On Sunday, March 14 RCS Senior Sara Nava will address the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute to present a legislative bill to its virtual mock conference. The Institute is a collaborative effort among the New York State Senate/Assembly Puerto Rican, Hispanic Taskforce, New York State Education Department, Office of Bilingual Education, ASPIRA of New York, the New York City Department of Education and the Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network (RBERN).
“There is no better student to represent the RCS District in the New York State Assembly than Sara Nava,” said RCS High School ENL Instructor Ms. Barbarino. “Sara's keen interest in politics and her adeptness at communication makes her well-suited to present her case. As a mentor to Sara, I have every confidence in her ability to move mountains.”
Public policy and an understanding of legislative items presents an important perspective for today’s students. Ms. Nava will present Article Bill #3, which consists of items related to ethnic and racial profiling by law enforcement agencies. Ms. Nava will be required to read a summary of the bill, be ready to answer questions from delegates, etc. This presentation is conducted in a mock legislative session, which will allow her to gain real-time insight and coaching as it applies to how the New York state legislative process occurs.
How did you become in legislative issues?
I was introduced and encouraged to participate in PRHYLI because of Ms. Barbarino. She is responsible for the ENL program at the high school and always believed that I had an important story to share with the world as an immigrant; with the combination of her support and the opportunity of being part of the program, I became very passionate about legislative issues that affected my community.
How do you feel this process can enact change in our region?
By promoting leadership in minority groups through programs that we as teenagers can relate to, we can create an immense amount of change among our community because it gives a platform to express our opinion on the issues we feel need immediate attention.
How do you envision your impact in your community?
My priority is to bring awareness to the difficulties that people like me face every day, by bringing my personal experiences to the faculty member's attention at the high school. I can help them become more prepared and qualified to help minorities looking to further their education.
What are your plans after graduating from RCS?
After closing this chapter of my life, my next step will be to continue my education as a journalist. I hope to be a positive addition to the next generation of Hispanic professionals who wish to improve our community by expressing the matters that concern us and demanding justice to our injustice.
