Kagman High School’s top 10 graduates: (1) Valedictorian Richard Carl Dela Cruz Lacson, (2) Salutatorian Kiyokazu Ma’gas Suzuki Gonzales, (3) Nanaka Joyeria Watanabe, (4) Jude Dominic Litulumar (5) D’anahlei Vifika Magofna Rodriguez (6) Jessica Nicole Tellei Pineda, (7) Xinyi Ni, (8) Zyron Altoveros Espiritu Santo, (9) Elicia Bernadette Mendiola Cabrera, and (10) Juneya Neiyongischigh Quitano. They are joined on the stage by Board of Education Chairman Antonio L. Borja, BOE Secretary/Treasurer Gregory Pat Borja, BOE Member Maisie B. Tenior, Teacher Representative Dr. Dora Borja Miura, Commissioner of Education Dr. Alfred B. Ada and Associate Commissioner for Administrative Services Eric Magofna.
RICHARD Carl Dela Cruz Lacson and Kiyokazu Ma’gas Suzuki Gonzales are the top graduating students of Kagman High School’s Class of 2023.
They were among the 119 seniors who received their diplomas on Wednesday, May 31, at the American Memorial Park amphitheater.
KHS educators led by Principal Ben Jones and Vice Principals Shirley Norita and Francisca Bondoc hugged each of the graduating seniors.
At hand to congratulate the graduates were Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, Board of Education Chairman Antonio L. Borja, BOE Secretary/Treasurer Gregory Pat Borja, BOE Member Maisie B. Tenorio, and Teacher Representative Dr. Dora Borja Miura among other officials.
This year’s valedictorian, Richard Carl Dela Cruz Lacson, also received the Board of Education Academic Excellence Award from BOE officials.
Lacson will attend the University of Washington in Missouri’s pre-med program.
The class salutatorian, Kiyokazu Ma’gas Suzuki Gonzales, received the Commissioner of Education Academic Excellence Award from Commissioner of Education Dr. Alfred B. Ada and Associate Commissioner for Administrative Services Eric Magofna.
Gonzales will attend the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
The rest of the top 10 graduates are (3) Nanaka Joyeria Watanabe, who will attend the Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan where he will major in International Business; (4) Jude Dominic Litulumar, Boise State University, major in Environmental Science; (5) D’anahlei Vifika Magofna Rodriguez, Boise State University, major in Molecular Biology; (6) Jessica Nicole Tellei Pineda, Northern Marianas College, major in Human Rehabilitation; (7) Xinyi Ni, Northern Marianas College, major in Criminal Justice; (8) Zyron Altoveros Espiritu Santo, Northern Marianas College, major in Criminal Justice; (9) Elicia Bernadette Mendiola Cabrera, Northern Marianas College, major in Nursing; and (10) Juneya Neiyongischigh Quitano, Boise State University, major in Molecular Biology.
Other awards
Governor Palacios presented the Governor’s Leadership Award to Taisha Lia De Brum Sablan.
Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang’s chief of staff, Henry S. Hofschneider, presented the Lt. Governor’s Leadership Award to Xinyi Ni.
Principal Jones and Vice Principals Norita and Bondoc presented Jarren Selbart Mendiola and Atekapi Smith with the Principal’s Leadership Award.
The PTSA Award was presented to Lee Andy Camacho II while the Mayor’s Award was presented to Jazlyn Joy Castro Mafnas.
Nobet Joseph Zhu Hocog was the recipient of the Male Athlete of the Year Award.
Outstanding group
Class valedictorian Lacson, in his address, described the Class of 2023 as a group of outstanding individuals.
“I am honored to receive the distinction of valedictorian, especially with a class composed of countless outstanding individuals,” he said.
“To tell you the truth, I had always fantasized…being the valedictorian of my graduating class. If you were to ask my 12-year-old self what to include in this once-in-a-lifetime speech, he would’ve filled at least five pages of papers in the blink of an eye. But, as I wrote this, my mind could not write down a single word. We as individuals are so quick to establish what we want and, therefore, get caught up in chasing those dreams that we don’t stop for a second to think about what we really want,” Lacson said.
“Just a few days ago, I was determined that I would become a chef after making shrimp fried rice. So…I would like to ask my fellow graduates, and even members of the audience, to ask themselves, ‘What do you truly want?’ After you have established that, that is when you can run after your ambition with full force,” he added.
In paying homage to his school, he noted that their mascot, the Ayuyu or coconut crab, is solitary in nature compared to “the tight-knit community of KHS.”
“The family-like relationship present in this school is truly one in a million,” he said. “It is a component of this school that I greatly admire and am grateful for.”
He added, “I would give thanks to the school — no, the community — that has instilled these life-changing values in me for the past four years. I will continue to be a reflection of the school from which I was derived.”
Lacson dedicated his award to his parents and other family members “for always believing in me and my dreams.”
Bittersweet
Class salutatorian Gonzales, who delivered the first half of his address in Chamorro, described high school graduation as bittersweet.
“It is with great honor that I stand here today before each and every one of you. I honestly wasn’t expecting it. Until this moment, everything they said about how fast high school was really went in one ear and out the other. As I stand here and realize that this is going to be my last moment, last day, last everything as a high schooler, all I can say is that this is bittersweet. But I’m glad I really did and was able to truly enjoy high school.”
He praised his parents and family members for their love and support.
“I am extremely lucky and eternally grateful to my parents and am delighted to publicly share that my brothers and I were all raised decently. A home felt like a home and coming back to it every day after being out for a while was always so relieving. Our home was filled with abundant, unconditional love. Our [late] mom Charlene sacrificed working and stayed home to raise all of us and impart enduring, lifelong values of respect, tolerance, self-love, hard work, and determination. Our dad continues to steward us as best he can to date filling in for our mom as he too navigates with us, further expanding from our Mom’s work and instilling in us the lasting skills of grit, resilience, and never giving up no matter the adversity.”
He also recognized his two older brothers’ impact on his life, and “for…actually teaching our Dad something: As strict as he is having been raised by Nang Lucia and Gramma Mary and Grampa Fred as the eldest child, he actually learned to compromise and agreed to tone down his lion discipline and allowed us to ‘enjoy life’…but only within the reasonable boundaries of responsibility, honesty, safety, and care all the time. Because of this I enjoyed my high school years.”
He joined his classmates in honoring their parents and the educators of KHS.
“I join my classmates, the KHS Class of 2023 to take this time to salute and honor our parents and guardians, grandparents, siblings, mentors, teachers, counselors, and entire KHS staff for positively and meaningfully shaping us one way or another to succeed and achieve in our own special ways.”
The 119 members of Kagman High School’s Class of 2023 are introduced to the public at the American Memorial Park amphitheater.
Class Valedictorian Richard Carl Dela Cruz Lacson and his family with Board of Education Chairman Antonio L. Borja, Secretary/Treasurer Gregory Pat Borja, BOE Member Maisie B. Tenorio and Teacher Representative Dr. Dora B. Miura.
Class salutatorian and the recipient of the Commissioner of Education Academic Excellence Award, Kiyokazu Ma’gas Suzuki Gonzales, with his family. Commissioner of Education Dr. Alfred B. Ada and Associate Commissioner for Administrative Services Eric Magofna led the Public School System leadership team in presenting both awards.
The Governor’s Leadership Award recipient Taisha Lia De Brum Sablan and her family with Gov. Arnold I. Palacios.
The Lt. Governor’s Leadership Award was presented to Xinyi Ni by Henry S. Hofschneider, the chief of staff of Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang.
The Principal’s Award recipient, Atekapi Smith, with her family.
The other recipient of the Principal’s Award was Jarren Selbart Mendiola.
