Carlos Lugardo graduated from the Teen Leader program and now is a Youth Advocate at Providence Center. He graduated high school last year, in 2020, and just got accepted to Williamson College Of The Trades to study carpentry. He was awarded a scholarship in collaboration with Brighter Horizon’s foundation. From January of 2020 through January of 2021, he worked with other Youth Advocates at Providence Center in collaboration with PCHE, and Jefferson Hospital to become a Trauma Ambassador. Carlos explains, “this was an important cause, since many of my peers and family members do not know much about this topic and I did not learn about it growing up. I learned the importance of finding ways to heal and practice self-care, what triggers look like in the body physiologically, and how much trauma can impact an individual’s learning and thinking capabilities. From this newfound knowledge, I decided to spread awareness on this topic, so that people who need help can find it, and people who want to help can figure out ways to do so in a healthy manner.” Currently, Carlos is working with Providence Center and Temple University to undergo a Proud Philly Teen training where he will learn about healthy relationships with his YA peers at Providence Center.