SAIPAN — Reggie Castro, a graduating senior at Marianas High School, has become the first student from the Northern Mariana Islands to place at the circuit level of the Ninth Circuit Civics Contest, taking third place in the essay competition and a $1,000 prize.
Castro’s essay, “The Pursuit of Happiness: A Promise Worth Crossing Oceans For,” rose from a field of 1,043 essays submitted across the Ninth Circuit’s 15 judicial districts, of which 45 advanced to preliminary consideration and 12 reached the final round. First place went to Prisha Yelamanchili of BASIS Chandler in Arizona, with Stanley Huang of Newport High School in Bellevue, Washington taking second.
This year’s theme, “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness—Your Voice. Your Story. Your America,” celebrates the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Castro’s essay traces his journey from a childhood in the Philippines, watching America from a distance with a Saipan birth certificate in hand, to his return in ninth grade and his reckoning with a citizenship he describes as incomplete for residents of the territories, who cannot vote for President and have no voting representation in Congress.
“Congratulations to this year’s winners! And thank you to all the students who participated in the 2026 Ninth Circuit Civics Contest. Everyone submitted such thoughtful and inspiring responses to this year’s prompt,” said Ninth Circuit Chief Judge Mary H. Murguia. “I am deeply encouraged by all the students who contributed to this year’s competition and who took the time to reflect on the 250-year anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and how the enduring and unalienable rights proclaimed in the document are of vital importance to our Democracy. I am also grateful to the family members and teachers who supported the contestants.”
Castro’s placement is the furthest any NMI student has gone in the contest. Marianas High School’s Jia Ross Nicdao twice reached the top 12 for final consideration, in 2023 and 2025, without placing in the circuit’s top three.
The CNMI’s showing this year extended beyond the essay competition. A Saipan International School team of Michael Guintu, Alleena Villaluz and James Xiong reached the top 12 video finalists.
Castro is president of SOAR (STEM Opportunities and Research) Saipan, where he has helped expand his school’s participation in national competitions 14-fold in a single year, according to his contest biography. He was named a NASA TechRise National Winner for work in atmospheric monitoring, was a Grand Prize Runner-Up at the ISEF State Qualifier and served as a Youth Leadership Academy Scholar with the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies in Washington, D.C. He heads to college this fall to pursue a bachelor’s degree in physics and computer science.
The contest is sponsored by the Ninth Circuit’s Public Information and Community Outreach Committee, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the circuit’s federal courts, with prizes funded through attorney admission fees. Winning essays and videos are posted at ca9.uscourts.gov/civicscontest.
Castro’s full essay is published by NMI News Service as a guest opinion.
