A Northern Marianas College student joined the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards International Forum at the Taiwan Medical University last Oct. 28-29, 2023, representing not just Saipan’s Rotaract Club but also the Northern Mariana Islands.
Richard Baleares treasures the experiences he’s had at the event, saying he was able to connect and network with people from across the world.
“At the same time, the keynote speakers and the activities allowed me to improve my professional capabilities and learn things that I’d like to apply in my life,” he said.
Baleares said the networking event had keynote speakers from the Boston Scientific and the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan, Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, Novartis Taiwan, and New Green Energy Taiwan. Former Disney animator Davy Liu, who founded Kendu Films, was also one of the keynote speakers.
Forum participants came from around the world including Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Ukraine, Denmark, France, Haiti, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Guam, and the United States.
The motto of the event was “Increase our IMPACT, Expand our REACH, Enhance participant ENGAGEMENT, and Increase our ability to ADAPT.”
In breakout sessions, they discussed adaptability and impact, engagement and outreach, and how to transform plans into actions. They also shared both personal and professional experiences and exchanged ideas on these topics.
“I appreciated how I was able to connect and share my experiences with the other participants. We all come from different parts of the world and carry different perspectives on life. Some have been in their field for many years, some have just got into the workforce, and a handful (including myself) are still in college.
“Still, at the end of the forum, I’m sure we’re all taking back new information and experiences that will help us in our professional careers,” said Baleares “In a way, I gained an international family from this forum, and I will never forget the memories and experiences from this trip.”
He added that being at the event inspired him to do more for his community. “I felt inspired to do more for myself, my family, and the community when I return home,” he said.
He said the forum was also a great platform to promote the CNMI. “I would also like to give a special thank you to the Marianas Visitors Authority for donating some CNMI promotional materials for me to give away to the participants, organizers, and keynote speakers to promote our islands to our Taiwanese hosts and participants from around the world. It was a great feeling to share the beauty of the CNMI with new people, and I hope I was able to encourage them to visit our islands soon.”
Baleares thanked Rotary International District 2750 assistant district governor Victor Camacho, RID 2750 past assistant district governor Wayne Santos, Rotary Club of Saipan president Irene Holl, Youth Services director Greg Borja, and Rotaract Club of the Marianas past-president/vice president Robbie Bautista.
“I would also like to thank Rep. Thomas John “TJ” Manglona, Rob Travilla, and Tribe Marianas for allowing me to borrow their CNMI flag for this trip.”
He expressed gratitude to Rotarians Maggie Chien and Kelly Chen for helping him during his stay in Taiwan, and all the organizers and volunteers at RYLA International for making it a valuable and memorable experience for him.
The Rotary International District 3251 in Taipei, Taiwan organized the event and the Rotary International District 3251 and 2750 funded the trip.
