Isabella Yiftheg, center, poses with her family members after placing second in the My Marianas Writing Contest. The other student winners are Jhaylin Cruz and Stephanie Diaz.
THE Northern Marianas Humanities Council on July 17 announced the three winners of the 2024 My Marianas Writing Contest.
In first place was Marianas High School junior Jhaylin Cruz, in second place was Kagman High School sophomore Isabella Yiftheg, and in third place was Tinian High School junior Stephanie Diaz.
The titles of the winning essays were “From Firewood to Stove Top”; “Milestones”; and “More than a Marianas.”
Cruz won $500, Yiftheg won $400, and Diaz won $300.
The contest was open to all high school students in public and private CNMI high schools. It aimed to “recognize the diverse backgrounds within the Northern Marianas Islands while enhancing literacy and writing skills through a theme that connects individuals who have ties with the Marianas.”
This year’s theme was, “Through Generations.” It was the third iteration of the contest that has been held annually since 2022. A new theme is selected each year.
Leo Pangelinan, Humanities Council executive director, said the contest encourages students to think about how their culture is alive and connected to previous generations.
“We asked them to write about a practice that they have personal experience with,” he said. “So it’s not just an observation but it’s sort of happening in their lives and to think about how that relates to how that was practiced generations ago and how it’s adapted to the global economy, the advances in technology, the contemporary pressures and opportunities that are available to them today.”
Twenty-nine entries were submitted to the contest judges: Crystal Deleon Guerrero, Randee Jo Barcinas-Manglona, Andrea Carr, Vinni Orsini, Elizabeth Furey, Jovannalyn Mafnas and Lynette Villagomez.
The entries had to be personal narrative essays that demonstrated “skillful use of imagery in iterating the author’s personal experience with a cultural value or practice that has withstood the test of time and persists through generations.”
Pangelinan said the essays will be published in a booklet, and copies will be distributed to high school libraries and Joeten-Kiyu Public Library.
He said the booklet will include all the contest winners, as well as the next 10 to 11 runner-up essays.
“We looked at a cut score and used that as a determining factor as to what gets published in this booklet,” Pangelinan said, adding that the Humanities Council will also digitize the booklet to share on its website and newsletter.
The three winning essays were likewise published by Marianas Variety and Saipan Tribune.
Pangelinan said the entries were “very powerful” and “meaningful.”
He said next year’s theme is likely to be different, but still focused on the “same ideas that we’re putting out there.”
