HOPWOOD Middle School Principal Victorino N. Borja, M.Ed., on Tuesday received the Patriotic Employer Award from Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Guam-CNMI Area Chair Rita A. Sablan, Ed.D. and Employer Outreach Coordinator Rose Igitol.
Sablan and Igitol handed Borja the award in the presence of U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Jonathan Sugatan in the school cafeteria at 9:30 a.m. Also present were school staff members and students.
Sugatan, who nominated Borja, is one of the two U.S. Army Reserve soldiers who are members of the Hopwood faculty.
The Patriotic Employer Award is given to employers for helping their servicemember employees when these servicemembers have to go on duty to carry out their obligations to the country.
It is significant that Borja received such a prestigious award on a Principal Day, Sablan said.
Sugatan said Borja has been his boss for four years now at Hopwood, and has always been supportive and easy to work with.
He said Borja always helps him and his fellow servicemembers “when it’s time for us to leave for military duty.”
Sugatan added, “He has helped me grow both professionally in my educational career and also in my Army career. Without his support, I wouldn’t have reached my E5 sergeant rank when I was away for my class which was the Basic Leadership Course.”
Show support
For his part, Borja said “we need to show our support” to servicemembers.
He said government officials or employers must recognize “that the troops protect our freedoms so that we can enjoy the life that we have here in the CNMI and the U.S.”
He added that government officials who said they support the troops and the veterans should “show it.”
Borja also expressed his appreciation to Sugatan for nominating him.
“I really don’t feel like I did anything special other than, just saying, ‘Yes, of course,’ if you need to go to training — that is something you need to do. We support you and make sure that you still have your job when you come back. It is a very small thing to show appreciation for their service. Again, thank you for your service,” he told Sugatan.
Hopwood Middle School Principal Victorino N. Borja, M.Ed., center, holds the Patriotic Employer Award as he poses for a photo with Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Guam-CNMI Area Chair Rita A. Sablan, Ed.D., third left, Employer Outreach Coordinator Rose Igitol, second left, Hopwood teacher and U.S, Army Reserve Sgt. Jonathan Sugatan, sixth right, school staff and students in the Hopwood cafeteria on Tuesday.
