BECAUSE the CNMI is faced with difficult times ahead with no more federal “lifeboat to save us,” re-elected Board of Education member Andrew L. Orsini said his job for the next four years “will be to keep the Public School System afloat.”
Orsini, who is serving his second term, was sworn into office at 10 a.m. Friday at Oleai Elementary School where he started his career in the school system as a Parent Teacher Student Association officer for 11 years. He said he personally requested that his inaugural ceremony be held there.
Associate Judge Teresa Kim-Tenorio administered Orsini’s oath of office in the presence of his wife, Bertha Flores Orsini, who was an Oleai kindergarten teacher for 30 years, and his son, Marianas High School Vice Principal Romolor Orsini. Also present were BOE Chairman Gregory Borja, Vice Chairman Herman Atalig, Education Commissioner Alfred B. Ada, other PSS officials, the students and teachers of Oleai Elementary School, its principal, Jasylene Parico, and vice principal, Alisa Pangelinan.
The Oleai students honored BOE member Orsini with a special dance number led by Pangelinan, faculty members and Parico who also served as the mistress of ceremonies.
In his remarks, BOE member Orsini said: “In my days with the Oleai PTSA…there was also an economic recession in our islands.”
When there’s no money to spend, “that’s when leaders like myself step up to lead. When you are short of money, you have to be creative. I remember every other year, we held a Cultural Day celebration in which the diversity and uniqueness of Oleai students shone. But we also used the event to help raise funds for the school.”
He added, “Turtles are strong, they are wise, but known for being slow,” referring to the Oleai school mascot.
“As I get older, I can see that I’m starting to become more of a turtle myself.” But “in the darkness of the night, that’s when turtles lay their eggs.” In the darkness to come, he added, “I will have to hatch some ideas to get our system to safety.”
He said when money was running out at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, “we made tough decisions, but instead of cutting salaries by the same number, I wanted to cut salaries by percentage so that those who make less can still provide for their families.”
“When the money ran dry, we had no choice but to shut down and furlough hardworking staff, like my wife — that was rough,” he said. “But I want you to know that we did [that] only with the assurance that there was [the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance] to catch our employees before they fall,” he added.
He said he will do his best “to save the turtles and all the sea creatures from being swept by the current.”
He added that as a leader, he has learned “to accept criticism…, doubts…, betrayals…and defeat because in the end, a turtle can be scarred, have some scratches, but the turtle will keep on swimming.”
He said “the work ahead will be difficult but I will not forget the real reason we’re all here — the students. I will do this job to honor the confidence of the thousands of the voters who put their trust in me. And for those who did not vote, don’t worry, I will still work for them.”
“Being here inspires me to keep moving forward,” he added. “You can call me a turtle because I may be old, I may have wrinkles, I may have scars on my shell that tells you what I’ve overcome, and just like a turtle, I may move slowly, but I will always move forward.”
Board of Education member Andrew L. Orsini, right, is sworn in by Associate Judge Teresa Kim-Tenorio, left, as his wife Bertha, 2nd right, and son Romolor look on during his inauguration at Oleai Elementary School on Friday.
