Gregorio Sablan: “When we open our hearts to our young people--give generously our support and encouragement--those young people…”

“When we open our hearts to our young people--give generously our support and encouragement--those young people consistently exceed our expectation. Let me tell you of the story of a dedicated group of students from a tiny island in the western Pacific Ocean, and the teachers who supported and encouraged them. Because on April 20, those students, the Saipan Southern High School Manta Ray Concert Band, exceeding any reasonable expectation, will be performing at one of America's premier musical venues: Carnegie Hall in New York City. Saipan Southern High School opened just a few years ago, in 2002. Southern was a beautiful new facility, but it needed to be filled with life and with heart. The new students and new teachers quickly adopted the motto ``un eskuela, un korason''--one school, one heart--and began to bring their school to life. One of the new teachers was William DeWitt. Mr. DeWitt is a wonderful musician himself and his new Saipan Southern music and band students were enthusiastic to learn. But few had any musical training.”