TINIAN — On Sept. 16, 2022, three members of the Coast Guard came to our school to present the opportunities available in their branch. They were Lt. Cmdr. Christine Igisomar, Seaman-E3 (SN) Katrina Perez, and Chief Machinery Technician-E7 Deren Perez. While presenting to the cadets, the three talked about their personal experiences in the Coast Guard along with the different benefits offered.
“I have been in uniform for the past 20 years,” LCDR Igisomar said. “The Coast Guard has given me opportunities to get education, get some training, get some leadership, but also provide for my family,” she added.
The three Coast Guard members have been going around schools throughout the CNMI to present about the Coast Guard and what their branch has to offer. This was their first time on Tinian and they were so excited to be able to give this presentation to the cadets of the Tinian Stallion Battalion.
After their presentation, many of the cadets were left satisfied and more informed about what the Coast Guard has to offer.
“The presentation changed my perspective about the Coast Guard because I thought of it as a side branch. But it has a lot of different opportunities,” C/PV2 Andrei Rutor commented.
“I thought the presentation was really good and it was very informative about the Coast Guard,” said C/PV2 Baltazar Borja.
When asked about the presentation, C/1SG Edward Tirona stated, “One thing that I learned from this presentation was how flexible the Coast Guard is. I’ve never really taken into consideration the flexibility of branches, but learning about the flexibility of the Coast Guard made me learn much more about it.”
Many of the cadets also felt that their perspective on the Coast Guard changed after they were given this presentation.
C/PFC Tosh Evangelista noted, “Before this presentation I did not know much about the Coast Guard, but now after learning about the branch, I am now considering it as a future career.”
Asked about her thoughts on presenting to students about a job she is passionate about, LCDR Igisomar said, “Presenting to students, specifically in the CNMI is a joy for me. I was born and raised here in the CNMI, and this was an opportunity to give back and it is so rewarding.”
She hopes that the cadets walked away from the presentation a little bit savvier, and a little bit more knowledgeable about the opportunities available in the Coast Guard.
She also stated that if they do decide on joining the Coast Guard, she is willing and happy to offer them that opportunity. But if not, she hopes that the presentation could help the cadets make a more informed decision on their future.
Our battalion is thankful to have had the three, LCDR Christine Igisomar, Chief Deren Perez, and SN Katrina Perez for being able to come down to present to the cadets. Many of the cadets were left satisfied with the new things they had learned and were able to broaden their views on the different branches of the military. We look forward to the upcoming events that will occur in our battalion!
Members of the Coast Guard pose with cadets of the Tinian JROTC Stallion Battalion.
From left, Seaman-E3 Katrina Perez, Chief Machinery Technician-E7 Deren Perez, and Lt. Cmdr. Christine Igisomar.
Lt. Cmdr. Christine Igisomar speaks to the cadets about the Coast Guard
