Meet the candidates for the UOG Alumni Association board!

 Please take this opportunity to meet your candidates for the UOG Alumni Association Board of Directors: 

  
Candidates for Vice President/President-Elect: 

• Ione Skye Llagas 
  2014 BBA and 2019 PMBA
  
  Current employment:
  Program and Project Manager, DOCOMO Pacific
  Adjunct Instructor, University of Guam   
  
  “UOG has provided me with more than just an educational journey — from personal development in the work-study program and as an awardee of a business scholarship to professional development holding leadership roles in various student organizations. I’d very much like to give back to our institution and Triton community in a meaningful way. I would like to be elected Vice President/President-Elect of the UOG Alumni Association to celebrate existing connections and traditions with fellow Tritons while building new ones in our island community.”  
   
• Natasha Lujan Suba  
  2019 B.S. in Political Science: Government for Education
  
  Current student: Master of Public Administration, UOG 
  Current employment: Office of the Governor, Commission on Decolonization  
  
  “As a student who recognizes the challenges in pursuing post-graduate opportunities, this position will give me the opportunity to help others understand that the struggles and prioritization of a secondary education are not unique, but nevertheless fulfilling and worth it.” 

Candidate for Secretary: 

• Ryan Toves
  2009 BBA with a Double Concentration in Finance and Marketing
  2020 PMBA
  
  Current employment: Overseas Territory Sales Manager, American Greetings 
  
  “I would like to provide meaningful ways to engage alumni and build stronger ties to UOG and the community at large. As a proud two-time graduate of UOG, I would like to share my passion for lifelong learning with all. My leadership experience in business, the community and alumni event planning will contribute greatly to the executive board.”   

Candidates for Treasurer: 

• Christopher A. Cruz
  2006 B.A. in Political Science
  2021 PMBA
  
  Current employment: President and CEO, Pacific Islands Development Bank
  
  “I believe I am a solid, well-rounded team player who brings years of experience in financial services to the UOG Alumni Association. I am committed to serve and have been heavily involved with various community organizations like Rotary and with my church in Chalan Pago. As a Triton, I believe that service on this board simply allows me to continue giving back to my alma matter.” 
   
• Angelin Castro
  2017 BBA in Accounting - Human Resource Management Concentration
  
  Current employment: Benefits Specialist, Citadel Pacific LLC
  
  “I would love a chance to serve as treasurer of the UOG Alumni Association because it is the perfect opportunity for me to contribute to a community that has helped shape me to the person I am today. UOG has greatly improved my professional skillsets and has taught me what the value of an education can bring. With my past experience in treasury positions, I feel I am well-equipped to serve in this role, and I look forward to helping UOG in any way I can.” 

   
Voter Registration  
All alumni wishing to participate must register to vote by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 8, at https://forms.office.com/r/nMGx9M2S5Y.
  
Election Day 
The election will take place online from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, June 11. A link to vote will be sent to all registered voters on that date. 
  
The new officers will join incoming President Daphne Leon Guerrero and Immediate Past-President Chelsey Ting San Nicolas in completing the UOG Alumni Association Board of Directors. 
  
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If you have any questions or concerns, please contact: 

Norman Analista
Director 
Development, Alumni Affairs & Foundation Relations
University of Guam
Tel: (671) 797-3333
Email: analistan@triton.uog.edu

Congratulations UOG Graduates!

he University of Guam conferred degrees to 383 graduates at its Fañomnåkan Commencement Ceremony on Sunday. The number marks the university’s largest graduating class in history and includes another record — 40% of students graduating with honors.

The ceremony, held at Paseo Stadium in Hagåtña, was the first in-person commencement that the university has held since December 2019.

Of 333 bachelor’s degrees conferred, the highest numbers were in business administration, criminal justice, nursing, and social work. The criminal justice graduates include 21 graduates from Saipan, who are the first Northern Marianas College students to complete a four-year degree in criminal justice following an NMC-UOG partnership program launched in 2019.

Of 50 master’s degree conferred, the majority were Master of Public Administration degrees followed by Master of Teaching and Master of Education degrees.

“This class of graduates of the University of Guam has been resilient and flexible and supportive in the spirit of our CHamoru values of chenchule’ and inafa’maolek,” said UOG President Thomas W. Krise in his remarks. “I am proud of your academic achievements and even prouder of your character. Take what you’ve learned with us and help make the world better for us all.”

Keynote speaker: ‘I applaud you for your resilience’

Delivering the keynote address was Gener F. Deliquina, CEO of Coast360 Federal Credit Union and a UOG Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. Having earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Guam in 1992, he has since built a solid career in Guam’s financial industry while working to enrich the community through civic leadership and corporate sponsorship of various nonprofits and community organizations.

“I started my journey as a Triton 34 years ago,” Deliquina said. “[…] However, as a student, I did not experience a worldwide pandemic that shut down the world literally overnight. I’m sure that the temptation to digress from your studies was hard to resist, and I would like to applaud you for your resilience, especially during this pandemic time.”

He encouraged the graduates to actively nurture their relationships with the mentors who brought them to this point, to be prepared for opportunities through continued training, education, and experience, and to be proud of their local education and cultural roots.

Valedictorian: ‘Every emotion is part of the journey’

The graduates also heard from Class of 2021 Valedictorian Reggie Mae O. Dionisio, who is graduating with a bachelor’s in nursing. She attended UOG on the government of Guam’s Merit Scholarship, having been salutatorian at George Washington High School in 2016.

She recalled her journey through nursing school, in which she gradually overcame nerves every step of the way — starting with properly making a patient’s bed to now being about to insert an IV and provide specific care for patients following different medical procedures.

“I had a lot of memories […] where I’d feel anxious, doubtful, and helpless,” Dionisio told her fellow graduates. “But here I am, speaking in front of you all today. Despite how hard the challenges were, I realize that not a day goes by where I regret feeling the anxiety and doubt. Because every emotion, whether good or bad, is part of the journey.”

As a student nurse, Dionisio provided nursing care in various units of Guam Memorial Hospital and also provided immunizations, telehealth nursing care, and psychiatric nursing care with the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services, Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center, and the Guma Asusena and Guma Serenidad homes. She was also licensed with an emergency temporary work permit last July to work as a licensed practical nurse and assist with the pandemic response.

She ended her speech with a saying often used in the nursing school: “If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together.”

Keep up the momentum and Congratulations on your Special Day!  We are very proud of your achievement!  Continue to make your mark in the world, and make a difference!

Become an Officer with the UOG Alumni Association!

 The UOG Alumni Association is seeking candidates to run for one-year terms as officers on its Executive Board. 

The positions to be filled are vice president/president-elect, secretary, and treasurer. Daphne May Leon Guerrero, the current vice president/president-elect, will automatically become president, and Chelsey San Nicolas, the current president, will remain in the executive board as immediate past president.

Responsibilities for each position may be viewed here. 

Candidates should have the following:

• an undergraduate or graduate from the University of Guam
• proven leadership experience
• ability to communicate well and work with a large group
• great organizational skills
• results-driven mindset
• motivation to foster fraternity and support for the University
• professional experience in finance (for the position of treasurer)
• prior community or group volunteer experience a plus.

How to file for candidacy:

Candidates must submit a written statement that explains what position they are seeking as well as their bio to be posted for other alumni to view prior to voting. Materials may be sent to UOG Director for Development and Alumni Affairs Norman Analista at analistan@triton.uog.edu.

The deadline to file for candidacy is Friday, April 23, 2021. 

The election will take place online on Friday, May 14. A link to vote will be emailed to all alumni by May 7.

  

For more information, please contact:

Norman Analista
Director 
Development, Alumni Affairs & Foundation Relations
University of Guam
Tel: (671) 797-3333
Email: analistan@triton.uog.edu

UOG Charter Day - March 9

BIBA UOG!

December 2020 UOG School of Education Newsletter

 Click here to view the December 2020 UOG School of Education Newsletter.

Season’s Greetings!

May the spirit of Christmas bring you much love, joy, peace, and happiness to last through the coming year 2021 and beyond! 

Virtual UOG Distinguished Alumni Awards Unforgettable - Nov. 5

The UOG Distinguished Alumni Award Ceremony held November 5, 2020 via Zoom was memorable! Due to COVID-19 and PCOR1 restrictions, the event was held online and brought together over 200 participants to reconnect with fellow UOG alumni and honor 6 Distinguished UOG Alumni.  Honorable guests in attendance included Lt. Gov. Joshua Tenorio, Congressman Michael San Nicolas, and Sen. Amanda Shelton.  JEJ Vinson, a finalist on NBC's "The Voice" and our very own UOG Latte Tones sang for the special event.  The late Dr. Suzanne Bells was also remembered during the ceremony.  

The Last Mile Scholarship was further announced during the event.  It launched in October to coincide with the reunion.  It is a competitive scholarship awarded to students who are within 30 credits of completing their first bachelor's degree and in need of financial assistance.  More than $14,000 were raised through the support of corporate sponsors and UOG alumni.

Congratulations to the following winners who have made a difference in the community and beyond: 

 

From the School of Health:

Teofila Sholing Perez Cruz, Ph.D., RN

Post-Doctoral Researcher

Research Corporation of the University of Guam

A.S., Nursing, 1970

From the School of Education: 

Eloise R. Sanchez

School Program Consultant

Guam Department of Education

M.Ed., Curriculum and Instruction, 1984

From the College of Natural and Applied Sciences:

Masatomo Thomas Nadeau

Chief Environmental Public Health Officer

Department of Public Health and Social Services

M.S., Environmental Science, 2004

From the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences:

Sarah Thomas Nededog

CEO, People Pacifico

Chairwoman, Democratic Party of Guam

BA., Psychology and Sociology, 1981

From the School of Business and Public Administration:

Christine Baleto

Chief Financial Officer, Docomo Pacific

Chairwoman, Guam Chamber of Commerce

MBA, 2003

Military Award:

Brigadier General Tracy L. Smith

Deputy Surgeon General for Mobilization, Manpower and Reserve Affairs

Office of the Army Surgeon General

BBA, Management, 1987

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Enjoy the following snapshots taken during this special event! BIBA UOG!