THE strong enrollment numbers every year at Northern Marianas College and the historic eight-year accreditation reaffirmation highlighted the signing of a proclamation on Monday, declaring April as Community College Month.

April is Community College Month after Gov. Ralph Torres signed yesterday the proclamation at the As Terlaje campus of the Northern Marianas College, which joins colleges from all over the nation for a month full of activities to promote the value of higher education.

Although there is no exact date yet, the Northern Marianas College is tentatively looking at breaking ground on a new student center—the first of many buildings that will be built at the As Terlaje campus—during the summer of this year, according to NMC president Galvin Deleon Guerrero, Ed.D., yesterday.

Paradise Dental is the latest company to sign on as a Northern Marianas College ProaPerks Partner, joining many other businesses and organizations. All card-carrying members of the NMC ProaPerks program can now receive a 10% discount. The NMC Proa Perks program provides exclusive discounts and benefits for Northern Marianas College students, employees, and alumni.

Three program leaders from the Northern Marianas College’s Cooperative Research, Extension, and Education Services (NMC-CREES) recently completed the LEAD21, or Leadership Development for the 21st Century: Linking Research, Academics, and Extension program. They competed with other applicants across the land-grant university system for a seat in the recent cohort.

In collaboration with the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC) and the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force, the Northern Marianas College has continued to implement protocols to protect the health and safety of the entire Proa Tribe. These protocols have included mandatory vaccinations for students and employees, sanitation stations placed throughout the campus, social distancing practices, and other measures.