Port Chester High School students Erick De León and Marjorie Davison Mayorga recently represented the district at the Angelo Del Toro Puerto Rican/Hispanic Youth Leadership Forum in Albany, joining students from across New York State for a leadership and civic engagement experience centered on government, advocacy, and public service.

During the forum, Erick earned special recognition after being selected to speak and defend a bill position before a large audience of students and state leaders. Counselors shared that the accomplishment was especially meaningful because Erick has only been living in the United States and attending Port Chester Schools for two years.

“As an English Language Learner, the courage required to debate complex policy in front of other students and state leaders is immense,” shared School Counselor Yudelca Martinez. “He handled the challenge with seamless confidence. We are incredibly proud of how he represented our school.”

Click the image below to watch a clip of Erick delivering his speech in defense of the bill position.

Program liaison Darwin Gramajo praised both students for the way they represented the district throughout the experience.

“Erick and Marjorie represented our district with great Port Chester pride and enthusiasm,” Gramajo said. “Seeing their confidence soar with each session was a highlight, and I was deeply impressed by the depth of knowledge they developed regarding our state’s legislative inner workings.”

For Erick, the opportunity was both meaningful and inspiring.

“Representing Port Chester at the State Leadership Forum meant a lot to me because I was able to represent my school and my community while also sharing the perspective of Hispanic students,” Erick shared. “It made me feel proud to know that students like us can have a voice in important conversations and leadership opportunities.”

Erick said some of the highlights included learning about leadership, public service, and the growing impact of artificial intelligence, while also collaborating with students from other schools.

“This experience motivated me to become more involved in leadership opportunities at school and continue building confidence in myself,” he said. “It also made me more interested in future goals related to leadership, helping my community, and possibly studying political science in college.”

Marjorie also reflected on the impact of the experience and the importance of student leadership.

“Representing Port Chester at the State Leadership Forum in Albany is, for me, a way to demonstrate that our voice matters and that it can be of great help to our community despite being Hispanic teenagers,” she shared.

Marjorie said she especially enjoyed learning about the growing role of artificial intelligence and meeting Assembly member Karines Reyes, whose advocacy efforts left a lasting impression on her.

“I improved my teamwork skills and also learned how to enhance my speeches as a good leader,” Marjorie said. “It helps me become a better leader and gain more confidence in the clubs I am involved in, as well as on my swim team.”

The district congratulates Erick and Marjorie on this outstanding achievement and commends them for representing Port Chester with confidence, leadership, and pride. Their participation reflects the growing impact of student voice and leadership throughout the school community.