Students from Rota, Saipan, Tinian lead business academy capstone showcase

Students from Rota, Saipan, and Tinian high schools took center stage last Dec. 6 as they presented their final capstone business projects during the CNMI Public School System’s 2025 Business Academy Capstone Presentation and Recognition Ceremony at the Aqua Resort Club. 

The event highlighted months of intensive training in entrepreneurship, marketing, financial literacy, and leadership—skills students showcased through polished and professional business pitches. 

Kagman High School opened the presentations with Latte Mall Corp., a proposed commercial mall designed to centralize shopping, dining, entertainment, and essential services for the growing Kagman outlined a corporate structure, tenant strategy, financial projections, and a vision to make Kagman a thriving center of community and commerce.

The KHS team was made up of Joseph Borja Jr., Cherina Cabrera, Manuel Degracia, Karley Halstead, Monica Mangarero, Tia-Jo Danielle Davis, and Priscilla Marie Tudela.

From Rota, the team from Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Jr./Sr. High School introduced GABBK Café, a limited liability company aimed at filling the “Songsong gap”—the absence of healthy, sit-down dining options in the village. Their plan combined a café serving locally sourced products with co-working spaces, PC gaming areas, and community events. Students identified sustainability, mental-health-supportive spaces, and youth-focused amenities as their competitive edge. 

Brian Cabrera, Anthony Magofna Jr., Kaden Manglona, Genaro Mejia III, and Glenn Michael Valdezco composed the team from Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Jr./Sr. High School.

Tinian Jr. Sr. High School closed the showcase with Go Tasi, a water-recreation business offering snorkeling, paddleboarding, kayaking, and other beachside activities. Students described Go Tasi as a tourism-supporting, environmentally mindful venture meant to draw both residents and visitors to enjoy Tinian’s natural beauty through structured, safe, and family-friendly services. 

The four-student Tinian Jr. Sr. High School team included Ina Lorece Mendiola, John Peter Sablan, Dakota Sandbergen, and Dylan Subia.

The ceremony also featured remarks from the 10-week program’s leadership. Dr. Jessica Taylor, director of the Career & Technical Education Program, celebrated the students’ work and credited the mentoring partnerships and real-world projects for helping future entrepreneurs gain confidence and workplace readiness. 

“Through the real-world experiences in entrepreneurship, marketing, financial literacy, and business operations, our students gain the confidence and competencies needed to succeed in life as well. This academy does more than teach business. It nurtures leadership, creativity, resilience, and an entrepreneurial mindset. These are the qualities that will empower our students to shape our futures in the CNMI,” she said.

Education Commissioner Dr. Lawrence Camacho expanded on the importance of experiential learning, emphasizing motivation, self-efficacy, and belonging as foundational elements of student success. He described the Business Academy as an essential initiative for equipping students with the competencies needed to succeed in the workforce and to build concrete experiences through hands-on business practice. 

“Experiential learning opportunities like this are something that I, as a commissioner, really am very proud to be able to have to offer and continue to push as an initiative. And strategically, we're going to move forward. Hopefully, within the next few years, we will be better and better at it because it really benefits all of our students in the end,” he said.

Keynote speaker Thomas Manglona II, founder of Marianas Press, delivered an energetic and candid address urging students to build businesses rooted in passion and values. Manglona shared his own journey—from a young high-school correspondent to founding an independent news outlet—recalling difficult decisions, financial uncertainty, and the emotional weight of returning home to serve the community during a time of economic downturn. 

He told students not to start a business if the only goal is to make money, but instead to build something meaningful, ethical, and community-serving. 

Manglona also emphasized that resilience requires both persistence and leaning on others, reminding students that young business owners don’t just need capital—they need community. He closed by encouraging them to stay connected and ask not only for help but also how they can help others. 

“Reach out to the people in this room and stay connected long after the ceremony ends. Ask for mentorship, resources, and guidance. And when the time comes, offer those things to the next generation,” he said.

The event concluded with the awarding of certificates to the 16 participating students from Saipan, Tinian, and Rota—all of whom completed 180 hours of instruction, mentorship, lab work, and applied business experience through the business academy.