Joeten Daidai Foundation Awards $16,000 in Scholarship to Eight NMI Students

The Joeten Daidai Foundation awarded $16,000 to eight outstanding students from the Northern Mariana Islands as part of its annual scholarship program. Five recipients are from Saipan, one is from Rota, and two are children of long term employees of the Joeten group of companies. Each recipient received a $2,000 scholarship to support their educational pursuits as they begin their college journey.

The 2026 recipients are:

Jezpher Navarro of Saipan Southern High School, attending University of Guam. 

Vinnie Juan Sablan of Kagman High School, attending Columbia University.

 Trixia Singca of Marianas High School, attending Washington University in St. Louis.

Jan Andrei Dumagan of Marianas High School, attending Northern Marianas College. 

Beatrice Fabre of Grace Christian Academy, attending University of Notre Dame.

Eianne Miel Ladao of Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Junior Senior High School, attending Eastern Washington University.

Frances Louise Hernandez of Marianas High School, attending Northern Marianas College.

Sheryne Yang of Marianas High School, attending Northern Marianas College.

This year, students were asked to write an essay reflecting on a meaningful experience from their lives, inspired by the quote from Soren Kierkegaard, “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” Applicants were also required to submit a list of honors and extracurricular activities, meet academic criteria, and provide supporting documents as part of the application process.

“It was important to see how their experiences shaped them and how the lessons they learned have guided their decisions as they begin the next chapter of their lives,” said Foundation executive director, Patty T. Palacios. “Every decision we make carries an outcome, whether expected or not. These students have demonstrated the ability to learn from their experiences and move forward with purpose.”

Palacios noted that this year’s scholarships were awarded later than usual due to circumstances resulting from Super Typhoon Sinlaku.

Established in 1994, the Joeten Daidai Foundation is the charitable arm of Joeten Enterprises. It was founded by the late Jose “Joeten” C. Tenorio and his wife Soledad “Daidai” Tenorio who shared a vision of giving back to the community through charitable deeds. The foundation continues to thrive thanks to the ongoing generosity of Joeten affiliates such as Saipan Stevedore Co., Saipan Shipping Co., Pacifica Insurance Underwriters, Inc. and many long-standing business partners.

Two of this year’s scholarships were made possible through a grant from the Bank of Hawaii Foundation, which was given earlier in the year.