Thank you NMC students and faculty: Our future looks bright
Earlier this week I was invited to speak (or rather to answer questions) at a forum hosted by and for students at the Northern Marianas College to engage with candidates for the CNMI delegate to U.S. Congress. On first impression of the young ladies and gentlemen of NMC, I feel compelled say that our future looks bright—if that batch of young men and women are indicative of our future leadership then I am genuinely hopeful. I don’t say that lightly and I wouldn’t say it at all, if I thought otherwise. The diversity alone is mesmerizing, but more importantly it was the dignified and respectful manner in which all of them articulated their questions and generally conducted themselves that caught my eye. I hate to admit this, but I personally was not that well put together during the college era of my life.
I may have said this in the moment, but I’d like to double down on it here. Our community would be far better served throughout this campaign season (given the semi-captive audience), if the camera were to be turned on any of these young leaders for one- to two-minute responses to any of the questions than it is with the camera being focused solely on the candidates. I get it (of course), the community wants to know what the candidates know. Again, I’ll double down on something else I shared with the audience in that forum—my candidacy is not premised on a suggestion that I know everything about how to resolve all of our problems, but rather on the assurance that I have the knowledge and proven experience to cultivate strong working relationships and to lead an efficient, productive office in service to our community. I can and will represent the CNMI in a manner befitting the strength and honor of being a true islander.
It became clear through the line of questioning on topics that included: Higher education; economy; health care; food insecurity; national politics/federal partnerships; climate change; labor and immigration; infrastructure and national security that there really are no stand-alone issues facing the CNMI. Every single issue dovetails with another—the ankle bone is connected to the knee bone, the knee bone is connected to the thigh bone, etc., etc. To that point, we need to view all of our issues as a priority. Consequently, we also need to be realistic about what our Delegate can and can’t do in responding to those issues.
At the very least, we should expect that, “The people’s office will be staffed by people from the CNMI who contribute to and foster a professional working environment in pursuit of the collective interests of all people who call the CNMI home with dignity and respect (for all) being a guiding principle for how the work of the office is conducted.”
To circle back on NMC, I am genuinely looking forward to the day when any one of the kids in this week’s college forum decides to step up for leadership roles in the community at large.
That’s a long, winding way to express my gratitude and sincere respect for those students and all who facilitated the forum at NMC.
Thank you very much.
Jim Rayphand is a former director of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and Northern Marianas Protection and Advocacy Systems Inc.
