Are you Hispanic/Latino with a passion for debate? Or interested in strengthening your public speaking skills? And happen to be an upcoming junior or senior? I urge you to apply to the Puerto Rican Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute also known as PRHYLI. It was created by Angelo Del Toro, a New York state assemblyman who believed that Puerto Rican/Latin communities did not engage or know enough about the New York state legislative process which caused them not to vote in important elections. With support from the New York State Department of Education Puerto Rican/Latin youth became educated and put in the shoes of their assembly members. While this program already holds so much positive impact on the Latin communities of New York state, it also holds a positive impact on those students who have a passion for civic readiness but lack the finances to support their education by being completely free of charge (which includes educational trips). Thanks to all the amazing initiatives from both the people behind the PRHYLI program and student dedication, PRHYLI offers seniors a scholarship they can apply to as well they could qualify for an educational trip to Washington D.C.. Underclassmen who demonstrate outstanding effort and commitment to the program could be selected for an educational trip to Puerto Rico. While Angelo Del Toro passed away on December 30th, 1994, his program continues to educate Puerto Rican/Latin youth and make an everlasting impact.

Today, social media and news outlets control how we view and create political opinions. But why not educate yourself with a community of students in the same demographic as you? Having had zero clue how politics and laws are made in our state I went into this program blindly. In this program I had the privilege of working with hundreds of students across the state, and made some memorable friendships. PRHYLI has different delegations which are based on geographic location, Brewster is a part of the Hudson Valley delegation that consists of around 130 students. We got to meet at different universities and colleges around the area, like for example Manhattanville University, SUNY Purchase, and Rockland Community College which helped jump start the college application process by allowing me and the other delegates to be on campuses of schools that we would later consider for the future. While in the program you are encouraged and assigned to work with students from other schools. Together you all learn to create arguments for or against bills. While some bills are easier than others you find ways to work through different challenges, like thinking in the shoes of someone whose opinions or political views may not align with yours.

Additionally during the program, PRHYLI coordinators are actively looking for delegates to invite for the PRHYLI mock assembly. In New York, our assembly members meet to debate and vote on different bills. These bills will later become laws within our state once sent to our governor’s approval. The PRHYLI program puts you in the position of all those a part of the legislative process and allows you to understand state politics and law making in a dynamic way, which is exactly what the mock assembly does: it gives you the opportunity to sit in the same chair as an assembly member and allows you to be in their shoes for a day. It’s also accompanied by a selection of workshops that allow you to meet students from all over the state and a formal dinner (and dance).

This year seven Brewster High school students were a part of the program. Eileen Espana Milla, Andre Giron, Joseph Castillo Jovel, Jason Martinez Lopez, Ofelia Martinez Esquivel, Alisson Morales Arita, and myself all had the opportunity to help expand the program and get to meet so many new people. We all worked together to branch out in the program and connected with one another. This year, Ofelia Martinez Esquivel, Joseph Castillo Jovel, and myself had the privilege of being selected for the Albany weekend trip and were granted the opportunity to sit on the assembly floor. I was very grateful to have represented Assemblywoman Jessica Gonzales-Rojas who represents Queens. I got to represent Gonzales-Rojas alongside Juliza Nievez from the Valley Central School District (pictured on the page 1), which was probably the most memorable experience of the whole program this year. I got to share and got to know someone new and had someone by my side during the assembly.

If I could go back to my junior year I would ask all of my friends to apply. I am beyond grateful for all the memories this program has allowed me to make and for all the new friendships I made along the way. But I think the true beauty of this program is the diversity we all hold while still falling under the same boat of being “Puerto Rican” or “Latino.” We all have our differences, come from all over South America, but have the same hunger for change in politics.