67 graduate from NMTech
A total of 67 students of the Northern Marianas Technical Institute have successfully completed their programs and were presented their completion certificates in a ceremony at the Pedro P Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center last Tuesday.
The students were from the Construction, Automotive Technology, Culinary Art, and Baking & Pastry classes at NMTech. There were nine graduates in automotive technology, five from the institute’s newest course, Baking and Pastry, 10 in culinary arts, and 42 in construction.
Saipan Chamber of Commerce president Joe C. Guerrero, who was the event’s keynote speaker, encouraged the students using the advice that the school’s original founder, Tony Pellegrino, had given him, “Don’t be afraid to fail.”
Guerrero assured the graduates and faculty that the Saipan Chamber of Commerce will be one of their greatest advocates as they continue to promote and work toward hiring local residents and diminishing the need for contract workers.
“You have made an excellent choice to pursue your passion, and pursue training opportunities to better yourself and your family. …You now have skills and training,” he added.
In his remarks, NMTech board member Zenn Tomokane told the graduates that the benefits of a trained education do not stop at the first job.
“Continuing education is crucial to the workforce and I encourage all of you to keep learning and… become the best in your field. With dedication and hard work, you all have the potential of becoming great leaders,” he said. “All the technical disciplines represented here…require an unique blend of creativity precision and commitment to serve, lead, and build.”
One of the graduates of NMTech’s Construction: Electrical program, Joelourd Cepeda, is thankful for having completed the entire electrical course. “It took a long while. I’ve been here since 2017. I’ve been a student of NMTI and now NMTech, so it’s been a long ride but it’s been good.”
Now that he’s completed all four courses, Cepeda looks forward to gaining more experience in his job at the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. “I’m looking forward to one day becoming a certified lineman for the CNMI and, yeah, I want to continue my knowledge…,” he added. “In electrical courses you can learn so much from books, but it really comes down to what you go through in your experiences. You don’t just master this in like a year or so. It takes years of understanding how the trade works, working with it, understanding the safety of it, so it’s going to take time but I will pursue further knowledge of it later and, if I can, go off-island.”
Dellina Lieto, who completed Culinary 1 and 2, as well as her course in Baking and Pastry, told reporters she feels great. “I’m just happy I did both classes. It was a lot of hard work and sweat but it’s going to be fun and joyful in the end,” she said. “My favorite part of the house is the kitchen so I enjoy cooking and baking; it’s my passion,” she said.
After completing their courses, 2023 graduates of the Northern Marianas Technical Institute pose together with their completion certificates after the graduation ceremony last Tuesday at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe.
-CHRYSTAL MARINO
The Culinary and Baking and Pastry students before the 2023 graduation ceremony of the Northern Marianas Technical Institute last Tuesday at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe.
-CHRYSTAL MARINO