The PSS overall Teacher of the Year winner, and the 16 school-level 2025 Teachers of the Year will be honored during the Education Month Celebration of PSS in November.
NEXT month, the CNMI Public School System will announce its overall Teacher of the Year winner from among its five candidates: Christina Ruiz, Patricia Muna, Marylyn Tabuena, Darlene Aldan, and Yeji Lee.
For World Teacher’s Day, the Marianas Variety wanted to hear directly from the candidates themselves their perspectives on teaching.
Cristina Ruiz, classroom teacher at Oleai Elementary School.
Christina Ruiz, 5th grade classroom teacher at Oleai Elementary School.
What rewards do you get out of teaching?
“From teaching, I receive the satisfaction of witnessing students learn, grow, and achieve. I enjoy seeing the ‘AHA’ moments of students, when their eyes glow from finally being able to understand a concept. Also, teaching is a two-way street. I learn as much as I teach. My students continue to inspire me to challenge myself.”
What would it mean to you to be the CNMI Teacher of the Year?
“It would be a great honor to be the CNMI Teacher of the Year. It’s gratifying to know that our hard work is being recognized and celebrated. All of my achievements reflect on my school environment, administration, colleagues, students, and family’s support toward my aspirations.”
GTC Elementary School teacher Patricia Muna.
Patricia Muna, 2nd grade classroom teacher from Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School.
What rewards do you get out of teaching?
“It is rewarding for me to see my students thrive and grow in their learning on a daily basis, and for my former students, watching them be successful in their post-education and career journey. In the classroom, it brings joy to me when students become excited to learn something new, whether it’s a new concept or a skill they need to improve on and also when they become eager and motivated to share and apply their knowledge of ideas that they learned in previous grades or lessons.”
What would it mean to you to be the CNMI Teacher of the Year?
“To be the CNMI Teacher of the Year goes beyond recognition but to stand for and together with my fellow teachers and celebrate our hard work and commitment to educating and inspiring our students. The honor for me stands for advocating for our teachers and the work we do each day to assure that we are impactful in our responsibilities to impart knowledge to our students so they can be successful members of society. Ultimately, it is about making a lasting impact on students’ lives, encouraging them to reach their full potential and instilling confidence that extends beyond the classroom and reminding everyone the important and invaluable role our teachers have in shaping our future leaders for a better and prosperous CNMI.”
Marylyn Tabuena, classroom teacher at FMS Middle School.
Marylyn Tabuena, 6th grade classroom teacher at Francisco M. Sablan Middle School.
What rewards do you get out of teaching?
“Teaching is truly a one-of-a-kind profession, and I am so thankful to be a part of my Napu Rider family, where I have the opportunity to grow in an amazing school community and build relationships with my students and colleagues. I find joy in seeing my students succeed in their goals, no matter how big or small, and hopefully they benefit from any lasting impact they may gain from being in my classroom. Seeing them a little less intimidated by math or come to like it more makes this job extremely rewarding.”
What would it mean to you to be CNMI Teacher of the Year?
“Being named the CNMI Teacher of the Year would be a great honor, as it reflects on all of the students I’ve encountered throughout my career and the support of my colleagues who have contributed to my personal and professional growth. This recognition would also inspire me to continue to improve my teaching methods to better meet the needs of my students and build their confidence in learning.”
Marianas High School teacher Darlene Aldan.
Darlene Aldan, Language Arts 1 teacher at Marianas High School
What rewards do you get out of teaching?
“As a teacher, the greatest rewards come from witnessing learners master essential knowledge and skills that empower them to positively impact our community and the world, collaborating with passionate educators on effective literacy practices that meet diverse learning needs, and fostering strong connections with families to support students’ safety, well-being, and academic success.”
What would it mean to you to be CNMI Teacher of the Year?
“If I were to be recognized as the CNMI Teacher of the Year, it would be an incredible honor. It will provide a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with our CNMI and PSS leaders, fellow educators, and the CNMI community to address educational issues. I will work with stakeholders to ensure we create a positive learning environment for all our learners and their families. Through effective collaboration and communication with all stakeholders, we can support and empower learners to succeed and make positive changes in the world and community.”
Yeji Lee, WSR Elementary School classroom teacher.
Yeji Lee, classroom teacher at William S. Reyes Elementary School
What rewards do you get out of teaching?
“I am sending my appreciation and gratitude to all the educators in the CNMI who work tirelessly every day. Like many of my colleagues, I continue to be an educator because it is incredibly rewarding. The most fulfilling part for me is witnessing student progress—not just in terms of academic success, but in personal growth. It’s about seeing students overcome obstacles and find their way. Whether it’s a student who once struggled to come to school now showing up and finding reasons to return, or a child who had difficulty sounding out letters becoming a confident, on-grade-level reader—those are the moments that fill me with pride and remind me why I love what I do as a teacher.”
What would it mean to you to be the CNMI Teacher of the Year?
“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to be recognized alongside such dedicated and passionate educators. Being named CNMI Teacher of the Year would be an incredible honor, not just for me, but for everyone who has been part of my journey—my family, colleagues, educators, students, and the entire community. This recognition would mean that all the hard work, collaboration, and support from those around me have made a lasting impact on my teaching career.
“If I were to receive this honor, it would give me the opportunity to advocate more strongly for something I’m passionate about—STEM education in the CNMI. So many of our students dream of becoming YouTubers, gamers, programmers, and content creators. It’s important that we, as educators, provide the tools and opportunities to help them pursue these dreams and be ready for the future. Being named Teacher of the Year would allow me to champion this cause and help create more opportunities for our students to thrive.”
According to a release from PSS, the five finalists were chosen from among the 25 outstanding educators of the school system.
Selecting the CNMI-wide PSS Teacher of the Year began with each elementary, middle, high school, and Head Start/Early Head Start Program center choosing their respective teachers of the year through a competitive and rigorous process.
Each school submits their school-level winner to the Office of the Education Commissioner-Human Resources Office.
Based on a stringent and rigorous criteria, PSS-HRO identifies five finalists for the overall PSS Teacher of the Year award. A special committee comprised of representatives from all sectors of the community will select the CNMI-wide winner.
The PSS overall Teacher of the Year winner, and the 16 school-level 2025 Teachers of the Year will be honored during the Education Month Celebration of PSS in November.
The overall CNMI winner will compete for the National Teacher of the Year award.
