The top 10 graduates of Tinian High School Class of 2024, from right: (1) Clarize Paraiso Rodriguez, (2) Romaldo Hofschneider Santos Jr., (3) Sophia Li Ying, (4) Tano-Donald San Nicolas King II, (5) Morshedur Rahman Khan Anan, (6) Mary Grace Genez Calacsan, (7) Elani Mae Esmedilla, (8) Tony Brandi Sanchez Cabarles, (9) Miyako Kalissa Cruz San Nicolas, and (10) Jaedon Clyde Fabreag Lenteja. Also in photo: Principal Liz Perzinski, Commissioner of Education Dr. Lawrence F. Camacho, Acting Board of Education Chair Maisie B. Tenorio, BOE members Antonio L. Borja and Andrew L. Orsini.
(PSS) — Forty-two seniors of Tinian High School received their diplomas on Monday afternoon, with Clarize Paraiso Rodriguez as class valedictorian and Joseph Romaldo Hofschneider Santos Jr. as the salutatorian.
At the main pavilion of Jones Beach, Principal Liz Perzinski presented the graduates to the island community.
Acting Board of Education Chair Maisie B. Tenorio, BOE members Antonio L. Borja and Andrew L. Orsini, and Commissioner of Education Dr. Lawrence F. Camacho attended the event with other key PSS officials as well as Tinian municipal officials.
As valedictorian, Rodriguez is also the recipient of the CNMI Board of Education Academic Excellence Award, which was presented by Tenorio, Borja and Orsini.
Santos, the salutatorian, was presented with the Commissioner of Education Academic Excellence Award by Camacho, who was with Associate Commissioner for Administrative Services Eric Magofna, Special Education State Director Donna M. Flores, Federal Programs Officer Jacqueline Che, Instructional Technology and Distance Education Director Lorraine Catienza and Senior Director for Instructional Services Jackie Quitugua.
The rest of the top 10 graduates are: (3) Sophia Li Ying, (4) Tano-Donald San Nicolas King II, (5) Morshedur Rahman Khan Anan, (6) Mary Grace Genez Calacsan, (7) Elani Mae Esmedilla, (8) Tony Brandi Sanchez Cabarles, (9) Miyako Kalissa Cruz San Nicolas, and (10) Jaedon Clyde Fabreag Lenteja.
‘Own the future’
The members of Tinian High School’s Class of 2024 received their diplomas on Monday.
Principal Liz Perzinski said the Class of 2024’s theme, “Walk the Stage, Own the future,” is a strong message for the graduates.
Of the 42 graduates, 19 have been accepted by Northern Marianas College; one, the class valedictorian, Rodriguez, is a recipient of the Quest Bridge Fullbright Scholarship and will attend the University of Chicago; three have been accepted by U.S. service academies: Jaedon Lenteja, West Point; salutatorian Santos, U.S. Air Force Academy (not the preparatory school as earlier reported); Edgar Acollador, Navy Academy; and two are joining the military: Mary Grace Calacsan, U.S. Air Force, and Jesus Manglona, U.S. Navy.
“Move forward…but do not be afraid to look back, reflect, and learn the lesson, and make those mistakes your steppingstones to become a wiser person,” Principal Perzinski said.
BOE acting Chair Tenorio, speaking on behalf of Chair Herman Atalig and colleagues, said:
“I have been to about 50 graduation ceremonies throughout my term as a BOE member, and there is always a question: why do I attend graduations? My answer is the same: I do it for our students. It is an honor for me to join you and your families to celebrate — and an honor that I will always be grateful for.”
She added, “It reminds me that there’s good in the world. You are the good in the world. At this moment, you bask in the goodness of the world. We salute you; we celebrate you.”
Commissioner of Education Dr. Camacho said the “future of Tinian is bright because, again, we have wonderful ladies and gentlemen, who have achieved one of the most daring things in life and that is to get educated, to learn.”
He also praised the parents and the community for contributing to the success of the students.
“I want to thank the families for the contributions to the future success that we see now right in front of us. They are the emerging future of Tinian, of our islands here.”
‘Incredibly fortunate’
The Board of Education Academic Excellence Award was presented to the class valedictorian, Clarize Paraiso Rodriguez, by Acting BOE Chair Maisie B. Tenorio, and BOE members Antonio L. Borja and Andrew L. Orsini.
In her valedictory address, Rodriguez said she is honored and incredibly fortunate to be graduating with a group of students with whom she spent and shared memories throughout her high school years.
“I’ve watched several graduation speeches for inspiration, and each one made me realize how incredibly fortunate I am,” she said. “In some schools with hundreds of students, graduates often start their speeches with, ‘If you don’t know me, my name is,’ because they have not met everyone. Some students even see each other for the first time at graduation, despite being in the same school for four years. In fact, I vividly remember one of the graduating seniors that I met in the states last month saying, ‘Yeah, I am graduating with a bunch of random people.’ But here I am. Here, I am fortunate enough to say that you all aren’t just some random people in my life. You are my classmates. Here, I can say I know your first and last names. And here, we can look at each other and know that we had the privilege of interacting with each other, sharing laughter, tears, and making memories at one point during middle school or high school.”
“We grew taller and stronger” with each passing year, she added. “Although we did not have many experiences together in our first year of high school due to the quarantine, it made us resilient. Our first year was literally through online classes, and we all adapted to that. We endured, even though, for some of us, it is difficult to learn without the teacher physically there. Then, as soon as things were back to normal, we branched out, joined different sports and clubs, and became the leaders of today. Some of us excelled in sports, some in academics, some in the arts, and some as fantastic fishers or farmers. We discovered our strengths and passions, and found our own unique ways to contribute within our family, school, or community.”
She dedicated her success to her parents.
‘Triumph’
The Commissioner of Education Academic Excellence Award was presented to Romaldo Hofschneider Santos Jr., the class salutatorian, by Commissioner of Education Dr. Lawrence F. Camacho and other key PSS officials: Associate Commissioner for Administrative Services Eric Magofna, Special Education State Director Donna Flores, Federal Programs Officer Jacqueline Che, Instructional Technology and Distance Education Director Lorraine Catienza and Senior Director for Instructional Services Jackie Quitugua.
Salutatorian Santos, in his address, said:
“I proudly stand here with a heavy heart, weighed not just by the triumph of us all reaching the peak of our academic efforts and perseverance, but in admiration of the journey we’ve had through pitfalls and heights to get here. After graduation, some of you will be heading out to explore the ocean of life beyond our little rock; somewhere on the mainland, overseas, and even on our sister island. As you receive your diplomas and begin to plan out your course for life, recognize that things will be overwhelmingly difficult from here, and some battles you will have to face alone. Nevertheless, stand tall and carry along with you the experiences and memories that have shaped each of you into the resilient and adaptable individuals you are now.”
He said their experiences “shaped us to sail smoothly through the rest of our high school years when our class courageously plunged further into the depths of life. In these years, we nearly won back-to-back pep rallies, competed strongly against other schools in sports, took on leadership positions, attended our first prom, and some of us even became part of the first Tinian armed drill team to go to Golden Bear in California. Yet it seemed like our class could never escape trouble as we faced another pandemic this year: senioritis. Trust me, it’s real. And it even started to affect us outside of assignments and schoolwork. Still, our class remained steadfast and successful because despite us doing things at the last minute, we were still able to pull through with the events we planned out.”
Santos also praised his parents. “Being your son is the greatest gift imaginable. You would say how it takes a village to raise a child, but the sacrifices that parents make, even when it involves their own well-being and happiness, raise a child to be successful.”
