A commemoration ceremony was held today at C.L. Taitano Elementary School in Sinajana.

Today marks the 49th anniversary of the dedication of the school in honor of civic leader and educator Carlos Lizama Taitano.

Taitano served as a member and chairman of the Guam Territorial Board of Education. He is credited with directing the crucial changeover of the board to an autonomous Department of Education for all public schools. Taitano's family was on hand for the ceremony.

"It is a great honor for our family. We're so proud of this school, the students, just the community that makes up this school, C.L. Taitano Elementary and we're so happy that they thought of commemorating the day that the school was dedicated in his honor," Carmel Diaz, his daughter said.

Taitano was inducted into the Guam Educator's Hall of Fame in 1994. He died on June 18, 1970 and the Sinajana school was dedicated in his honor with his namesake on September 27 of the same year. Diaz - a public school teacher - says she's proud to carry on her parents' legacy as educators.

"Him being an educator, my mother being a teacher also, that influenced me - I'm the only educator in my family," Diaz said." But just the two of them, their influence inspired me."

Students at the school - which was recently accredited - studied Taitano's life and the ceremony - which will be a yearly fixture from here on out, helped build school pride and morale.