Two scholarships worth $500 each were awarded to a pair of students from the Northern Marianas Technical Institute to help cover the cost of their tuition.<\/p>\n
The students, Dramina Sablan and Josh Muna, began their courses in hotel and restaurant management in February and finished in April. <\/p>\n
Sablan works in the accounting office of Hyatt Regency Saipan as a general cashier and Muna as a bellman at the same hotel.<\/p>\n
Muna who lives all the way in San Antonio\u2014NMTI is located in Lower Base\u2014said it took a lot of \u201csacrifice\u201d and time to finish his courses, but appreciates the scholarships and expects if they were more funds available NMTI would have more students.<\/p>\n
He said he has been telling his friends about the professional training he received, as he says he has many friends his age who are in tough financial situations and that learning the right skills will help them get employed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout NMTI and hotel and restaurant [courses] I don\u2019t think I\u2019d be working in a hotel,\u201d said Sablan.<\/p>\n
The Saipan and Northern Island Municipal Council awarded the scholarships.<\/p>\n
Ramon B. Camacho, the council\u2019s chairman, said this is the first year the award has been given to assist NMTI students with their tuition.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are unemployed. There is no way for them to secure funding for their tuition, so we need to help. The willingness is there to further their education and skills,\u201d Camacho said.<\/p>\n
The scholarship money came by the way of remaining yearly dues from Association of Mariana Island Mayors, with Saipan, Tinian, and Rota getting a $1,000 share every year.<\/p>\n
Camacho expects the scholarship to be awarded yearly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m in support of college students, but college students can avail grants, NMTI students cannot avail grants,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Victorino Cepeda, education director at NMTI, said the relatively low number of students at NMTI would increase if there were more funding for students as the two hurdles for interested students in the institute are transportation and tuition.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, he said he encourages students to come as payment can be negotiated once the student enters the workforce.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen they finish and they get a job, then they can start paying back at least $50 every payday,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Both students began their jobs at Hyatt while taking courses at NMTI. After work during the day, they attended 6pm classes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was worth it,\u201d Muna said, \u201cBecause in the end, I got a job.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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