(OCW670) — Our Common Wealth 670 has awarded scholarships to two students from the Marianas — D’anahlei Rodriguez of Kagman High School and Jill Anne Mallari of Mount Carmel School. These scholarships were created in honor of two founding members of OCW670 — the late Retta Sue Hamilton and Jacinta M. Kaipat.
Eligible students drafted an essay that demonstrated how their higher education pursuits align with and/or promotes OCW670’s mission to “protect our ancestral lands, seas, and skies from irreparable damage caused by military practices and other developments that pose a threat to our health, physical environment, and livelihoods…” The OCW670 Board of Directors spearheaded essay evaluations and the final selection of recipients.
OCW670 Board Chairwoman Dr. Theresa “Isa” Arriola said: “With our islands being placed at the center of so many geo-political discussions about the U.S.-China competition in the Pacific, these essays reflect a sense of urgency to protect our beautiful islands for many generations to come.”
Rodriguez’s essay recounted her strolls with her Tåta and siblings through gardens littered with rusted military equipment. She acknowledges that these remnants of wars will continue to stay in these gardens (our lands) and impact today’s youth. Rodgriguez intends to study Public Governance at Boise State University. Rodriguez concludes her essay with a proverb from her Tåta that outlines her vision for herself, “Sengsongmu i gualo’mu, abonuyi kulan i lancheru, protehi kulan gumå’mu, ya siempre håo satisfetchu.” Your village is your garden, nourish it like a farmer, protect it like your home, and you will be fulfilled.”
Mallari’s essay entitled “Oceanic Paradise” shared her realization that the image of the Marianas as a tropical island paradise was not entirely true. Mallari intends to pursue a Political Science degree at the University of San Diego where she aims to elevate people’s awareness of the environmental issues facing the Marianas and the broader Pacific. Mallari ends her essay with the realization that “only by protecting our culture, land, and ocean will the next generation grow up in the paradise of today.”
Altogether, OCW670 is in awe of the powerful voices of D’anahlei, Jill, and all the other students who submitted essays. OCW670 is grateful to continue this annual tradition of supporting passionate Marianas youth to pursue higher education for the benefit of their academic growth and the Marianas.
D’anaheli Rodriguez
Jill Anne Mallari
