competing with himself

 

Jesse Sablan’s island dream, Ivy reality      by Richelle Ann Agpoon, Mar 29, 2023  

JESUS “Jesse” Sablan, a 17-year-old Saipan International School senior, is going to an Ivy League institution, Columbia University, to pursue a bachelor's degree in biochemical engineering. "Getting accepted into Columbia was nearly impossible, so I had doubts about my chances. I knew I had to double my efforts to get in," he told Variety in an interview. As of 2021, Columbia had an acceptance rate of 4.1% compared to Harvard's 4%. To be accepted to Columbia University, a student must have outstanding academic grades in high school, and has to excel in different areas of life such as community service and extracurricular activities. In addition, he or she must have acquired talents and other skills.

Columbia has thousands of applicants each year with similar academic backgrounds and accomplishments that make them highly competitive for admission, and I knew I had to do something different to stand out, so my approach was to excel in my application essays and supplements.  

My writeups focused on how I was unique as a student, a leader, and more importantly, as a person coming from a remote island.  It was a challenge to put my whole life into 650 words and  give it my personal spin to make it unique,”  Jesse said. He said he was happy to be accepted and is looking forward to college life. “I am now focused on spending as much time with family and friends before graduating from high school, at the same time, preparing myself for what will come next,” Jesse said. He is excited to meet new people, experience a new place and learn more. Competing with oneself Meanwhile, Jesse continuously keeps himself occupied with the things that will make him a better student, son and community member. He is also preparing for the National Speech and Debate Competition as one of the CNMI’s representatives. 

According to Jesse, life is more than what it is now. “We should all be proud of our accomplishments, but I believe that we are capable of achieving more.  We should never settle and must strive to exceed academic and personal limits.  Take advantage of opportunities and keep breaking  our personal record,” he said. He believes that a person's greatest competition should be oneself. “I like to challenge myself,” he said. Growing up in a family with high achieving siblings, Jesse thinks it is innate for him to set high goals that  are achievable through hard work and to be passionate in every endeavor.  “I am a product of my environment.  

Growing up I was surrounded by siblings, especially my older ones, who pushed  the envelope.  Everything about them inspired me to always give it my best, but at the end of the day, I was my biggest competition, so I had to keep stepping it up,” he said. After getting a degree in biochemical engineering, Sablan said he wants to continue his studies and become a lawyer. “I aspire to become an attorney one day. I plan on returning back home to serve my community,” he said. Surrounded by greatness The son of business executives Jason and Shirley Sablan, Jesse is the grandson of former Lt. Gov. Jesus R. Sablan and Annie T. Sablan, and Roman and Ana Tudela. Jesse said he was raised by people who believed in him. He said his greatest source of motivation are his older siblings Annabelle Sablan, who is a senior student at the School of Architecture of Syracuse University; Jon Paul Sablan, a senior student at the School of Biological Sciences in UC Irvine; and Jason Sablan, a sophomore student at the School of Economics in UC Berkeley. “I look up to my older siblings, but I also want to be a role model to my younger siblings,” he said. Jesse's younger siblings are Soledad Sablan, who also studies at SIS, and Jose Peter Sablan, who is a student at Saipan Community School. Jesse believes that it is his responsibility to help his younger siblings succeed. “I push myself because of them. Much of who I am today as a person is because of my siblings,” he said.  He is also grateful for the support of his parents who, he said, have been patient with him and supportive of his activities.  “My parents have full time jobs that keep them very busy, but they are always there for me,” he said.  Jesse's typical day includes studying after school hours, not missing a meal, reading books and watching instructional videos.  

 He said as soon as he felt the desire to study at an Ivy League school, he began doing research on how to be  accepted.  “I knew early on in high school that I wanted to pursue my college career at one of the prestigious  Ivy  League universities.  I knew it would take a great deal of hard work and dedication to even stand a chance at being admitted,” he said. Jesse makes sure that he studies his lessons efficiently. “I study very hard to get excellent grades, and I take part in organizations and clubs and assume office to  demonstrate leadership and commitment,” he said.  

For Jesse, his achievements are gifts of honor to his family. “Everything I do I dedicate to my family and I try to bring honor to them. However, these achievements would not be possible without good mentors, teachers, school administrators and friends who in one way or another got me to where I am now and I am indebted to them,” he said. These include Tiana Cabrera, Charles McDonald, Kim Church, Ron Snyder, Ingur Lee, Mili Saiki, Julie Newman, Whit Altizer, Derek Culp and Jeff Race.  

Jesse is currently the president of the SIS Student Council and the SIS Interact Club. He is also the  CNMI MUN vice president and president of the SIS National Honor Society. Multi-talented  Jesse's dream to be an attorney is fueled by his passion to serve the CNMI.  “It is also an honor to represent the CNMI in various competitions nationally and internationally,” Jesse said. For the third time, he represented the CNMI in Model United Nations, and recently  competed  in  the Global Education City Model United Nations or GECMUN in Jeju, South Korea. He has been twice named Best Delegate for Model United Nations and a Honorary Delegate at GECMUN. Jesse also participated in a CNMI-Guam Voice of Democracy essay-writing competition hosted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars which he won from 2019 to 2022. Science is one of his favorite subjects, and as a junior  last year, he competed in the CNMI-wide STEM  Fair and won first place in General Science and received the PSS Commissioner’s STEM Award. He is also a cross country runner. 

During the height of the pandemic, Jesse did not lock himself in his room while remote learning. Instead, he felt the desire to give back to his school community by conducting a ukulele class.  “I’ve been playing the ukulele for 11 years and I felt I could make better use of my time during the pandemic to teach other students how to play the instrument. With the help of Ms. Julie Newman, this dream became a reality,” he said. Jesse also coaches his fellow SIS students in speech and debate, and is already looking forward to joining Columbia University’s Rotary Club, Model United Nations, University Band, and the Asian & Pacific Islander Law Club. 

Jesse hopes to leave a legacy of excellence to his fellow youth and students in the CNMI that will inspire them to do better in life. “My message to everyone in the CNMI is to recognize our reality,” he said. “Though we may be bombarded with disadvantages and defeat, we will never be defeated. There is so much more for us to show the world. Do not silence your aspirations, but rather, shout it out loud for the entire world to hear. We are not just a group of people, we are a family.”

My comment posted on the online newspaper:

Congratulations Jesse! You probably don't remember me, but i had the opportunity to do be your's and your older brother's Social Studies teacher,  at SCS. You have suceeded inspite of me, not because of anything i did. I better understand you now, after reading your article. Jesse, indeed, you have always been competing with yourself. Well said. I get it now. Thank you! Hope you will not mind if I share your success with my friends on FaceBook, and on my own personal blog site, not for any benefit to me, but to share with the rest of the world, your exemplary achievements, worthy of respect and honor. Also hope younger syudents will follow your example. You are the very 1st of all the students i have had the priviledge of serving (in the States, China, and CNMI) to have been accepted into an Ivy League university. Thank you, Jesse for your hard work! If I'm still alive at the time, got a feeling I'll be voting for you, either as the governor, or the president (why not?). Jesse, please say hello to your brothers for me.