From left, Breanna Mafnas, Alexis Cabrera, Jedric Anciete and John Arroyo. Mafnas, Cabrera and Anciete are three of the nine students who participated in the first Rotary Club of Saipan Student Program, which was coordinated by Arroyo, a Rotarian and Bank of Saipan president.
DURING the Rotary Club of Saipan meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at the Crowne Plaza Resort, students Breanna Mafnas, Jedric Anciete and Alexis Cabrera shared their experiences with the club’s recently concluded Student Program.
Rotarian John Arroyo, the president and CEO of the Bank of Saipan, coordinated the program, which he described as a mentorship opportunity for students between the ages of 15 and 18. The participating students, he added, met with and interviewed professionals in career fields the students are interested in pursuing.
Mafnas, a student at Mount Carmel School, interviewed a special education teacher because she is interested in pursuing early childhood education after she graduates from high school.
“Programs like these are very important in our community because they offer students essential skills towards reaching their career goals,” Mafnas told Rotarians. “Overall, I’m thankful to be a part of this program as I transition into reaching my goal as a future educator.”
Arroyo told Variety that the program began a few weeks after the start of classes.
He said the participating schools were MCS and Marianas High School, adding that he wanted to ensure it was manageable before expanding the program.
Arroyo said he reached out to the administrators at both schools and requested that they share the program information with their students. During the application process, students indicated their career interests and wrote an essay about their aspirations.
After Arroyo and the other Rotarians selected nine student participants, he used their forms to set up interviews with professionals across a wide variety of careers.
Arroyo said some students expressed interest in aerospace engineering and film production, among other careers. He asked the students to prepare a list of questions and then sat in with them when they conducted interviews with their mentors.
Cabrera, an MHS student, said one of her school’s vice principals approached the National Honor Society, of which she is a member, and encouraged them to apply.
Cabrera said she wants to go into neuroscience, and the Rotary program was able to put her in contact with a doctor in the field.
During her interview, she was able to learn about her mentor’s research into Parkinson’s disease, autism spectral disorder, and different mental illnesses.
“This program really made me think about going into neuroscience,” she said. “It seems like a difficult career to get into, and it deals with a lot of study and research.” But rather than being discouraged, Cabrera said her mentor made her feel empowered.
“This program helped me to understand that I am capable of accomplishing things just like [my mentor],” she added.
Arroyo said the mentors agreed to be points of contacts for the students whenever they need advice about pursuing their career choice.
Anciete was looking to interview someone with a technology background, as he is interested in software engineering.
“Knowing our island, I knew there aren’t many [software engineers] so I wasn’t sure if they would be able to find someone, but Mr. John Arroyo was able to find someone from all the way in Florida,” Anciete said.
Anciete interviewed the professional and asked him about the pathways through the industry.
He told Rotarians that he hopes they continue the program next year, and that “everyone in school should take advantage of this opportunity as a great way to grow and gain experience.”
Arroyo said the second part of the program is still in development and will take place toward the end of the school year. He told Rotarians that he is interested in using them as mentors, pairing them with students to talk “about career plans, opportunities and things to look forward to once they get out of school.”
As for the expansion of the Student Program, Arroyo said he will need to “liaison” with school administrators across the island in order to offer it to a greater number of schools.
