Naomarys Santiago, an Amsterdam High School senior, attended the Puerto Rican and Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute awards and recognition ceremony at Hudson Valley Community College this month. Santiago had an opportunity to attend a presentation by the author and guest speaker, Sandra Cisneros, who shared stories of her life and her life’s work, writing. Cisneros is well known for her novel, The House on Mango Street, and presented to a small audience with a warmth and familiarity that quickly endeared her to everyone in the room. Santiago was the recipient of a SOMOS scholarship award. After being recognized, she spoke about the value of her experiences in PR/HYLI.