The CNMI’s dropouts and homeless: Protest

The title of this letter speaks volumes of the condition that many youth from the CNMI are facing in the mainland due to the delay in the CNMI and SHEFFA scholarships. We ask these kids to go off to school and to come back and contribute. We also let them know that our government will support them financially through scholarships. Well, there are students facing the reality of dropping out of school and losing the roof over their heads because their scholarship checks never came—checks that were due in January and its now June and school is out. Now there are some who are even contemplating coming home and giving up because they can’t even think about attending school next year without their scholarship. The government is destroying our future and their hopes and dreams for a chance to be a professionals in the CNMI.

Our government has literally put these students in harm’s way by not sending the checks in a timely fashion. There is also the real concern that certain students were “handpicked” to get their scholarship checks—so who really decided on the distribution of the checks because there seems to be no real guidelines for prioritizing the disbursements of the checks? Why weren’t the off-island students prioritized and taken care of first? The headlines in the news proved that I’m not alone and that many parents are very upset at our government for putting our children on the spot, especially those so far away from home in the mainland. If these kids are truly our future, we should be doing everything we promised them in a timely fashion. They should not have to worry about where they are going to live and how to afford school but concentrating on their schoolwork.

The governor and his administration had better do something quick, fast, and in a hurry or I will be the first to start picketing the Governor’s Office for my children and I’m sure I won’t be alone. If these checks are not release by Friday the 17th of this month, I am calling on all parents to meet me in front of the Governor’s Office on the 20th at 8am to protest the delay in disbursing the CNMI and SHEFFA scholarships. It looks like we must force our government to live up to its promise to our kids. If you are truly a parent who is concerned about your child, you will be there. Nothing should stand in your way to help your child who is truly part of the future of the CNMI. It is downright wrong and even ugly to treat our youth this way when we know how much they are depending on us and how much we are depending on them for the future.

P.S.: My daughter has been asked to represent the CNMI in Samoa. The association is purchasing the plane ticket, which I truly appreciate, but they are very short on funds and there isn’t a dime for her spending money. So if anyone is willing to help Yvonne represent the CNMI, please contact me or this newspaper for your donation. Parents are picking up the governments slack at every turn and I have had enough!