She was famous for referring to her students as "my girls", her personal approach to training making her a mother figure for many runway and TV models at that time.
[2][3] After the success of her first beauty enterprise, in 1962 Santisteban received an offer to produce the Miss Puerto Rico competition, a duty she took with serious intention.
Her commitment paid off in 1970, when Marisol Malaret, a 20-year-old executive secretary, became the very first Puerto Rican to hold the coveted title of Miss Universe.
They founded and established the Miss Puerto Rico Organization, which produced the annual competition that promptly became one of the most commented upon television events in the island.
Under Santisteban's close supervision, many Miss Puerto Rico titleholders became TV personalities, international models[4] and business leaders.