HILARY HOSIA
Tisha Lometo is making history as the first student from Life Skills Academy (LSA) to participate in the prestigious Close Up Program.
The 16-year old will join 16 other students from schools in Majuro, Ebeye, Jaluit and Wotje on a trip to the United States.
Tisha is scheduled to depart Majuro to Hawaii and onwards to Washington DC this Friday, where she and other RMI delegates will join high school students from the following US-affiliated islands: Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa and US Virgin Islands.
Once in the US, Tisha and her peers will dive into the heart of US politics and government, including visits to the White House, Lincoln Memorial, Statue of Liberty, the Twin Towers memorial, the United Nations and more historic sites.
The program provides free meals, daily stipend and lodging at the most prestigious hotels in Washington, New York City and Pennsylvania.
Tisha is the daughter of Marlynn and Masaishi Lometo. She reigns from Mili Atoll and claims Makauleej as her jowi.
She aspires to be a school teacher, like her father who teaches sixth grade at Delap Elementary School.
“Tisha is going places and she is not scared of making mistakes,” LSA Principal Kenneth Fernando said of the upcoming teenager. “She knows she is struggling in English and yet she is not shy in speaking it boldly,” Kenneth said.
There are three teacher chaperones accompanying the RMI delegation: Charleen Alike-Lang from LSA, Ricky Bokadrik from Marshall Islands High School and Ramanty Chong Gum from Ebeye Jebro School.
Students in the program: Alexandra Chinglong (Assumption), Chementha William (Marshalls Christian High School), Chiahaya Kiara Je’nei Silk (Majuro Baptist Christian Academy), Doris Nenam (Ebeye GEM), Hiroko Clement (Jaluit High School), Arlin Nohno Johnny (Northern Islands High School), Juliet Rina Jatios (Ebeye SDA), Olina Kijiner (Laura High School), Patrick Damon (Ennibur/Third Island), Dallas Lindsay Paul (Ebeye Jebro School), Rinty Anej (MIHS), Haruka Sato (Majuro Cooperative School), Selepa Neibon Laupepa (SDA Majuro), Shianna deBrum (Father Hacker High School), Tina Gold (Kwajalein Atoll High School) and Willy Lebeau (Ebeye Calvary High School).
Close Up has been in partnership with the US Department of Interior, Insular Affairs and has over decades brought more than 10,000 students and teachers from the insular areas and Compact nations nations alone.
All in all, the program has catered to more than a million students worldwide.