We are proud to recognize students Sarah Bruzual, Elmer Cerritos, Brian Jimenez Andrade, and Fatima Parada Umana for their participation in the Puerto Rican Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute (PRHYLI). This is the first time Walt Whitman has had all four candidates selected to be delegates!  PRHYLI is all about student empowerment. 

Each year, student delegates participate in a 3-day program in Albany in March that gives them a close look at New York’s legislative process and includes a Mock Assembly session conducted in the NYS Assembly chamber.  The purpose is to give students the opportunity to create partnerships and learn from Hispanic and Latino educators, business leaders, elected officials, and other students to strengthen their abilities to interact with positive role models and develop leadership skills in order to take what they’ve learned back to their local communities and put those skills to practice.

The students selected from Walt Whitman to participate in the PRHYLI program had to meet key criteria, including attendance at training sessions, completion of assignments, active participation, contributions during speaking activities, and the ability to work collaboratively in teams. 

We are so proud of Sarah, Elmer, Brian and Fatima for their participation and great work! Thank you to teachers Luigi Capizzano and Erin Braun for guiding our high schoolers through this worthwhile program. We look forward to their continued involvement in PRHYLI!