Recipients from the CNMI for 2011 include:
• Kagman High School: Ana Ada, Allyssa Arangorin, Christopher Santos
• Marianas High School: Edu Mari Banaag, Deveney Dela Cruz, Liezel Tiples
• Tinian High School: Marquina Hofscheider
• Southern High School: Doyi Lee
• Calvary Christian: Midori Nishida
• Marianas Baptist Academy: Manatsu Omori
Each winner will receive a full-ride scholarship worth about $7,000 to pay for any tuition-related costs to attend one of JSA’s summer schools on the mainland and in China. The scholarships are made possible because of JSA’s 20-year partnership with The U.S. Department of the Interior.
The students chosen demonstrated high-achieving grades, strong leadership skills, involvement in the community and an interest in public service.
“We had dozens of strong applicants for the DOI Scholarships, making the selection process very difficult,” said Jeff Harris, chief executive officer of The Junior Statesmen Foundation Inc. “The chosen students are among the best and brightest for the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands and will likely lead their communities in the future.”
Receiving scholarships funded by the Department of Interior, Arangorin and Lee will attend the JSA Diplomat Program at Capitol Normal University in Beijing, China. Arangorin and Lee will be among the first students from the CNMI to attend the JSA program in China.
Also receiving Department of Interior scholarships, Banaag will attend JSA Summer School at Princeton University, Hofscheider will attend JSA Summer School at Stanford University, Omari will go to Princeton and Santos will attend JSA Summer School at Georgetown University.
The CNMI Public School System funded two of the scholarships, won by Ada and Tiples, who will attend JSA Summer School at Princeton. The Junior Statesmen Foundation funded the scholarships of Dela Cruz and Nishida, who will attend Stanford.
JSA is continuing to accept CNMI students for its summer programs; the deadline for application is April 11. Non-scholarship CNMI students who have already been accepted to JSA Summer School include:
• Kagman High School: Tasha Dela Cruz, Patsylynn Jetley, Elloise Lotoc, Jolisa Pangelinan, Reignna Mgriamolau
• Grace Christian Academy: Angela Mamaril
• Marianas High School: Genevieve Gottwald, Vinni Orsihi, Josifynn Rasa, Irishdale Radam
• Rota High School: Babyie Hocog, Maisie Lynn Mesngon, Mariana Quitugua
• Southern High School: Soo Jin Choi
• Tinian High School: Chloe Hofschneider
Since 1991, JSA has worked in a partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior to identify, educate and train more than 1,700 outstanding high school students in insular areas for active, effective and ethical participation in public affairs. The JSA Summer Schools build leadership skills and confidence for the next generation of insular leaders.
“We are delighted by the ongoing support of U.S. Rep. Kilili Sablan, the Legislature, the governor’s office, and Commissioner Rita Sablan of PSS,” said Harris.
The JSA Summer School features college-level courses in American Government, American History, International Relations, Constitutional Law, Economics, U.S. Foreign Policy, politics and the media, speech and political communication. JSA has been sponsoring summer schools since the 1940s and alumni include former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese, former White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry, businessman Charles Schwab and hundreds of current leaders in politics, media, business and the law.
CNMI residents who are JSA Summer School alumni include Tina Sablan, a former CNMI legislator, and Janet Han King, former CNMI public defender who is an attorney at law.
For more information about JSA summer program, or to make scholarship donations, please contact Elliott Nguyen, director of international programs, at [email protected] or call 800-317-9338.
