Editor’s note: The following are remarks delivered by CNMI Commissioner of Education Lawrence F. Camacho at Tinian Middle School’s 8th grade promotion ceremony on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, Day 45 of Super Typhoon Sinlaku recovery. They are published here as delivered.
By Lawrence F. Camacho, CNMI Commissioner of Education
Look around. Families gathered. This room didn’t set itself up, even with everything this island has carried since Sinlaku came through in April.
That choice says everything about who we are. We believe our children deserve to be celebrated. Milestones don’t wait for perfect conditions. Showing up, even imperfectly, is the whole point.
We all know what Sinlaku left behind. The scars are still visible: on our campuses, in our neighborhoods, in our daily lives. Some classrooms remain unsafe. The school year was suspended. Full recovery is still ahead.
And yet, here we are.
In the days after the storm, we cleared debris, restored power, and reopened roads. That work was necessary. But there’s a quieter recovery: helping our children hold onto stability and the belief that their future is still waiting. Getting these young people to this day — that is the second kind of recovery. And it took every person in this room to make it happen.
To the promoting students and graduates: You are not just the future of the CNMI, you are already shaping the present. The way you treat others, what you care about, and whether you carry these islands with you: those choices matter now.
Tinian is small, but that’s not a limitation; it’s a responsibility. Your teachers and families didn’t just give you toughness to survive the storm. They gave you purpose for what comes after.
To the families and our PSS team — teachers, staff, custodians, drivers, and everyone who showed up — you did not sign up for disaster recovery. But when the storm came, you answered the call anyway.
To every student here today: Years from now, you may not remember every lesson, but you will remember this chapter, when this battered community still showed up to say: You matter. We’re not letting a typhoon take this from you.
What you received tonight wasn’t perfection or certainty. It was commitment. Now carry it forward.
Congratulations, Class of 2026.
