The very first Draw Your Teacher contest, a Marianas Variety special event, came to a close last week, and on October 3rd, Variety was able to award winners live from our Garapan office.
The contest was open to students first to fifth grades in the private and public school systems across the Marianas.
As the title suggests, the contest asked students to create “an artistic showcase of the teacher the student appreciates the most,” according to a release. In other words, students were asked to paint or draw their favorite teacher in as creative a way as possible.
Students and their favorite teacher were rewarded as part of the contest winnings.
The winners were as follows:
Student Name: Dohyun “Ethan” Kim
- Grade Level: 1st
- Teacher: Cathy Merencilla
- School: Grace Christian Academy
Student Name: Colin Lilles
- Grade Level: 2nd
- Teacher: Bona Angeles
- School: Green Meadow School
Student Name: Yohan Jeong
- Grade Level: 3rd
- Teacher: Mannelyn Cabrera
- School Oleai Elementary School
Student Name: Margarette Robonei
- Grade Level: 4th
- Teacher: Roselle Carreon
- School: Oleai Elementary School
Student Name: Sera Guerrero
- Grade Level: 5th
- Teacher: Zandra Tapay
- School: Mount Carmel School
The Marianas Variety and sponsors compiled a gift package of around $250 for teachers.
Teachers received a MarPac gift basket; Enterprise Rent-a-car $25 gift certificate; Island Touch Floral Bouquet; Monicole $25 gift certificate; Herman’s $5 gift certificate; I Love Saipan $25 gift certificate; Docomo umbrella; Nat’l Office Supply $25 gift certificate; Gold’s Gym $39 1-week gym pass; and a Marianas Variety $74.99 1-year e-edition subscription.
For their part, student winners received a Kinpachi $15 gift certificate; Nat’l Office Supply $15 gift certificate; two Gold’s Gym smoothie cards valued at $6.50 each; Docomo beach chair; one case of Poka Juice from MarPac; and a Herman’s $10 gift certificate.
According to fourth grade winner Margarette Robonei, she drew Ms. Roselle Carreon because she “likes her class and it’s fun.”
Sera Guerrero shared that she “wanted to show how much I appreciate [Ms.Zandra Tapay].”
Guerrero added: “She helped us in these two months. She helped me with math.”
Third grader Yohan Jeong said it took “like one month” to create his drawing from pastels. Jeong confirms he draws a lot. As for his motivation to include Mannelyn Cabrera in his masterpiece, Jeong shared he appreciates her position of authority.
“I want to draw my teacher because I respect her,” he says. “Her class is fun.”
Colin Lilles, a second grader at Green Meadow School, said he likes Ms. Bona Angeles’ class for a very specific reason.
“It’s cold, there’s air con!” he exclaims.
Art is indeed a favorte class subject for Lilles.
“I like cutting and using glue,” Lilles says.
He adds that he is allowed to drink the iced tea that he won, but his mom will only allow him to drink one at a time.
First grader Dohyun “Ethan” Kim was off-island and was unable to pick up his gift in person, but his teacher, Cathy Merencilla confirms that he was “very excited” to be a winner.
For one teacher, Zandra Tapay, the contest was the physical reflection of the rewards won in the classroom.
“This is one thing that a teacher has at the end,” she said. “You don’t know you’re making changes in student lives, but what they did makes me feel better. [Teaching] is hard but because of students it makes it easy.”
First grade teacher Cathy Merencilla showcases a detailed portrait of herself drawn by one of her students, Dohyun “Ethan” Kim, who found he won 1st place while he was off-island.
Second grader, Colin Lilles, is all smiles as he holds up his winning masterpiece while posing with his teacher, family and Variety staff.
Yohan Jeong receives his prize package for his colorfully detailed work of art with his mother and teacher.
Variety President, Amier Younis, and Jennifer Younis present a prize package to fourth grader, Margarette Robonei, for her incredible iconic art piece.
Fifth grader, Sera Guerrero, poses with her amazingly defined artwork and prize packages for her and her teacher.
(L-R) Cathy Merencilla, Colin Lilles, Yohan Jeong, Margarette Robonei, Sera Guerrero with parents and teachers.
