This year’s scholarship recipients pose for a photo with Saipan Chamber of Commerce officers and educators at the Pacific Islands Club on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024.
THE Saipan Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Aug. 7 awarded scholarships to five CNMI students pursuing post-secondary education.
The five awardees are Reine Aldan, Catherine Barrozo, Ayesha Mustansar, Bonnie Sagana and Crystal Seidler.
Aldan received the Pellegrino Vocational Award, which is given to a CNMI resident enrolled in or attending a local vocational institution with the intent to join the local workforce.
Aldan is a culinary arts and baking and pastry student at the Northern Marianas Technical Institute.
Barrozo, Mustansar, Sagana, and Seidler each received the chamber education scholarship awarded to Saipan, Tinian, or Rota students enrolled at Northern Marianas College.
All awardees had to submit two signed letters of recommendation, and an essay. They all had to demonstrate “academic excellence,” “extracurricular success,” and “leadership force,” which the chamber defined as an “expression of moral force of character, strong instincts to lead, and of interest in one’s fellow beings, as well as a desire to nurture fellowship.”
Mercilyn Palec, the chamber’s education and workforce committee chair, congratulated the awardees.
“Each of these remarkable individuals embodies the spirit of resilience, dedication and a profound commitment to their communities,” she said. “Their stories inspire us to strive for excellence and to make a positive impact on the world around us.”
