milestones do not wait for perfect conditions.
“Showing up, even imperfectly, is the whole point,” he said.
He acknowledged that Sinlaku’s aftermath remains visible across campuses and communities, but said the ceremony reflected a quieter form of recovery — helping students maintain stability and hope.
“You are not just the future of the CNMI — you are already shaping the present,” he said.
Camacho said island life carries responsibility as much as it does challenge, noting that teachers and families helped students build purpose alongside resilience.
He also recognized educators, staff, custodians, and drivers who continued working through recovery efforts.
“You did not sign up for disaster recovery,” he said. “But when the storm came, you answered the call.”
He closed by framing the ceremony as a symbol not of perfect recovery, but of perseverance and community commitment.
Wednesday’s promotion at Tinian Junior/Senior High School marked the first ceremony of the 2025–2026 school year. The Tinian High School Class of 2026 graduation followed later the same afternoon in the same cafeteria, capping a day educators hope signals the beginning of broader recovery for the island’s schools.
Promoted students
The promoted students are: Aldan, Lance C.; Ayuyu, Peyton Jayson V.; Cadio, Angela Joed S.; Castro, Francisco Vicente C.; Cepeda, Sona K.; Cruz, Jeremiah Jack S.; Cruz, Joseph Emmanuel M.; Dato, Jenigayle D.; Dela Cruz, Niziah Joseph M.; Dumdum, Rhianna Leighn L.; Dungog, Janren M.; Erickson, Thomas Rembert B.; Evangelista, Treven Lince K.; Iba, Mark Franco H.; Kiyoshi, Ignacio Pangelinan Jr. II; Lazaro, Xu Jo Jo; Medicielo, Nicah Denice M.; Mia, Aheed; Monterola, Skyler R.; Nuyda, Jinnela Rae A.; Omengkar, Hermilena Lily Di’Ann S.; Palacios, Chad Ellie B.; Patio, Ythalia’ann Natsuki A.; Reyes, Hagen Jose A.; Reyes, Joleen T.; Reyes, Vella Isis A.; Rutor, Braiden Marc B.; San Nicolas, Zachariah Jay T.; and Villagomez, Kiyara Lei M.
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
