FOR Rodante Yumul, automotive instructor at Northern Marianas Technical Institute, Labor Day is not so much a holiday but a reminder of the skilled trades that keep our community moving. His own journey to NMTech began with his own passion for cars.
Growing up between Los Angeles and Saipan, his automotive interest sparked when his brother gave him a used pickup truck to modify.
His first driving experience wasn’t conventional either. At 12 years old, he was secretly operating forklifts during warehouse staff breaks until he got scolded.
“I didn’t have any plans,” Rodante—more fondly called Dante—admits about his high school years.
He credits vocational training for transforming his life.
After his father insisted on further education, Dante found his calling at Utah Technical Institute in Phoenix. “I am a product of trades school. I didn’t go to regular college.”
Armed with automotive technology skills, Dante returned to Saipan and operated his own successful shop for a decade, followed by six years managing his family’s Tru Value hardware store.
His transition to teaching came after persistent recruitment by then-Northern Marianas Trades Institute founder Tony Pellegrino in 2008.
“At least once a week he [would] walk in the store and follow up,” Dante recalls.
After three months of this weekly persistence, Dante finally agreed—a decision he’s grateful for 16 years later.
Today, Dante teaches automotive technology in NMTech’s second-most popular program, which includes five courses: Auto Core, Steering & Suspension, Brakes, Engine Performance, and Electrical. The program is so in-demand it has a waiting list.
Dante takes pride in student success stories like that of Aubrianna “Aubrey” Sablan, who became the first automotive technician at Atkins Kroll Saipan after starting as a summer student at NMTech.
“She came here for a summer class only, enrolled in automotive class, and she continued,” he says.
The program requires a 60-hour internship with industry partners, often leading to job placements or additional training opportunities.
Dante is honest about local challenges: the minimum wage for automotive technicians in the CNMI is low compared to construction trades.
“Straight up, the future of high income is not [going to] be in Saipan,” he acknowledges.
He cites a Utah Technical Institute graduate from Saipan who now earns six figures working on 18-wheelers for freight companies and owns a house in Arizona.
But despite the local wage limitations, students keep enrolling, he said. Some are seeking careers, while others just want to understand their vehicles better.
“People still show up because, [while] they might not want to be an auto tech, they want to know how their car runs or how to spot the need for repair,” Dante explains.
Dante believes every student represents potential. This is what makes him beam like a proud dad when talking about Aubrey Sablan’s success. “I have a student I’m most proud of,” he adds.
Dante’s enthusiasm, recognized when he was named NMTech’s Instructor of the Year in 2022, stems from seeing students transform uncertainty into confidence.
His biggest challenge? Simply getting students to show up consistently. “For new students, sometimes I lose three or four due to transportation issues,” he said. But for those who persist, the rewards extend far beyond the classroom.
His own diverse background, including managing Naked Fish Bar & Grill, working as a diesel mechanic at the Marpi Landfill during the pandemic, and drumming for cover bands for over 16 years, enriches his teaching.
This variety of experience, combined with his impressive 15-car collection that includes a 1967 Chevy, 1983 El Camino, and two Mustangs (half the collection still needs restoration), demonstrates the practical passion he brings to education.
“If it weren’t for my dad forcing me to go to school, I wouldn’t be in this position now,” Dante reflects.
His journey from reluctant student to passionate educator proves that sometimes the best paths aren’t the ones we initially choose, but the ones that choose us.
For students considering automotive technology, Dante offers this perspective: “Once you have the basics and general knowledge of how automotive works, it will be easy for you to make that transition” to any specialty. Whether your future lies in Saipan or beyond, the foundation starts here.
Rodante Yumul
