Saipan son awarded $10K as Rotary Club of Tokyo-Atago Scholar

University of Guam junior Ivan Sablan Blanco is the new Rotary Club of Tokyo-Atago Scholar.

The scholarship comes with $10,000 that would go toward the completion of his degree in Business Administration and is the latest support provided to a UOG student from the Rotary International District 2750 and from clubs under its umbrella. Rotary International District 2750 covers Rotary clubs in Western Tokyo and Pacific Basin Group clubs in Guam, Saipan, and other parts of the Micronesia region.

“We are immensely grateful to Rotary International District 2750 for their continued support,” said UOG president Anita Borja Enriquez. “These Rotarian scholarships provide assistance for students like Mr. Blanco to pursue career goals and also contribute to the development of the future professional workforce of Guam and the region.”

UOG aims to help its students afford college, in part by matching them with scholarship donors who look at the totality of a student’s character, Enriquez added.

During the interview phase, Blanco showed knowledge of the Micronesia region and the problems the region faces, said Dr. Sharleen Santos-Bamba, UOG interim senior vice president and provost.

Raised on Saipan, Blanco also highlights his heritage from Chuuk and Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia. He is the namesake of his dad, a beloved Saipan lawmaker who passed away after a sudden illness at the age of 44 in 2021. Blanco juggles his job as a legislative policy advisor in vice speaker Tina Muna Barnes’ office and taking academic classes. He faces one more academic year before graduating.

Barnes mentioned Blanco’s role in helping coordinate the recent Association of Pacific Island Legislatures conference as an example of the scholarship awardee’s leadership skills.

Blanco expressed gratitude to his family, mentors, Rotary International District 2750, and for UOG’s support. He aspires to bridge gaps between the islands in the Micronesia region. (UOG)