Omengkar leads Tinian Elementary School’s outstanding employees

Mariana Omengkar, a longtime employee of the CNMI Public School System, has been hailed as Tinian Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year.

Omengkar is a 39-year-old mother of four and has been serving the Tinian Elementary for 19 years now. She began as a teacher aide in 1991 and obtained her elementary education degree in 2003, rising through the ranks to become a classroom teacher.

She said it took her more than seven years to complete her degree at the Northern Marianas College since the NMC instructional site on Tinian did not offer all the classes she needed for her course. That meant a lot of commute time between Tinian and Saipan.

“I was a regular passenger at the ferry during that time because I had to commute back and forth—almost every day—so I can be in the classroom the next day,” she told Saipan Tribune.

Omengkar was first hailed as the school’s Teacher Aide of the Year in the early 2000s and her award this year is her first as the school’s most outstanding teacher. She dedicated the honor to her children who inspired her to pursue education. “If you want to push your children to get an education, you have to be their role model. ”

Omengkar is a first grade teacher and attends to 16 students every day.

“I never get bored when I am with my students. Working with young kids every day is always full of fun and adventures. Yes, there are a lot of challenges…but I am taking these challenges one at a time.”

Named Teacher Aide of the Year is Nida Dosalua, who has been with the school’s special education program since 2000. This is her second time to be honored in the 11 years she has been with the school. The first one was in 2007. Every day, she handles two students with special needs. Dosalua has six children herself whom she described as her “inspirations.”

Julita Diaz was adjudged as the school’s Administrative Support Staff of the Year. She has been serving Tinian students since 2004 as the school’s custodian. Diaz was first hailed as the school’s Support Staff of the Year in 2002.

Also named Support Staff of the Year for the pupil transportation category was Victor Linan, who has been working for the Tinian school since 2002. He started as a building maintenance staff until he became the school bus driver. Every day, Linan transports over 200 students to and from the school. This is his third award from the school.

Rodel Manlulu was adjudged as the school’s Maintenance Staff of the Year. He has been working for PSS since 1991. In the last two decades, he has served the school in various capacities: custodian, maintenance, driver, until being named the transportation and maintenance supervisor. Manlulu has already been recognized six times: in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2010, and 2011.