Eighteen-year-old Mathew Aaron became interested in cars when he was still a child. \u201cMy dad, Manny Aaron, has been a mechanic since he was my age, so I picked up on that,\u201d said the young Kagman resident.<\/p>\n
His father\u2019s and his own fascination with cars prompted Aaron to take up an automotive course\u2014Steering and Suspension\u2014after his job at the Legislature where he works as a community worker. \u201cI hope to open my own business and be a professional mechanic,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Aaron is among the 67 students of the Northern Marianas Trades Institute who were recognized in a promotion ceremony Tuesday night. In attendance were the students\u2019 family members and friends, instructors, and other guests, including Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan and Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth Govendo.<\/p>\n
The students, who were presented with certificates, finished courses in construction, plumbing, electrical, automotive, hotel restaurant, and culinary arts. <\/p>\n
NMTI founder Anthony Pellegrino said that they conduct the ceremony for the students every three to four months. \u201cThe idea is we try and motivate our students,\u201d he told Saipan Tribune, adding that NMTI helps students to learn not just in a classroom but in an actual work setting. \u201cMost of the students grasp this concept. You see them more and more being placed in occupations. I\u2019m very proud of the students.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maria Manalo, 22, was the only woman in the Steering and Suspension class. \u201cIt\u2019s one of those skills that could be very necessary down the line,\u201d said Manalo, who works as a guest service officer at Hyatt Regency\u2019s I Sagua Spa. \u201cI really wanted to learn. To learn another skill is a nice thing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Manalo said venturing into an automobile business is a possibility for her. \u201cRight now, with everything going on in my life, the plans have not yet been made. It\u2019s just that the possibilities are out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Tanapag resident Kalsina Patis, restaurant service was something she has always wanted to learn because she wanted to follow the footsteps of her sister who is currently working in a hotel restaurant in Guam.<\/p>\n
A mother of three, 28-year-old Patis said she didn\u2019t mind combining work with school. \u201cI had to so I can learn some experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patis, who is employed with Topline doing housekeeping, said she encouraged her family members so that they, too, can learn new skills.<\/p>\n
Counseling and outreach coordinator Ray Alvarez Jr. said the help that NMTI gives residents is more than just bringing in an \u201calternative curriculum\u201d and providing \u201chard-hat, hands-on training.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also help them to get jobs and\/or open up their own business as an option upon completion of their training here at NMTI,\u201d said Alvarez.<\/p>\n
Additionally, Pellegrino said they continue to emphasize with their students the importance of motivation and attitude change. \u201cIf an employee is motivated and has positive attitude, he can do anything,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Aaron said working and taking up classes at NMTI at the same time has taught him more than just additional skills. \u201cIt gives me a sense of responsibility, from going to work then coming to classes. That helps me [become] a better person.\u201d <\/p>\n
Aaron encouraged other residents who want to learn new skills to enroll at NMTI. \u201cThey will help you and that\u2019s a guarantee\u2026they will teach you from step 1 all the way until you\u2019re finished with the course.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked if he is going to pursue the next level class, Aaron smiled. \u201cYes, because we\u2019ll be learning about engines. I\u2019m excited.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Eighteen-year-old Mathew Aaron became interested in cars when he was still a child. \u201cMy dad, Manny Aaron, has been a mechanic since he was my age, so I picked up on that,\u201d said the young Kagman resident.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-156519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156519"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156519\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}