She was among the 1,037 young men and women who successfully completed “four years by the Bay” to take their hard-earned places in America’s military service.
Caroline Lynch and Christine Torres, who graduated two days prior from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, have the noteworthy distinction of being the first females from the Northern Marianas to graduate from the U.S. service academies.
Ensign Lynch, the daughter of Margaret Rayburn, grew up and attended school on Saipan. She attended Northern Marianas Academy and graduated from Saipan Southern High School in December 2003, completing her course work a semester early.
While in high school, she participated in volleyball and outrigger canoeing with both Marianas and Southern High School teams.
She was also a member of the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps Program.
She has a sister, Violet, currently attending Bennington College in Vermont.
Many family members and friends traveled long distances from throughout the U.S. to witness her graduation.
Several staff of the Office of the Resident Representative also attended the event on behalf of Resident Rep. Pedro A. Tenorio.
Lynch was Tenorio’s first nominee to the U.S service academies. Having such strong credentials in high school, she was actually accepted into both the Naval Academy in Annapolis and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.
“I congratulate Caroline on such an outstanding accomplishment. She has honored the CNMI through her stellar performance at the Naval Academy, one of the best educational institutions in the country, and has a bright future ahead of her in the U.S. Navy. She is an extraordinary young woman, and we should all be very proud of her. I have no doubt she will be a model naval officer and an exceptional leader of our great country,” Tenorio said.
Ensign Lynch received a bachelor of science in English. Her next duty station will be in Norfolk, Virginia as crew member on the DDG 61 Ramage.
The USS Ramage is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer designed for combat operations against surface, air and sub-surface threats.
“I would encourage anybody thinking of going to a service academy to most definitely go for it,” she said. “It was an amazing experience, a great education, and you have a guaranteed job at the end of it. It is really important to pay back what those who have gone before us have done, especially being from the Northern Marianas, where the military has had such an impact on all of our lives. The United States armed forces have an incredible history of service above self, in addition to forging young people into leaders of character.”
She added, “While my Naval Academy experience was most definitely a challenge, it was the experience of a lifetime. If you are interested in applying for a nomination to one of the service academies (Army, Navy, Air Force, or Coast Guard), keep your grades up, get involved with your community, and enroll in a JROTC program. The early training I received with Manta Ray Battalion at SSHS stood me in good stead when I started out at the Naval Academy. At school, make sure you take a lot of math and science, as you will use it!”
OPA’s Castro earns certified fraud examiner designation
(OPA) — Donnalynn Atalig Castro, an analyst at the Office of the Public Auditor, was named a certified fraud examiner by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners on May 23.
To become a fraud examiner, Castro had to pass a rigorous examination administered by the ACFE, meet education and professional requirements, and agree to abide by the CFE Code of Professional Ethics.
When asked about her accomplishment, Castro stated, “I could not have achieved this goal without the support and encouragement of my family and my friends. I look forward to applying what I have learned here in the CNMI.”
The exam focuses on four bodies of knowledge critical to the fight against fraud — criminology and ethics, financial transactions, fraud investigation and legal elements of fraud.
In addition, CFEs also undergo training to understand not only how fraud occurs, but why.
Fraud examiners have a unique set of skills that are not found in any other career field or discipline combining knowledge of complex financial transactions with an understanding of investigation, law, and how to resolve allegations of fraud.
Nearly 45,000 anti-fraud professionals are members of the ACFE, and more than 20,000 of them have proven their dedication to the profession by obtaining the CFE designation.
The designation is acknowledged globally and preferred by employers such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the Government Accountability Office, to name a few.
Public Auditor Mike Sablan commended Castro on her recent achievement in earning the CFE professional designation.
“I am so proud of Donna. I have no doubt that she can achieve anything she sets her mind to,” he said.
Castro, a graduate of the University of Texas with a B.A. in criminology and criminal justice, joined OPA in Aug. 2004.
Castro also took part in a two-month auditor training program at the Department of the Interior’s Office of Inspector General in 2005.
Castro is the daughter of Joaquin Quichocho Castro and Margarita Atalig Castro.
Interns learn about tourism industry
(MVA) — At the Marianas Visitors Authority, educating future jobseekers in the CNMI about tourism and its importance to the economy is a key initiative.
MVA recently had two interns learning about the many facets that tourism covers.
Joshua Dela Cruz and Jason Arriola spent three months at MVA.
They were exposed to all that MVA does to promote the islands as a destination.
They spent time doing site inspections and learning more about the history and importance of the tourist sites on Saipan as well as how important it is to assure that the sites are preserved.
They also learned about how MVA works internally.
Spending time in accounting, research and marketing gave them a well rounded view of the organization.
Gaining first-hand experience and working with the various departments and staff at MVA is beneficial to the future of tourism.
“I would like to thank the staff of MVA for all they taught me,” said Dela Cruz. “This was a very rewarding experience for me. I learned a lot about how important the visitor market is to the economy of Saipan.”
“This experience helped me realize the importance of tourism on our islands,” said Arriola. “I always knew that tourism was a good thing for our economy, but I never understood the whole concept of how it directly helps us. However, having the chance to work at MVA made me notice the reason why we depend so much on tourism. Not only do tourists come over for relaxation, but their presence helps our economy generate revenue which allows the CNMI to function accordingly.”
“Internships are an integral part of our outreach program. We encourage our youth to learn more about MVA and our visitors industry as a whole,” said MVA personnel manager Polly Deleon Guerrero. “As we say around here — tourism is everybody’s business, especially when it comes to our youth.”
Mount Carmel student recognized for academic excellence
(NSHSS) — The National Society of High School Scholars has announced that Mount Carmel High School student Megan Sablan from Saipan has been selected for membership.
The society recognizes top scholars and invites only those who have achieved superior academic excellence.
The announcement was made by NSHSS founder and chairman, Claes Nobel, a senior member of the family that established the Nobel Prizes.
“On behalf of NHSS, I am honored to recognized the hard work, sacrifice, and commitment that Megan Sablan has demonstrated to achieve this exceptional level of academic excellence,” said Nobel. “Megan Sablan is now a member of a unique community of scholars — a community that represents our very best hope for the future.”
Notice of Rota public hearing
THE House Committee on Health, Education and Welfare will conduct a public hearing to receive testimonies for House Bill 16-9, titled, Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation Act of 2008, and House Bill 16-47, or the Smoke Free Air Act of 2008, a media release stated.
The public hearing will be held on Friday, June 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Rota Round House.
Copies of the legislation may be obtained from the following:
• Rota Superior Court — see Winefreda Dlg. Mendiola.
• The office of Rep. Ralph DLG. Torres
• If you have access to the Internet, do a Google search for “cnmileg.gov.mp” and download a copy of the legislation.
• Request for digital copies through e-mail to [email protected]
Members of the public are encouraged to submit written testimony on or before the public hearing.
You can submit digital copies of your testimony to [email protected] or [email protected]
For more information, fax the office of Representative Torres, 664-8926, send a letter to P.O. Box 500586 Saipan, MP 96950 or call 664-8923.
