{"id":398314,"date":"2023-08-31T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-31T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=398314"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T14:00:00","slug":"From-tourism-education-to-special-education-for-Aniga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/From-tourism-education-to-special-education-for-Aniga\/","title":{"rendered":"From \u2018tourism education\u2019 to \u2018special education\u2019 for Aniga"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the 2023 Marianas Tourism Golf Classic fast approaching on Saturday, Sept. 2, on Saipan, the recipient of the first postsecondary scholarship from tournament beneficiary Marianas Tourism Education Council is also teeing off on her doctorate in Special Education this fall.<\/p>\n

Reynafe Aniga was president of the Saipan Southern High School MY WAVE (Marianas Youth Welcome All Visitors Enthusiastically) Club when she graduated in 2017, after first joining the tourism club in middle school.<\/p>\n

\u201cI joined MYWAVE as a member because of how active the club was in the community,\u201d said Aniga. \u201cTheir frequent beach cleanups and other fun participation in community events were really appealing to me. I saw it as a way of expanding my learning outside of the classroom. MYWAVE gave me multiple opportunities to learn about Saipan and its hospitality industry, and being a MYWAVE officer helped me develop leadership skills.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aniga\u2019s favorite memory of MYWAVE is participating in the Marianas Visitors Authority\u2019s annual Christmas in the Marianas caroling contest and parade, where the club won first place for skit and caroling for three years in a row. She says the MTEC seed scholarship of $1,000 helped her move forward in her college plans.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of my experience with hospitality and tourism through MYWAVE, I was inspired to pursue a degree in that field. So, I applied to the No. 1 school in hospitality, which is at the University of Nevada Las Vegas,\u201d she said. \u201cI got accepted and moved, but during my time here [in Las Vegas] I was exposed to so many different things that led to my switch in careers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aniga is now a registered behavior technician who provides therapy to autistic children. She is working on getting her board-certified behavior analyst credentials, just a step up from the behavior technician position. She has a BA degree in Psychology, a minor in Neuroscience, and an MA in Special Education with the specialty of Applied Behavior Analysis.<\/p>\n

\u201cThroughout my entire time here…I’ve applied the leadership skills and people skills that I’ve learned from being involved with MYWAVE,\u201d said Aniga. \u201cMy current career centers on working with people, which is similar to the tourism\/hospitality industry. I may have switched to a career so different [from] my initial plan, but the ideals of being welcoming and compassionate toward people I work with remain the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

A portion of the proceeds of the Marianas Tourism Golf Classic will go toward offering a scholarship to a graduating senior who has been a member of MYWAVE during high school. Tournament registration forms and sponsorship details are now available on the Marianas Calendar at www.mymarianas.com, and the early bird registration fee of $120 was extended to yesterday.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if you are unsure about whether or not you want to work in the tourism\/hospitality field, the connections you make and the skills you build will be something that you can hold onto and apply regardless of where you go!\u201d said Aniga. \u201cBiba MYWAVE!\u201d<\/p>\n

Tournament registration\u2014including payment\u2014is being accepted at LaoLao Bay Golf & Resort (credit card or cash only) and the MVA office (cash or check only) on Beach Road, Garapan, in the Gold Beach Hotel building. Checks should be made payable to Marianas Tourism Education Council. Optional play is $30.<\/p>\n

For more information, contact Marianas Tourism Golf Classic committee chair Martin Duenas at mduenas@mymarianas.com<\/a> or committee member Jack Aranda at jaranda@mymarianas.com<\/a> or call 1 (670) 664-3200\/1. (PR)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Photo shows Reynafe Aniga\u2019s graduation from the Master’s in Special Education program at the University of Nevada Las Vegas last December 2022.<\/p>\n

-CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
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