Recently, the National College Board recognized Mount Carmel School senior Larry Dean Tenorio Cruz as an awardee for the College Board National Recognition Program. The College Board shared that Larry Dean T. Cruz received the Indigenous Recognition Award and the National Rural and Small Town Recognition Award based on his exemplary examination scores for the PSAT and Advanced Placement courses.

The College Board National Recognition Program is designed to aid underrepresented students who have demonstrated high academic achievement in PSAT/NMSQT, the PSAT 10, or AP Exams. The program is also meant to create pathways for students by awarding them academic honors and connecting them with universities across the United States.

Larry Dean T. Cruz is a Mount Carmel School senior and the current vice president of the school’s ECO Club and a key member of Mount Carmel School’s Theatre Club. Throughout his time in Theatre Club, Larry gained experience in directing, acting, choreographing, and artistic design. In 2020, Larry was a featured director during the Guam International Film Festival for his short film “We Drank Our Tears: Henry Indalecio’s Story” through Mount Carmel School’s Theatre Club program. Throughout his high school career, Larry Dean T. Cruz has participated in various extra-curricular activities including ECO Club, Mock Trial, National Honor Society, Red Cross, TED-Ed, Theatre Club, and Vox Knights. In addition to his extensive involvement as a student leader, Larry is also an honors student having completed Advanced Placement, or AP, courses which include AP U.S. History and AP Computer Science Principles. Larry is currently set to graduate on June 04, 2022, and join the “AlumKnight” community.

Presently, Larry has applied to Northern Marianas College, Seattle University, and the University of Washington. At this time, Larry is deciding between Northern Marianas College and Seattle University in pursuit of a degree in nursing. As he prepares for college, Larry has remained steadfast in his ambition to study nursing; it is Larry’s current intention to gain employment at the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation as a nurse after graduating with his college degree.

“During my sophomore year of high school I didn’t know what I wanted to pursue, but I knew I wanted to give back to my community,” Larry shared. “In the last two years, pursuing a degree in nursing became a clear calling for me because of this pandemic and I hope to join the amazing teams available in our healthcare system after earning my degree.”

As Larry reflects on his experience at Mount Carmel School, he shared “Looking back, it’s crazy to think about how I was supposed to leave MCS and graduate from MHS once I finished middle school here. But after my first two years, I was set on making MCS my home. Alongside the education that I gained from the academically challenging courses I took, I found myself throughout all my work in my extracurriculars. The past four years haven’t been easy, but they will always be worth it to me. I think this award really belongs to my family, friends, and teachers- without their tremendous love and support, I wouldn’t be the student I am today.”

Mount Carmel School’s Acting President Ms. Frances Taimanao commends Larry on this achievement and shares her own confidence in Larry’s continued success. “Larry has always been a student leader that our team can rely on and we are excited for the path he will choose to follow after graduation. Throughout his time here at MCS, Larry has been nothing short of hard-working, dedicated, honest, and resilient and I am certain that any institution he chooses after June will only gain with him as a student.”

For more information about Mount Carmel School and her college preparatory programs, visit www.mountcarmelsaipan.com.

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