Third NMC Parent Summit sees low turnout

About 200 chairs lined the Saipan World Resort’s Royal Taga Ballroom but most of them sat empty, with only 50 parents, including students, from Marianas High School attending Northern Marianas College’s Parent Summit on Tuesday night.
Leo Pangelinan, dean of Student Services, said they were aware of the challenges they faced while planning the summit for parents of graduating high school seniors.

“Based on experience working with high school students, I know that parents in the upper grade levels become less and less involved. We did not anticipate a lot…we knew this was going to be an uphill battle from the get go,” he said.

He added that posters about the event were put up around the island, advertisements in the newspapers were made, and he even personally made phone calls inviting parents to the event.

According to Pangelinan, the summit was made possible through the College Access Challenge Grant, a federally funded program that allows them to conduct college preparatory activities like the summit.

The goal of the summit is to provide parents with information and resources they need to help their child prepare for and succeed in college after graduation.

MHS senior Carlo Ocaya thanks the summit for giving him more knowledge of why NMC is the right place to “start smart.” Ocaya, who plans to attend NMC for two years, said he will hopefully move to a bigger college or university after completing his studies on Saipan to become a computer engineer.

His mother, Catherine, told Saipan Tribune in an interview that she attended the summit because she needed more information about some of the requirements to get her son into the community college.

“Now we have more information and I think the college should definitely have more events like this,” she said. She added that she was also not expecting a low turnout. She suggested that the college do more advertisements, “because more parents should attend this.”

The summit featured various students and college officials’ speakers. NMC president Dr. Sharon Hart explained the benefits of higher education and presented an overview of the value of a college degree.

Hart told the parents that they play the number one role of influencing where their child goes to school after high school.

Manny Castro, director of the Office of Admissions and Records, also spoke about why students should start at NMC, its degree program accreditation, and the new WICHE program.

Castro noted that although the aim is to help students transition to NMC, they are more than happy to find financial resources for students who choose to seek higher education elsewhere.

The event also featured a student panel and other presentations that introduced a dialogue about student financial responsibility, college costs, financial aid, and the College Access Challenge Grant.

Another parent at the event described the summit as “helpful.” “Unlike back then we had to do our own research and get information ourselves. Tonight gives us everything we need to know. Without this summit I would not be as informed as I am now about my child’s options after he graduates,” she added.

NMC’s weeklong string of parent summits for high schools began on Monday, April 21, 2014, at Pacific Islands Club, for parents of Saipan Southern High School seniors, followed by one at Lao Lao Bay Golf & Resort, for parents of Kagman High School (Kagman, Papago, Capitol Hill) seniors. Yesterday’s was held at Aqua Resort Club, for parents of Kagman High School (San Roque, As Matuis, Tanapag) seniors. Next week’s schedule is as follows:

* Monday, April 28, 2014, at Rota’s Bayview Hotel, for parents of Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Jr./Sr. High School seniors.
* Tuesday, April 29, 2014, at Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino, for parents of Tinian Jr./Sr. High School seniors.

All Parent Summits are held from 5pm to 7:30pm. Light refreshments are served.