FIVE classroom teachers have been named finalists for the 2023 Public School System Teacher of the Year award.
They are: Donovan Tudela, mathematics teacher of Saipan Southern High School; Jolene Aguon, science teacher of Kagman High School; Francis Mendiola, fifth grade all-content teacher of Koblerville Elementary School; Dr. Patrick Castillon, fifth grade all-content teacher of San Vicente Elementary School; and Daniel Wollak, physical education teacher of Marianas High School.
The finalists were chosen among the 20 teachers of the year of public elementary, middle and high schools on Saipan, Tinian and Rota.
The CNMI-wide winner will qualify for the national competition in the nation’s capital.
Unlike in previous years, this year’s winner will be announced early — no later than the first week of October. This will allow the CNMI winner to submit timely the requirements for the 2023 National Teacher of the Year competition.
“The five finalists come from a group of very dedicated, passionate and driven educators who have went above and beyond what were expected of them,” Commissioner of Education Dr. Alfred B. Ada said. “They never stopped providing optimum learning opportunities to our children. Like their immediate predecessors (last year’s batch), this group is special, too: they have to navigate the challenges of teaching and learning amid the Covid-19 pandemic.”
The five finalists were chosen by a panel whose members represent various sectors in the community.
Donovan M. Tudela
For Tudela, to be named SSHS teacher of year is a tremendous honor and a life-changing moment. He said it will allow him to continually share what he loves most: mathematics.
A classroom teacher for six years now, this is his first time to be nominated for the CNMI-wide award.
“I feel very overwhelmed and overjoyed,” he said. “Everything that I do and live for is because of the passion that I have to share and to let my students understand that mathematics is not a difficult subject.”
Tudela is a member of the SSHS Class of 2011.
Asked why he pursued mathematics as his field of specialization, he said: “To change the mindset and perspective of students about the subject. There are students that come to class who are scared of or hates math. It is my goal and hope to be there for them, and help them understand and appreciate the subject — and to say, ‘I can try’ as opposed to ‘I can’t do it.’ ”
Jolene Aguon
Kagman High School’s Jolene Aguon is credited for the increase in student enrollment and participation in the science-laboratory class and the expansion of the science-lab of KHS. It was only recently that the KHS lab received support from the National Institute of Health or NIH as a result of the growth in student interest in the science-lab class under Aguon.
KHS is the only CNMI public school that has an NIH-recognized laboratory.
Being chosen as a finalist validated what Aguon has done through her school’s science laboratory which is to “create more learning opportunities.”
This month marks her seventh year as a KHS teacher. From 2015 to 2018, she was the KHS school counselor. She graduated from college with a degree in nursing, and began working as a nurse in a clinic before joining PSS.
“After working in a clinic, I felt that I should serve and work with our children so I went back to school,” she said.
“If chosen as 2023 Teacher of the Year, I will use this as a platform to share my voice, to advocate for students, supporting and promoting the importance of being there for them not only academically but emotionally and socially,” she said.
“I will also use this as my platform to support inclusion and diversity,” Aguon said, adding that in her school she has established a “Brave Space” to “celebrate diversity, enjoy and respect differences.”
Francis Mendiola
For 18 years now, Francis Mendiola, the 2023 Koblerville Elementary School teacher of the year, has dedicated his time to guide and support his students, the “hugging umangs.” The umang or the hermit crab is KoES’ mascot.
A member of the Marianas High School Class of 1999, he said he was “inspired to become an educator by my teachers who made a positive impact on me. I am a proud graduate of PSS.”
As one of this year’s five finalists, Mendiola said he dedicates the honor to his peers.
“It means a great deal to me to be recognized by my colleagues for the work and service we provide to our students,” Mendiola said.
“I will do my best to be a spokesperson that promotes public education in the CNMI not only because I am a product of it but because real changes and efforts are being made to provide better quality education for all our students. I would be that advocate that would help build stronger partnerships among our students, parents, and communities as well as strengthen collaborative efforts with our private and government entities to open up more opportunities for our students.”
Dr. Patrick Castillon
Castillon said “it’s an honor and a privilege to have been selected as San Vicente Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year. The feeling of being nominated for the CNMI-wide award is overwhelming because you feel appreciated for all the time and effort you have put in not only for the school but also for the students.”
He added, “Whenever a teacher from our school is nominated for the award, it not only increases our school pride but it also validates the hard work and sacrifices we educators do for what’s best for the school and our students.”
Dr. Castillon has been an educator for more than 20 years now. In March, for his outstanding contributions in the field of math and science teaching, he was named as the CNMI state finalist for the prestigious Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science and Technology.
“Now that we are slowly coming out of the pandemic,” he said, “I just want to let the public know that teachers are still considered frontliners. We are at the frontline of the educational system, and when we encounter emotional and behavioral challenges not just in our children but among ourselves, it is crucial for all stakeholders to not only foster social-emotional learning with the students; they should also advocate self-care for both our children and teachers. That way both the teachers and students will thrive during their educational journey.”
Daniel Wollak
Marianas High School physical education teacher Daniel Wollak is honored that he was chosen as this year’s outstanding teacher of the largest and oldest public high school in the CNMI.
“We have so many amazing teachers in each and every department so when I found out that my colleagues had chosen me to represent MHS as their teacher of the year, I was extremely honored,” he said. “I was asked to give a little speech but struggled to articulate what I wanted to say because I was so overwhelmed by emotion. The PE department can sometimes be overlooked for what they do so I was very honored that my colleagues value what myself and our department do for our students and our school. It is something I will cherish for the rest of my life.”
Wollak majored in kinesiology and has a K-12 physical education teaching degree and developmentally adapted physical education certificate.
“You don’t go into the field of education for accolades or personal recognition,” he said. “I teach because I have a passion for my subject area and I want to pass on that passion to future generations of students. However, being recognized by not just MHS, but all of PSS, helped reaffirm the fact that I am making the impact on my students and my school that I set out to make. Some teachers move on from teaching to other roles such as administration or move to the central office, but this just confirms the fact that the classroom is where I belong and where I am at my best.”
This is Wollak’s 14th year as a PSS educator. He moved from Minnesota to Saipan to have an adventure and gain valuable teaching experience. He didn’t expect to fall in love with Saipan and its people. He now call the island his home.
