4-Her Dianelit Vasquez Ortiz is Designated a 2014 Rising Latino Star

The Hispanic Coalition NY, Inc. recently announced the 2014 NY’s 40 Under 40 Rising Stars.  Miss Dianelit Vasquez Ortiz of Amsterdam, New York is one of the individuals who will be honored at the 2014 Rising Stars Recognition Program and Reception that will take place on Saturday, March 22 at the NYS Museum in Albany.  Miss Ortiz is the youngest award winner designated for 2014.  The program recognizes members of the Hispanic/Latino community under the age of 40 who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments and achievements in the areas of business, educations, politics, non-profit sector, community service, and more.  The Rising Stars have demonstrated a quality of performance that indicates they are leaders among their peers and will continue to develop into distinguished members in their community.

Miss Ortiz is sixteen years old and was born in Manati, Puerto Rico.  Her family moved to the United States mainland in 2006. She now resides in Amsterdam, New York with her mother, twin sister and younger brother. She currently attends Amsterdam High School where she is in the 10the grade. Dianelit likes to help people and hopes to have a career someday which allows her to help people and her community.

Dianelit decided to help with the Children’s Community Garden program at the Creative Connections Art Center in Amsterdam, New York because she thought it would give the children in her neighborhood something to do and keep them out of trouble. According to Dianelit “the women that were starting the program did not speak Spanish and this is mostly a Puerto Rican neighborhood. They worried that since they were white and only English-speaking that the neighborhood might not welcome them. I helped by going door- to- door in the neighborhood and making introductions. I helped create and distribute bi-lingual fliers for special events.” Dianelit was then hired for summer 2013 to water and look after the garden when there was no program, to help teach the younger kids, and to translate for parents who did not speak English and program volunteers who did not speak Spanish. Her adult partners at Creative Connections have indicated that they could not have launched and implemented the community garden initiative if it were not for Dianelit.

Dianelit also helped key volunteer Barbara Neznek from the Town of Florida and a cadre of other adult volunteers start the Flash Forward 4H Club whose membership draws from the predominantly Latino neighborhood in which the children’s community garden is located.  The 4-H club members are eager to learn and do a variety of 4-H projects, but are particularly intrigued with opportunities to grow edible things and learn how to prepare healthy foods to eat.  Applying the 4-H motto of “learning-by-doing” the urban garden project aims to bring people together while helping to increase youth’s knowledge and skills in plant science, gardening, growing their own vegetables and herbs, and healthy food choices.  Dianelit is currently serving as president of the Flash Forward 4H Club.