Each year, Mount Carmel School and its AlumKnight Association facilitates a selection process to determine the Class of the Year, Legacy Teacher of the Year, Millennium Falcon of the Year, AlumKnight of the Year award recipients. Prior to the pandemic, the awards were presented during the association’s annual fundraiser “A Night with the Knights.” However, to ensure the safety of the community, major awards were announced through a virtual award ceremony hosted on Mount Carmel School’s YouTube channel (Mount Carmel School).
This year’s AlumKnight of the Year was awarded to 1984 AlumKnight Dr. Esther Muña. Dr. Muña currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation and has been instrumental in the CNMI’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts. Through her joint leadership with the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force, Dr. Muña has successfully guided CNMI to limit community spread of the virus and protect our community.
“Thank you to the MCS AlumKnight Association for selecting me as the AlumKnight of the Year. It is an honor but I do want to share this honor with the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation for coming together and working with the CNMI Governor’s Task Force to accomplish and achieve the containment of this virus and ensuring the safety of the community for the CNMI.”
“I do want to give credit to the education I received from MCS and for my faith. I think about the day we had our first case and I did pray because I wanted God’s wisdom to give me the right path and to ensure I make right decisions for my team and for the people with righteousness, equity, and justice for all especially when it comes to public health. I appreciate the recognition, but a lot of it too is less of me and more of Him. God is my driver and while I appreciate the recognition I owe all glory to God.”
This year’s Millenium Falcon of the Year awardee is 2011 AlumKnight Kevin Bautista. Mr. Bautista currently serves as the official press secretary for the CNMI’s Office of the Governor. Throughout his early career, Mr. Bautista has assisted in numerous community projects that have benefited the CNMI.
“First off, I want to thank the Mount Carmel School family, the Bishop, the AlumKnight Association, and everyone who calls this beautiful institution home,” shared Kevin Bautista. “I’d like to also thank Governor Ralph Torres for giving the opportunity to give back to my community five years ago when I first moved back home from Michigan. What’s really special about that is being able to serve in this capacity and give back to the community I call home.”
This year’s Legacy Teacher of the Year was Ms. Bernadita Benavente Helstrom. Ms. Helstrom was a teacher and educational leader who dedicated her life to education. The first indigenous principal of Mount Carmel School, Ms. Bernie, as she is affectionately called, earned her teaching degree at the College of Saint Mary and has been a teacher and leader in education at Mount Carmel School, at the Maris Stella School in Palau, and at public and Catholic schools in Las Vegas Nevada.
Mount Carmel School’s Class of the Year was awarded to the class of 2020 for their perseverance and determination to graduate on-time and together.
For more information, visit www.mountcarmelsaipan.com.
