Andrew Roberto joins 500 Sails

Roberto

Andrew Roberto has been named as the new director of Community Programs with 500 Sails, effective June 6, 2022.

Raised all his life on Saipan, Roberto is the son of Andres and Dorothy Roberto. Roberto brings his passion for sailing and love for teaching to 500 Sails, having served as a Lalayak instructor to its previous cohorts. He has sailed thrice to Tinian over the past three years with renowned master navigator Cecilio Raiukiulipiy and 500 Sails executive director Pete Perez, in order to re-introduce maritime sailing activities to the community and has sailed around Saipan in its most recent circumnavigation.

He has participated in various 500 Sails community programs including Lalayak, Dolphin Club Saipan, Peskan Taddong, and Sunday Sails.

As a graduate of Saipan Southern High School, Roberto earned his associate of arts in Liberal Arts from the Northern Marianas College and later received his bachelor of arts degree in English from the University of Guam in 2015. Roberto has an extensive background in writing and social media marketing and production, having written for the Guam Daily Post, Tropical Productions, Inc, and Pacific Telestations, Inc. Roberto has written a number of plays for UOG’s Fine Arts Theater, including An Act to Save a Marriage and Nobena Para San Jude. He has authored The Talisman, featured in the Local Voices: An anthology, and has written several short stories for Guam’s Division of English and Applied Linguistics.

Roberto also has a deep passion for the ocean. He grew up fishing with his dad and swimming along Saipan’s beaches from Obyan Beach to the Grotto. Roberto grew up dreaming of canoes and remembers a time in first grade when a historical scholar came to his class and spoke of Chamorro canoes and their disappearance during Spanish colonization. Roberto dreamt of canoes being back on the water. When he was in college, Roberto caught wind of the building of a 47-foot Chamorro sakman, which brought him to following Mario Borja’s build of Che’lu and subsequently, Pete and Emma Perez’s nonprofit organization, 500
Sails.

“Becoming a formal part of this organization realizes a long time dream I’ve had—to contribute to the revitalization of the Marianas and her seafaring people. I’m happy to help 500 Sails develop programs that get people onto the ocean and in our canoes,” said Roberto.

Over the past year, Roberto worked for the Northern Marianas Humanities Council, where he supported the development and logistics of several council programs, such as the Sengebau Poetry Competition and the My Marianas Writing Contest.

Prior to his work for the Humanities Council, Roberto was a classroom teacher for Saipan Southern High School.

“Andrew has been with 500 Sails as both a participant and volunteer for many years. Previously, he has been an agent of socialization for youth on motivation and learning; he’s excellent with youth and young people and he has that passion for culture and maritime traditions that we look for in our team,” said Pete Perez, co-founder of 500 Sails. (PR)