NORTHERN Marianas College officials took turns presenting programs and services that they said are making an impact on the CNMI’s “long-term viability” during the House Ways and Means Committee’s budget hearing in the House chamber Friday.
NMC is asking for an $18 million budget for fiscal year 2027. In the current FY 2026, NMC has been allotted $5.8 million.
NMC Interim President Frankie Eliptico emphasized the college’s impact on students and their livelihoods, as well as on the CNMI economy and its long-term viability.
He mentioned about more than 200 graduates, describing them as 200 success stories of perseverance, sacrifice and possibility.
Today, he said, these graduates are entering the CNMI workforce, pursuing bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and giving back to the community that helped raise them.
Eliptico said every one of them is “proof of what a strong NMC means for the islands.”
He shared the success stories of several students who earned their degrees last month:
- Kaylee Aldan Pinaula received an Associate of Arts in Business Administration, with an emphasis in accounting and business management. A first-generation college student, she works countless hours while contributing to her family-owned business, MJ Catering.
- Juan Vicente Blanco received a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. He is gaining valuable hands-on experience while working in his family business, Sablan Top Line Agency, where he helps develop his skills and carry the business forward as an administrative manager.
- Lanerva Pangelinan received a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. A full-time mother, she returned home to the CNMI to complete her degree while working as a personnel specialist II at the Office of Personnel Management.
- Francisco A. Mizutani received a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. One of the college’s nontraditional students, he works in the power division of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. He also serves as an adjunct instructor at Northern Marianas Technical Institute.
- Francisco Castro II received a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. He works as a teacher aide in the Public School System’s special education program and is now qualified to teach full time.
- Leilani Cepeda received an Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice. Before opening Hydration Grounds, she worked as a special projects coordinator handling white-collar crime cases at the Office of the Attorney General. She is on her way to becoming a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer.
- Ryder Alvarez received an Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice and now works as a logistics specialist at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
- Eliptico also recognized Alexandria De Jesus, Shannea Dino, Bea Villafuerte and Rachel Stevenson, recent NMC graduates who are now licensed registered nurses after passing the NCLEX examination.
“They represent some of the examples of the impact NMC is making,” Eliptico said.
NMC’s Acting Dean of Academic Programs and Services Kaylani Demapan, Community Development Institute Director Monique Sablan, Small Business Development Center Program Director Nadine Deleon Guerrero, Cooperative Research, Extension and Education Services officials and representatives of other programs shared with the committee the impact of their respective programs and services.
NMC Chief Financial Officer David Attao said the college’s $18 million budget request is part of building opportunities and, more importantly, part of “keeping our community here, and us growing together.”
“Every dollar you spend, I want to make sure you guys understand that we thank you and appreciate that, and we are also looking forward to your vision to make sure your community is taken care of, on Tinian, Rota, Saipan and the Northern Islands,” he said.
He expressed appreciation to the Legislature and the administration “for always investing in the college.”
Attao said investing in NMC has helped keep its costs low while making opportunities available to students.
“We all want to grow together, we all try to strive to succeed as a whole family, a whole CNMI, a whole community,” he said.